The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-13 00:00:00

NAPOLEON'S MARSHALS.

In the present (A pril) Number of the Gentleman's
Magazine, we find it asserted, by a writer signing blinstlf
J. R., that the " warriors" of the South of France are
entitled to a superiority over those of the north of that
kingdom. It is necessary to premise, that he fixes on
the Loire as the botr,dary,—a very unequal division,
and elaecially as he stems to derend rather on the su-
perior number than the real eminence of the names he
produces ; that he limits his view of the latter to mo-
dern times, the superiority previous to the Revalution
having been greatly the other way—and that amongst
the warriors of France he omits her seamen, those
of all grades from the north being indispt tably the
most distinguished. But, even according to the
writer's own limitations, we believe this conclusion to
be most erroneous. He commences by asserting the
majority of Bonaparte's first-created eighteen Marshals
to be from the south, but amongst this number be cites
two (Davoust and Serrurier) who were from the north
of the specified lino ; six others were also north of it,
and Perignon's military services are known to few.
The fare majority of number amongst these is but
trifling, therefore ; but when he proceeds to say that
" a numerous host of subordinate officers might be
added to the foregoing, of eminent fame, crowned by
Napoleon himself, to whom on the whole the Northerns
—highly distinguished as several have been—such as
Dumourier, Hoche, Kleber, Kellerman, St. Cyr, Jou.
beet, Marceau, Ney, Augcreau, &c., must still yield
precedence," we are unable to discover the justice of
his sentence. Napoleon, indeed, was pre-eminent, but
he was no Frenchman ; neither, indeed, was another
able, though infinitely inferior genius, Massena, he hav-
ing been born at Nice, never (we believe) part of the
French territory. It is true that, properly speaking,
the provinces of Alsace, Lorraine, and French Flanders,
which have certainly produced much more than their
just proportion of the most eminent soldiers of the
French army, are German and Belgian, but being long
included in the French territory, are generally consi-
dered as belonging to it. We are justified in taking
them into the account ; and we certainly cannot per-
ceive that France south of the Loire can produce any
equal or greater number of names that can justly claim
any superiority in military genius to their northern con-
temporaries, Kleber, Moreau, Dumourier, Hcche, the
two Kellermans, St. Cyr, Ney, Rapp, &e. Kleber,
second probably to no French genernil of modern times,
was a German in everything but the name ; so was
Ney, pre-eminent for his genius in actual combat, and
the younger Kellerman, who has been said to have con-
tributed more to the victory of Marengo than either
Desaix or Bonaparte. Joinini and the Regniers, re-
markable for their knowledge of the theory of war, and
the first confessedly one of the first of military writers,
were Swiss.

The north-cast corner of France may safe ly challenge
a comparison for military talent amongst their generals
with any other district of similar extent, all incompa-
rably the finest men, and in many respects the best (pro-
bably, in proportion to their population, the most nume-
rous) soldiers in the French army are from that and
the other northern regions : though some of the south-
erns claim (though we think very unjustly) a superiority
in ihtelligence and activity for their countrymen. The
Alsatians probably bear a stronger general resemblance
to the English than any other people. Fine men arc
not unfrequent in Burgundy, and perhaps rr.ore common
in Franche Compte, whose natives are a peculiar set,
wild and jovial, with something of the Irish manner.
\Ve will shortly furnish a list of the principal French
generals who have flourished since the commencement
of the Revolution, with their birth-places annexed, for
the benefit of such of our readers as may not have the
means of otherwise ascertaining them, and who may
thea he able to decide whether we are unjust in deny-
ing the cidms to any martial superiority in the South
over the North of France.—Naval and Military
Gazelle.

COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA

The East India papers last received contain some
curious facts and calculations relative to the effect
produced by the improved communication with India
by steam and otherwise. From these it appears that
five years ego the total of letters despatched between
India and England was estimated at 309,011, while
last year the correspondence between the same coun-
tries by steam, exclusive of that by ships round the
Cape, amounted to 680,000 letters and covers ; so
that on deducting 178,300 as the probable number of
newspapers, and adding 100,000 as the amount of let-
ters sent by the Cape, the correspondence between
England and India will be found to have doubled
within five years, and that notwithstanding the heavy
inland rate to which much of this correspondence is
subject. In the case of Calcutta, for instance, where
the postage amounts nearly to 23. a cover, the corre-
spondence is estimated at 150,000 letters. If we com-
pare the number 178,000 estimated above as the pro-
bable amount of newspapers and magazines trans-
mitted to and from India and England, with the state-
ment made by Dr. Lardner five years ago, a more than
three!'old increase will be found to have taken place in
this important item.
‘.

