The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-22 00:00:00

j corps have assembled in considerable numbers, and
joined in the movements which do not belong sim•
ply to battalions, but also to divisional operations,
they have excited the admiration of military men,
and the astonishment of the strangers who have
visited this country. (Cheers.) You know, gentlemen
volunteers of England, you well know that numbers
alone do not constitute strength; that large assem-
blies of men, although in uniform and with the best
of weapons, are not by their numbers alone compe-
tent to meet with success an enemy disciplined
and trained ; and, therefore, you have at a great
sacrifice of private occupation, at a great devotion
,of time, which in this country is money, you have
made these sacrifices in order to become thoroughly
acquainted with the duties of your profession—your
honourable profession, for so I will call it. (Cheers.)
Well, gentlemen, you have by year perseverance,
by your constant attention to your duties, made
yourselves masters of all those movements which
belong to separate battalions, and also to collections
of battalions in brigades and divisions. You have
also well thought that it is one thing to meet and
another to kill an enemy. To move to meet an
enemy without being able to bring him down is
only getting nearer to danger yourselves. There
is, however, no fear that those who have so well
exhibited their skill to-day and yesterday will ne-
glect a practice as necessary almost as your drill,
and even your battalion and divisional exercises.
The people of this island have in all times been
famous as marksmen, and in the days of old when
war was carried on, I will not say with less deadly,
but with more clumsy weapons, such as bows and
arrows, the British archer was celebrated in every
battlefield of Europe in which he was engaged, and
his skill was shown from the slaughter which he
made of his opponents. (Cheers.) Well, gentle-
men, that keen eye, that strong arm which so dig•
tinguished your ancestors is not wanting to you.
(Cheers.) This day you have given ample proofs
of your skill in the weapon which is placed in your
hands. You have proved yourselves worthy descen-
dants of worthy ancestors, equally ready to defend
your shores from attack, and, if need be, to vindi-
cate the honour of your country wherever your ser-
vices may be required. I congratulate you on the
assemblage here to-day. I congratulate you, in the
first place, on your success and the interest which
the vast crowd I see here, not merely the accumula-
tion of our own sex, but of the beauty of the other sex,
takes in that success, and I trust that this interest
which your fellow men and women take in your
success will serve as an additional encouragement
to you to persevere in this meeting on the ground
on which we now stand—on a territory which has
been for generations occupied by a family honoura-
bly distinguished in the annals and history of the
country, which has always maintained that charac-
ter which belongs to an old aristocratic family, and
those traditional ties of duty on one side, and of
gratitude and affection on the other. (Cheers.) I
congratulate you on having had your prizes distri-
buted by the noble lady who represents this family,
who combines with all the graces of her sex quali-
ties of her own—warmth of heart and benevolence
of character, energy of purpose and application to
business exclus.vejy her own. (Cheers.) I congra-
tulate you also that this ceremony has taken
place under the auspices of the youthful heir
to this vast estate, who, I trust, as I am sure he
will, will prove himself a worthy representative of
the ancient and illustrious house of Pembroke.
On the motion of the Marquis of BATH, three
cheers were given for Lord and Lady Palmerston,
Lady Herbert, and the Earl of Pembroke, and the
proceedings were brought to a close.