The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-27 00:00:00

not speak, I have not spoken of its sovereign, its
statesmen, or its philosophers—peace to and with all
such) would loath to take the first opportunity to
strike a blow, the deadlier the better, at the vitals of
England. That the present condition of our defences
presents a direct and positive invitation to such an
attempt, rests upon better evidence than I now think
proper to quote. As things stand, the adventure may
be hazardous ; but it would not be deemed mad,
scarcely rash, when the object to be attained is mea-
sured against the risk of failure. It is in our power
to render it both.

The dormant power of England is such as no coun-
try ever yet possessed. Give her time to collect the
inert elements of strength and resistance she possesses,
and against the world, I, who now tremble fir the
future, would have no fear for the result; but the
French, as assailants, are not famous for giving their
enemies time to reflect. My fear is for surprise
and surprise alone ; but for such an operation
the French. are as well fitted by natural apti-
tude as, I believe, they are well provided with
the means to effect it. We have ceased to be
an island; we have approximated in the opinion of all
observing arid reflecting men to the condition of a
continental state. We cannot afford, any more than
any other member of the European family, to invite
that aggression which our position forbids us to pro-
voke. A wise economy would deter us from incur-
ring the risk of having to do in hot haste, imperfectly,
and at enormous expense, that which should be done
at leisure and with reflection. What is that some-
thing which ought to be done ? I have no hesitation,
bold as it may seem, in answering that question.
First and foremost, add a sufficient increase to that
body of police which you now call the regular army
in these islands. The necessary amount is a matter
of detail for the Government to propose and the nun-
try to discuss. It should be sufficient to enable you,
by the assistance of railroads, to direct upon any
points of the coast menaced or invaded, disciplined
forces of all arms in such proportions to each other
as military experience and science pronounce to be
best suited for co-operation. I say emphatically, regu-
lar troops. I earnestly advocate this increase of the
regular army on every ground of efficiency, of adapta-
tion to its purpose, and even of economy. Compare that
strange and anomalous production, the British soldier,
with his ,counterpart in any other service. In a
financial point of view he will appear a high-priced
commodity. Look at the service he performs and the
manner in which he performs it, and he will be found
the cheapest article of his class. It is supposed to be
the intention of her Majesty's Government to re-
establish, under such altered regulations as may appear
desirable, that old militia force which contributed so
much to oar military resources during the late war.
I wish it every success ; but I shall look on this
measure with grave apprehension if it is to be
adopted as any succedaneum for my own nostrum.
Intermixed with, or behind regular troops, not only
the militia, but still more irregular descriptions of
force—yeomanry and volunteers of all descriptions—.
may contribute effectually to the common defence.
Alone and unsupported by that leaven of old, soldiers
whose qualities were so well described by the Duke
of Wellington in the Lords' debate of last year,
they could only encounter a disciplined
French army to their own inevitable destruction.
The annals of war present no instance in which
courage and patriotism, without thorough training,
and unassisted by those accidents of ground or ap-
pliances of fortification which do not exist in Eng-
land, have presented any serious obstacle to regular
troops. The case Of 'the Tyrol affords for obvious
reasons no exception to this rule. I mention it,
however, because the true cause of the failure of that
gallant resistance of a nation of riflemen is in one
solitary respect germane to my subject. Those who
take the trouble to investigate closely the history of
that transaction will find that the immediate cause of
the ultimate failure of that resistance was the want of

a few squadrons of regular cavalry, and a few batte-
ries of regular artillery. Let the Ordnance look to
this; let that department look to the recent affair in
Switzerland. In that country there were all the
elements of a long and murderous struggle. On the
one hand, there were indeed numbers, but on the
othextthere were positions strong by nature and im-
proved by art, great exasperation, political and reli-
gious fanaticism, and familiarity with the use of arms.
The contest was decided, and decided quickly, by
the superior force and weight of metal of the Federal
artillery.
We are neither Swiss nor Tyrolese. We are by
our habits the least warlike nation on the face of the
earth. Increase, then, I repeat, your regular army
to that amount which will make any enemy pause
before he attempts to set foot on the beach of Eng-
land. Reorganize your militia on the best and least
onerous system you can devise. Encourage the yeo-
manry cavalry. Fortify your arsenals, and such
harbours as an enemy may most probably attempt by
surprise to occupy. But remember that parapets
without men behind theft and guns without hands
to work them, are worse than useless.
You will find that all this may be done for an ex-
pense scarcely equal to that which you have annually
lavished, not in the prevention, but in the aggrava-
tion, of the horrors of the slave-trade. Do this, and
you will have some security for the continuance of
peace, unpurchased by.the'sacrifice of national honour
or interests, but which, otherwise, even such sacrifice
may fail to secure.
EGEItTON ELLESMERE.