The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-18 00:00:00

considers that in every free country there ought to
be no army, but a cavalry of nobility and gentry,
and an infantry of the commons. But in England,
as our boroughmongers have managed it, the arms
are in one set of hands (under their pay and in-
fluence), and the property in another ! Abso-
lutely there is PO municipal or constabulary force
in any town throughout the kingdom to put
down a watchman's brawl, much less to suppress
those occasional outbursts of fanatics, paupers,
and thieves, who, on opportunities, or under excite-
ment, ever will display their propensities to spoliate,
plunder, and destroy. When an invasion threatened,
our feudal Governments could always quickly and
readily arm the people. On the alarm of the de-
signs of the Pretender, Queen Mary (William
being in Holland) quickly put the militia in readi-
ness. Trained bands of the cities of London and
Westminster, to the number of 10,000, under the
command of the Lord Mayor, were drawn out.
Tindal says the Queen went to see them, and was
vastly pleased with their activity and loyalty. We
lately heard a venerable and extraordinary man of
years, in the midland counties, detail his recollec-
tions of the circumstances under which the handful
of Highlanders, in 1745, penetrated within 100
Miles of London, from the extremities of Scotland,
without horses or magazines, filling all England
(detesting their cause) with terror and dismay. He
said he should never forget, if in his second child-
hood, the consternation of the parish drums sound-
ing a useless muster, and expresses galloping through
his town with news that the" Pretender was at
Derby." Tindal well observes, that the common
people of England, having been long used to pay an
army for fighting for them, had lost all the military
virtues and valour of their ancestors. It was spirit-
edly debated in the Commons (Almon's Debates,
111. 63), " Why may not a competent number of
firelocks be kept in every parish, for the young men
to exercise with on holidays, and rewards be offered
to the most expert, to stir up their emulation P"
Thus Lord Lyitleton said (Debates, Lords, V.
308), " I do not think our Constitution and liber-
ties will ever be absolutely safe, until we return to
our ancient method of making military exercises the
diversion and amusement of all ranks of men,
arid of making it the custom or fashion, for
all laymen at least, to breed themselves
up to arms and military discipline ; and if we
can accomplish this, I believe it will be panted,
we should then have no occasion for a standing
army, or for keeping a greater number of regular
troops in cononual pay, than was necessary for the
grandeur or personal safety of our King and Reels!
family." The same distinguished and patriotic No-
bleman, in his History, contends that such a national
domestic force is equally essential to oppose foreign
invaders and suppress intestine tehelhon, and that
there is no remedy against a despotism or oliearehy
unless the people of property are armed. But now
we have new doctrines. The beronehmongers sub-
stituted military schools and barrack: (cheap pro-
vision for their sons, and daughters " well con-
nected") in lieu of the ancient civil force of our
country. We are not now to be entrusted with the
defence of our lives, liberties, al d properties—we
are not even to protect ourselves acainat ourselves,
but to be dragooned by military mercenaries,',
officered by the beggars of noble families ! We are
to have an array of yeomanry in the counties com-
missioned by Tory Lord Lieutenants, selected from
the hot-beds of Anti-Reform politics, panting to lap
the blood of the people ! We know their feelings
—we have heard of their bloody threats arid anxiety
to " put down the Radicals.." Good God ! can
this be a Christian country ? Is this then the land
of England ? With a patriotic king, a liberal Mi-
nistry, a united people ardently seeking and pro-
mised free Parliaments, a wiee-apread Tory Lord
Lieutenancy, all the municipal appointments of the
kingdom emanating from bitter and hostile foes
The Anti-Reformers openly boast that in despite of
the Whig Government, they have " their yeomanry
with them, and that the large towns are without
organization or arms! We sincerely believe that
this misguided and fanatic party is desirous of
breaches of the peace, for an opening at the people
and to create claim. The old game is being played;
and Mr. Hunt asserts eves: the readiness of
the Anti-Reformers to give universal suffrage."
