The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 27, 1864 e

shower of bullets on the Russians in their attack
on our position, not a man of them could have
survived coming within its range. We will not
give an opinion now on such a suggestion ; but
this we know, that the devices of " scheme's,"
despised by men of red tape at first, have become
at last the regular equipment of " the service."

VOLUNTEERS FOR 1855 ; OR, A VOICE

FROM MA NCH ESTER.

We have much pleasure in giving currency to
the following spirited address :
The cry of the people now ringing through the whole
land—from Dover to Galway—from Cornwall to the Ork-
neys—calls for a response from the Crown and from
Parliament. The heroism of our handful of men in the
East tells us, that the only fitting response to the cry is
an immediate signal to the old spirit of Volunteering
among us. The last war was nobly closed by some
15,000 Volunteers in mass from the Militia; and it
was prepared by the embodying of half-a-million of
local volunteers. Groat as our countrymen have shown
themselves in the East reverses may come. It will be
madness not to be ready for those reverses ; and no better
step for that purpose can be taken than the immediate
assembling of a million of volunteers in the three kingdoms,
to prove that we have counted the cost of the contest we
have been driven to wage ; and that we mean to stake that
cost for the safety and civilisation of mankind.
The people of these islands understand the crisis per-
fectly.
We love peace ; but we know it must be conquered.
We abhor tyranny in every form ; but we know it can be
crushed by manful resistance.
The blood of oar brothers must be avenged ; and the
rights of our fellow-men vindicated by every sacrifice of
our lives and our fortunes. Both are at the command of
the Queen and of Parliament ; and all Europe will see an
united people rising as ono man to defeat hypocrisy and
fraud, and protect society from insolent aggression.
By this measure, too, we shall secure the indemnity in
hard coin which Russia must pay for disturbing Europe
by her unscrupulous ambition.
The French alliance is worth all we are spending ; but
to keep it, and improve it, we must meet manfully the
great crisis of our day.

A VOLUNTSBR OF 1812.
Manchester, 24th November, 1854.

VOLUNTEERING FROM THE MILITIA

TO THE LINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The offer of an Ensigncy for every 75 volun•
teers from a Militia regiment to the Line may be a boo❑
to a Colonel who has sons or nephews to provide for ;
but it is a very poor encouragement to the Adjutant
and Staff Sergeants who have had the labour of raising
and training their regiments for the last three year:;.
There is no doubt but that an Adjutant of Militia has
more influence over the men than any other officer ;
and it is quite natural that the men should place the
most confidence in him who has the most perfect know-
idge of his duty, and whom they are aware has been
in active service in the field.
Men are wante't, and badly enough. Let the autho.
rities try the experiment of offering the Adjutants, and
officers commanding companies in the Militia, who have
served in the Militia, their former army rank, provided
that they take their men with them, and I am con-
vinced that the result will be found favourable. By
this means a considerable force could be at once raised,
with the addition of a few efficient officers, whose re-
appointment to the army would excite no jealousy or
discontent, and who would be gladly welcomed back
again to their brothers in arms who may have struggled
with them on many a field before.
If any reward is to be given, moreover, for a few
volunteers, why not give it to those who, by their exer-
tions, have earned it, and not to the Colonels, whose
arduous services in few instances would entitle them to
more than the exalted rank and the liberal pay already
awarded to them, and who appeared at the first train-
ings of their regiments as wise as those recruits whom
they came to command ?—I have the honour to be, sir,
your obedient servant, A SOLDIER.