The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TEE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—We need not say much in behalf of the
merits and claims of the National Rifle Association.
Everybody knows how much it has done, what
spirit it has imparted to this martial exercise, what
generous emulation it has inspired. It took us up
a nation of bad shots, and it has made us a nation
of good shots—we mean as rifle shooters. Rifle
shooting was,indeed,in its most elementary stage in
this country when the Association took it under its
patronage, encouraged the practice of the rifle, in-
stituted public exhibition days, and brought it be-
fore the country as an important exercise, gave it a
national character, and converted it into a powerful
and substantial aid to our Volunteer corps
and our military position in Europe. Our
gala days at Wimbledon were indeed the
successors of the old crossbow contests, when
our ancestors used to meet in the open spots of
their forests and aim their rival bolts at the
target. It is acknowledged that these holiday
rivalries were the foundation of a great deal of our
success in war in those days. Our crossbows shot
with deadly effect into the French ranks. It was
plain even then that the sturdy independent spirit
which was bred:by popular games and triala of skill
and strength was more than a match for mere drill
and regularity of array in armies composed of feudal
serfs who hao never been accustomed to feel them-
selves anything more than belonging to their
lords. The crossbowman was at home with his
weapon, and had the spirit of a man who had- con-
tended with his equals and knew what he could
do. We all remember the opening scene of the
Festival of the Popinjay in "Old Mortality," where
the " competitors discharged their fusees and
carbines in rotation at the distance of sixty or
seventy paces." He whose ball brought down
the mark " held the proud title of Captain of the
Popinjay for the remainder of the day, and was
usually escorted in triumph to the must respectable
change-house in the neighbourhood, where the
eveeing was closed with conviviality!' These were
the "Wimbledon days" of two centuries ago, when
the firearm was an improvement on the old cross-
bow, just as the rifle now is an improvement on
fusee end carbine. The appearance of the holyday
field, in the 17th century, was a great contrast to
one of our 19th century fete days, and we should
see, if we could reeill the past, a great difference
between the elegant display of a Wimbledon meet-
ing and a scene in which " the Lord-Lieutenant of
the county alone pretended to the magnificence of
a wheel-carriage—a thing covered with tarnished
gilding and sculpture, in shape like the vul-
gar pictures of Noah's Ark, dragged by eight
long-tailed Flanders mares, bearing eight
insides and six outsides." But the two exhibition
days answer much the same purpose, and each is in
its own century a scene whick feeds the properly
martial spirit of the country, and keeps the nation
up to the mark in the use of its weapons. And each
of the two exhibitions, moreover, does this in a way
congenial to the temper of the nation, for there
is nothing that breathes more freely than a pub-
lic trial of skill, every can doing his best, and the
world looking on to reward with its cheers arid
approval. Ir is this kind of spirit which despotic
countries want for their armies and cannot give
them. Why is the Emperor of Russia at this mo-
ment freeing his serfs ? Because, among other
things, he finds that serfs are not the stuff of which
the best soldiers are made. It is a military need
which Russia wants to supply. She finds she is
weak iu war for want of the spirit of independent
free men in her armies. Her troops'are perfect
in drill, and her massed columns advance upon the
field with the precision of machines, and look as
they approach like moving blocks ; but the English
soldier can fight in line without support at his back;
the Russians cannot. That is all the difference be-
tween an army that extends its arm and grasp and
an army that contracts it, an army that can use its
whole strength and an army that can only use part
of it. The National Rifle Association, we say, encou-
rages and fosters this free strong spirit in the coun-
try—a spirit which, without being itself military,
is the foundation of a military spirit, and forms the
basis of our armies, the reservoir which feeds and
supplies them. There must be something moving
popularly, a stir in the mass who live at home, in
order to produce the regular soldier in sufficient
quantity, and the professional spirit must flow out
of a movement and current which pervades society
at large. The Association does more than this, be-
cause it teaches the use of a weapon which is abso-
lutely essential to modern war. You may be a brave
man, a high spirited man, but 3ou cannot fight
unless you know your weapon. The Association
has produced that power which is the first need in
war—that of men hitting what they aim at. We are
confident, then, that this Association deserves pub-
lic support, and we are sorry to say that it now needs
it. An official statement of the finances of the Asso-
ciation, which we insert in another column, shows
that the annual income is something above £2,000,
while the annual expenditure is above £B,OOO.