Any chances—any risks—the whole " chapter of
aceldeete" to put down the people ! Can such a
state of public feeling continue long ? There is but
one safety—we must once more connect the civil
and military power. Every Reformer able to bear
and obtain arms, ought to possess himself of these
necessary aril:des; the Government ought instantly
and gravely to determine a general system of civil
and military organization, for the protection of
liberty, order, and property. The flaring WOWS of
Bristol are a light they cannot fail to see ; the pas-
sible consequences of anarchy, or the loss of the
Bill, they ought manfully to anticipate and avert,
On this account we are glad to see the civil organi-
zation of the Birmingham Union as distinct from
military array. The project is founded on the an-
cient civil division of England into counties, hun-
dreds, and tithinge. King Alfred made all men
sureties arid pledges for the good behaviour of each
other. This was in barbarous times; but we now
equally need union and self-protection. No hordes
of feudal robbers equalled the boroughmongets in
dee;grra against the liberties and properties of our
countrymen, We must sleep on our arms, and wake
to the sound of the dibro and the trumpet, or the
enemy will break up our camp. IMF this principle
of subdivision and political organization we ate
debted to the Priests. The Ecclesiastics made
their Archbishoprics, their Diocese., and Suffragan
Bishoprics; theist Arch-deaneries, their Rural
Deaneries, their Parishes, and Visitations. We
have, therefore, a godly arid goodly example.
That admirable old constitutional writer, Bade
ler (Bigkts qf the Kingdom, 1641, page 170)
says—" if it wese to enter the lists, I should believe
it not vary difficult, trucb less impossible, to main-
tairt that both the moulding and manag+- (the make
and the use; of tire Kingdom's Militia, was ever, and
immediately subject to the Courts of Justice,
especially to the Parliaments; but never.--1. th nk,
never, to the King's person." Its popular direc-
tion lie afterwards states—“ But to return to the
Militia ; we have found it moulded by common con-
sent ; arid by it also committed to Slice ites, arid other
ousters, known, t.w.mn, and chosen by tie people.
The great work of War, as weli as Peace, was ere-
t related to a Common Council not to the Krng." Sir 1
William Jones, in his admirable Essay, The Leg,rl
Aleans of ,supp,.:.:sing Riots, prove: I hat the " Cur-
stitution" dote not foebiii, but enjoins the use of
arms. Votes without arms, Tight of resistance
without the Power, are as useless at uro'siezy'without
ammunition. We are, therefor , glad to see Mr..eetie
woos: father organise his Union. We have had
twelve montile ,a,f speeches; the people have been
elevated with hope and promise; if their leaders in
every part of the kingdom now &oar t;seste, dreadful
will be the state of lengland should the Tories
come in. Led by ibe moral and intellr et nal force of our
ew,intry, the ration is a nobleer' ductile people; but
mice imitidori them lo despair, tee; iFeeeful will be
the entire saeteineer ref a present generation !tor Ole
distant advarirege of po.f.ierit-)T, There are
near-sighted, feeble-minded, end peeensled friewie
of the Ministry, who, incited by the Pretties, senald
fain Set the Government in collision with the Poli-
tical :Onions', Ft.tial would it be to the coup ry, and
to the peaceful at...triirryiot of the Reform I3rlls, if
they succeeded in theist' ,cunning oieject„. From. that
moment the doom of the Ministry's:trio ci p.1,1-,hc Or-
(IX would be sealed. Numerous an
unansiaserabh
as may the objections to such political uesecia-
!ions, as per))umene toeties, sure we are that they
constitute the safery-valves oe public feeling. Tney
fora: the conductors of the lightning of
,spublie opt •
ttion—a isiehtning which would otherwise setic: to
pieces the very fame of Government. They are
the offspring and the destruction of bad govern.
neent—they will die a natural nseath when the
boroughmesegers are pot to rest. .Ntidt:, till
:hen will laws, or Orders in C.,uncil, or
gaols, or soldiers, " pat them down." They
are the main-stay of Reform, Of the CLeTerment, of