It has been a matter of surprise that, by the last re-
turns, there appears to have been an increase of 500
per scut. in the despatch from Bombay, while that from
Calcutta has fallen off 33 per cent. This is a.counted
for by the fact, that, previously to the establishment of
steam cominunication, many letters were sent through
Calcutta, from the reason that the circulation of Bom-
bay newspapers being limited to its own Government,
the departure of its ships was only known within those
limits, whereas now the date of departure for the Indian
mad being generally known, letters are despatched to
Bombay by the mo,t direct route, and when steam-ves-
sels shall start from Calcutta, touching at Madras, the
amount of letters apparently despatched from Bombay
will experience a proportionate diminution.

The amount received from postage is found to ex-
ceed that obtained from passengers, the former being
462,000 rupees, and the latter only 388,000 ; whereas,
in the calculations of Dr. Lardner, the reverse is the
case, the receipt from passengers being estimated at
19G,000 rupees, and that from letters, &c., at 170,000 ;
but in these calculations the passengers' fares were over-
rated, as welt as the prop able number of passengers
who would prefer steam to canvass. It is thought,
however, highly probable, that when a special steam
communication is established from Calcutta to Suez,
enabling passengers from Calcutta, Madras, and Galle,
to embark from their own doors, the number calculated
on live years ago, which was 2,400, will be fully realized.
The Bombay Papers contain accounts from Sydney
to the Bth of December, and these, compared with the
dates received direct to-day, are about three weeks later.
The Portland-bay land sale had taken place, and prices
were remarkably high. As an instance, it is stated that
" 20 acres of land, in a projected town where there is
not a house, fetched 11,0001." Trade continued very
dud. Rains had been plentiful and seasonable, and all
kinds of provisions were abundant at low prices. A
new feature in colonial commerce had sprung into exist-
ence, that of exporting Mauritius and Indian sugars for
the London market. vac vessel was already laden,
and others were to follow for the same destination.
Fire flour was 21s. per 1001 b. ; seconds, 18s. ; and
ra-
tions, 15s. ; bread od. the 21b. loaf. From New Zea-
land the latest accounts state that six white men had
been killed by the natives at Cloudy-bay. A vessel
had been despatched thither, under the command of
Lieutenant Brest, to inquire into the circumstances of
the case. Rice was selling at 3d. per lb. for good, and
flour 251. to 281. per ton.

LONGEVITY IN RUSSIA EXPLAINED.—A
statistical economist, who knows nothing of the interral
a r rangfeomr etnhte ofex
extraordinary
rdi
nprovince,ary a
tenacitym u.st Lesally puzzled to ac-
countn
vigour of the vital
powers, the healthful influence of the climatc, and the as-
tonishing gicatness of the average duration of human life
in Bessarabia. The problem is, however, easily solved,
when the contrivance of the civic authorities to increase the
numbers within their municipal jurisdiction is understood.
A refugee appears and prays to be enrolled as a Mesne-
chanin—that is, a citizen of the town. He is at first told,
" 'fhr.t. is not a matter of course, friend : you have nu pass-
port, too : but wait awhile, aid we wid sec what can be
done for you." The refugee waits until one of the civic
community dies., and then he is summoned to appear again
before the Red Table, in the Magisterial office. New the
bush, ss proc,eds thus :—" What is your name?" " Ivan
Gritsbov." " What age ?" Twenty-five." "Well,
young man, attend to what I am
.ty if you wish to be a
going to say—Mitrophan
Kalenko died yesterday, aged fifty
citizen, you must take upon yourself his name nod his age;
;
then we will allow you to be substituted for him, and will
give you his certificate and other documents." Ivan
Gritsliov joyfully consents,
and becomes all at once a re-
spectable citizen of a very respectable age. The de-
parted Mitrophan still lives narkr this metamorphosis on
the civic register, and, probably, after two or three other
renewals of hie existence, dies at the patriarchal age of
150. We need, therefore, no longer marvel at the fre-
quent accounts of deaths in Russia of persons exceeding
i 100 years of age.—. German paper.