The difference, happily, has hitherto been made
up by prize entries, pool and sighting targets,
and by admissions to the enclosure at Wimbledon."
But, as these gentlemen go on to say in their
appeal, " these are at best most uncertain sources
of income." They add, "we venture to think that
an association such as this ought not to be left thus
dependent on chance for its continued existence;
and that, having been established to give per-
manence to the Volunteer force and for the promo-
tion of rifle shooting, it ought not to be compelled,
as now is the case, to extract by all manner of de-
vices from those who come toWimbledon the money
necessary for its support." We entirely agree in
this statement, and think it only due to the great
services of this Association that its support should
rest upon a more regular and stable footing than
it does now. We are apt to forget when consider-
able effects aro produced, and effects upon which
we congratulate ourselves, that there is an organi-
zation underneath whicn is expensive. But we are
confident that the appeal of the National Rifle As-
sociation, now that it is openly made, will be
liberally responded to, and that the public will see'
the claims of the Association in their true light.
HERALD.—If the people of New York are sanguine
as to the prospects of the war, it appears that the
generals of their armies do not share in their antici-
pations. Who can have confidence in men who have
no confidence in themselves ? And how can the sol-
dier fight with a gc*od heart under the leaders who
are ready to turn back in the day of battle ? When
Lee advanced to the Potomac General Hooker sent
in his resignation. Now that Lee is concentrating
his forces on the Rappahannock General Meade,
the more fortunate successor of Hooker, thinks it
is high time that he also should retire from the
scene. When Perseus held up the head of Medusa
his enemies were turnsd into stone. There must be
something very awe-inspiring in the proximity of
this stern Confederate soldier. The Northerners
catch a glimpse of him across the river—their
hearts turn into water, their knees knock together,
and their courage oozes out at their fingers' ends.
We are told that Gen. Meade has twice tendered
his resignation, and now insists on its acceptance.
What is, in sober earnest, the meaning of this? Is
an officer, who has hitherto shown much determi
nation as well as capacity, and who has been well
spoken of both by friend and foe, to be supposed so
distrustful of his powers that he dares not try again
the issue of battle, so despairing of his country's
cause that he will not again bare the sword in her de-
fence? Or is he to be accused of the unsoldierly mean-
ness of fear ? Perhaps an explanation of this sin-
gular circumstance may be discovered, which will,
to some extent, transfer the blame from his
shoulders to those of his superiors. When the
armies met at Gettysburg the Federals had all the
advantage of a friendly country, of sure communica-
tions, of a position chosen by themselves. After all,
the result of the three days' fight was a drawn
battle, in which the losses on both sides were
pretty equal. If this was the case on Northern
soil, the balance is likely to be against the Federals
when the scene is once more transferred to the old
battle-ground of Virginia. The Federal army of
the Potomac is reported to be disorganised and de-
moralised. How do the Northern administrators,
Mr. Stanton and General Halleck, propose to re-
cruit it? They are making a thorough rearrange-
ment of the commands, which will probably set all
the regiments at sixes and sevens_ They are
filling up the places in the ranks by drafted men
and substitutes, who are so new to the business
that they have yet to learn the manual exercise.
The absurd proceedings of these men, who think
they can conduct the war from Washington much
better than their general in the field, their
interference with his plans, teed their method of re-
cruiting his army, may be the causes which have led
to Gen. Meade's threat of retirement. It is supposed
that his place will he supplied by Gen. Grant, the
hero of the Mississippi, very popular just now at
New York, with the same kind of reputation as that
which led but. a few months since to the promotion
"f " lighting Joe Hooker" to the et ief command. If
the large reinforcements which have been sent to
Charleston have been withdrawn from the army of
the Potomac, it will serve still further to weaken it.
Tee Confederate army, which lines the Rapnahans
nook and the Rapidan from Fredericksburg to
Gordonsville, is being reinforced by return troops
from Richmond and from the army of Bragg.
While Federal iron clads and big guns are ex-
hausting themselves in the attempt to reduce the
Atlantic stronghold, Gen. Lee may be Watching
his opportunity of et wiling the army of the Poto-
mac, when Washington will be at his mercy.
Meade
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in his rear, and Mosby rides abont unchallenged
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