The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-10 00:00:00

THE TENTH' HUSSARS.

• 7--
Mr. BATTIER has published a reply to Sir
Murmur TA.yr.on's Letter. We subjoin three
principal passages of his Statement
Militaryreaders do not require to be told, that the Commander-
in-Chiers orders are strict and peremptory with regard to the
instruction and the drill of young officers joining :regiments.
Will it not then ' excite some little surprise when they are
told, that Colonel Sir George - Quentin, the then command-
ing officer of the .10th Hussars, ordered me on"tifo .different
occasions to attend. no drills, no. parades, no duties whatever ?
If on joining- the regiment I could not. boast of. much pro-
ficiency as a cavalry officer, was it to be' expected that I Should
attain it by inspiration ? Or was it likely that the small portion.
of knowledge which I could lay ,claim to would be improved
and augmented by an order from the commanding (Aker to do
no duty whatsoever, and to attend .to no drill nor instruction •
that might enable Inc to learn that duty? I call upon Major Gen.
Sir Coiquhoun Grant to corroborate. the assertion .1 have just
mode.- He, at least, possessed judgment to see through the con-
spiracy formed against me, and feeling and principle. to Acs-
ptse it. I appeal to him by his frankness,: as a soldier, by his
hondorftble feeling as a gentleman, and by his candour and
truth as et man, to confirm my statement. I bring-to his recol-
lection, that on the last.of the tWo occasions alluded to, I crdird
on him at his apartments in the Royal ilarrackss.Dublin,
and that then and there, in the fmrescrice of Major England, his
Aid-de-camp, I distinctly reported to him the fact I just
related. I stated, that for two distinct periods, each comprising
the space of six weeks and upwards,, I expressly ordered by
Sir George Quentin to attend to no drills, and to do no duty
with the regiment ; and I now, for the purPoSe of impressing
this event more forcibly on Sir C. Grant's mind; • recall to his
memory the conversation which he held with me in reply. lie
signified his intention of inspecting the regiment in a few days,
and•stated that he Would examine me along with other officers
as to my proficiency in my riding drills, and my other duties.
I then took my departure. * fk.
I now offer some remarks on the. defence set up by Lord.
Londonderry for his conduct on .the evening'of the 24th, when
his Lordship dined at the Illes3;, In the first place his Lott',
ship states his entire ignorance of the proceedings which had in- •
curred his Royal Highness's displeasure, auil of the reproof
conveyed to the officers concerned. On this head. I have to-ob.
sertre the very great improbability, not to say the utter hnpessi
bility, of his Lordship's " entire ignorance ;" the Fo'eedlngs
alluded to were matter of public notoriety ; they were as gl e, -
ing as the noon-day sun ; they were freely discussed 5n
places of public resort; they were_ the topic of conversati in
in the circles of private society ; they were made the theme of
ribaldry among the very outcasts of society, 'whom the officers o
the 10th on these occasions patronized as their selected conli-•
dents, and the chosen depositaries of their secrets. Bet,
however, as the most Noble Marquis professes total ignorance
of circumstances that occurred' in his .own regiment, and that
were so plain and palpable, to all the world beside, I beg to ask
• him a few questions. Previously to his Lordship ordering me
out of the mess-room on time 24th, did not Sir George Quentin
submit for his Lordship's perusal the entire of the documents
relating to me ? and which comprised my report .to Sir C.
Grant, together with the Commander-in-Chief's reproof to
the officers concerned ? Did not his Lordship retain these
papers in Lis possession, for an entire day ? and: on the
following morning, when he returned them to, tiir, George
Quentin, did he • not state that: he had made himself ma--
ter of their Contents ? Verblim svienti. * • °
With regard to the officers of the,lthlnat large, I-have little
to add. Sir Herbert Taylor Imas admitted, that their .conduct
was most unjustifiable, and hi. ROyal Highness has more than
once expressed his disapprobation. Why the Commander-ins
Chief should have occasion to express his displeasure at the con-
duct of any of his officers more than once, is a question that
will perhaps remain for ever unanswered. The ruilitary,Secre-
tary has endeavoured to establish, that the officers of the 10th
at length convinced of their. impropriety of conduct, subse-
quently endeavoured to atone for mistAen prejudice. 'Tis
true, that by the command of his Royal Highness; they made
their formal and affected obeisance; they honoured .me with
their ofNei..l sfllaurn ! But where was the altered conduct
that might have 'redeemed past error ? Where was tl e
courtesy that might have allayed wounded feelings ? Where
the genuine politeness that marks - the, gentleman, and lifg'A
have given sonic pretensions to humanity, to .honour, and
to sense? The mandate of authority enforced the ceremonious
acknowledgment ; the hand of power .compelled- the lips to
move, whilst feeling was frozen in the hear.. It. was, indeed, a
laughable and pitiable
.siglit to'see these high spir:ted gentle-
men, whom theirown good fe.elingtould'not induce to act with
common decency, forced at last to obey a power which yet they
had nut sense to respect. * * * * * *