The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-19 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
"IINSTER RE VIE W. No. LXXXVIII.
tay:°„4slcl4ring our precarious, or, perheps, we should
44theb;i
jardoubtful position at the present moment, as far
die belligerent
continuation of peace is concerned--log at
attitude assumed by a certain class of
kiiksile°4, and beholding the strife now raging in the
kik.: territories-a more felicitous juncture could
.°l9 have been selected for the publication of those
iio444ltitt into the " social, moral, and intellectual con-
lh?f the mnY," which constitute the opening paper
sae number of the Westminster Review. Nothing is
st '; vital and supreme importance to a great natio,:
aat:l.aeuleation of a healthy tone into the system of its
its-(,]ttve force, and, consequently, nothing is so incual-
ie„Pt"° ihe Legislature as to suppress anything con-
kiloa t- Legislature
demoralisation of its standing armies. In.
Ns the
this truth was acknowledged, and upon it
tabLeted the stern hulk of the spartan commonwealth.
lags. ben the ancestral barbarians were exposed to the
leriel°°B of other predatory hordes, a certain rugged
Ives triwas deemed requisite for the perpetuation, and
tlask kiit. Preservation of their power ; a morale founded
a-„tivitY, upon a development of muscular energy-
' dis,;:ll,"ls of feeling-upon a continuous subjection
11144;4Ni:1e-end upon that peculiar valour which
man under the most severe privations.
hakie Lcivilisation advanced, more refinement and
14!9th7 were instilled into the military as well as
N 414 intellectual and political codes. And, as civili-
sok, ever strives to extract an increase of advantage
:11tiever is submitted to its influence, the hitherto
'e t°Per cohorts, which were maintained by consular
ial Rome as the safeguards of its authority,
likt ',rendered subservient to the interests of its ern-
vst In this manner, during the intervals of
1. 41
I"
sword was thrown aside to: the mattock ; and
ielera
lne, whose courage in battle had incited them
BPbaliatiou of their enemies, rendered themselves of
L. 14 silakecefit to their country by strewing it with the
ay-nents of their industry-a policy which that
slt "aerior, the Eaperor Napoleon, did not regard
NI worthy of i
• t t', n. With reference :o these par
IketBt,koUr ownintiroaopis) are utterly beneath comparison;
• ek. "es legions of Franc'- and Italy they are es gaudy
"11 aki instead of their peaceful exertions beingde-
bse the adornment or improvement of our cities, or
1./Tall districts, they are restricted to pipeclay arid
ter trr• Upon this miserable tact we cannot do
es,.. 'all transcribe a few sentences from our re-
srea,
i„cths„J the British soldier has no claim to take a higher
`4%t(Zthe R 'man ! and yet look at the 11,,man works
i'lltp,4B which remain to this day-the Thames em •
t'eia,"", than which Britain cannot even now boast a
tth:lkinant work-these, and other works equally great
!kt,,,rvrforrned, too let it be recollectf,d, by men under
a'ttl add constantly liable to sin ise -al most con-
Natio fact, . engaged in actual warfare. What works
ikuriesoks soldiers as these have performed in thirty years
Or to en Peace? Or, to come to times ansi to a people
em ,n-s, look at that magnificent Gallic work, the
1t tq ayrlll4oll4!tinzapPiirl.°a'executed during a fiercer war,
it is
ours sub-
h,, of an Alpineeclima
familiarte.
tßouetvierNira well -
instances
also, whichshould
are
the British soldier he
is itirstV. useful 'public works-roads, canals, and bridges,
eta?.
i
leit;4leatiag by the manner of their jurisdiction a
kikk,,thosiektlience in their idle and useless habits, the military
b 4 of Great Britain have been most culpable-;
Me pi abandoning the soldiery to inaction, they
;4' the 4etd incitements to viciousness, ant:: opportunities
tkiti‘keliltivation of debauchery in the way of an igno-
itt 141; lia'urully dissolute class of men. It is against
Olisik °ranee, and against this dissoluteness of the
tevietikvitrn'Y that the pre-ent strictures in the
kt re ter Review are especially directed. Yet, agree-
igtes, We undoubtedly do in the generality of the
llettlislsewa upon the subject, we must take leave to
cs!l tee Zinst the acerbity and almost rancourous
Oka 'eh pervades the article. Conscious of the
°f very to great abuses,. the. writer directs atten-
4he 'to in tones of passionate indignation, insomuch.
),iVoseh°ecasionally descends to a virulence of scorn, quite
't'a ribs with the offioe of a Public Censor.
tbetkie bites
Neighingi against the gross and murky
ter of e" privates," and sometimes indeed of
'tape ere themselves, he attaches this stigma of in-
tetteY t
ttem.. 0 the mass of brevet-majors and colonels,
NOll "'gher up in the scale of promotion: and again,
isei th'ultting the army for its immorality, he gene-
one imputation of licentiousness ; he brands
a7avaeskt"weeping accusation the whole military este-
on d a Granted that a vast number of our ao-
§afillsesn......e'anders-granted even that a huge majority
rs 'laws" worthy of reprobation as a most vicious
au ;41cipled class-(and we are compelled, !des
fl
deduct on)
to acquiesce precedent-it the justi
kYclal ouctiona-still, it is beyond all as
is
ot u'abutnan candour to implicate, as equally vile,
1„.‘)I1 of doubted honour, men of undoubted purity,
l'eSehilltcloubt
if abi e- acquirements, men, in fine, of un-
this e and elevated character, and men there are
4.114 reseription in the British army. Of soldiers
asks what does the reviewer remark ? Why,
• • 0
04
,j2rotected woman can pass them, of whatever con-
tFhematairsknotot rudely stared in the face, with some
a blush ; and the embara-a•
les.-stsi",t_o which she is thrown mostly gives rise to a repeti-
Zitilttre standing joke of the barracks' and its cense-
eth ds_clais of a horse-laugh.' We have seen it often, and
indignation."
ilkems°,llll4 undertake to vouch that this latter assertion
WY a very wide stretch of that very elastic article,
ep;;lgitation; or if the writer really hiss "seen it
% it has been simply like Hamlet, "in my mind's
Let-;°ratio!" Altogether, we cannot but regard the
trZitt paragraph as little better than cant-as a very
Goats,*flort after effect-as a mere straining after a
iterbid species of humanity. It is nothing tout irrate
t4k111113-;b4lderdash, in short ; and, but that other por-.
lsak,°' the disquisition are really of a high order of
'°e13,131.11d tend to deteriorate the contributor as cm,
ter did
of joining in the corps of the IVest
krl/41, eYiew. We have said that the paper has pot -
Olitek lh,"gb merit, and this we could.undertake to de-
e the did our columns permit; a reference, however,
s!lati° article itself, will be an ample corro-
ie itatl or the remark, while at the present momentous
lveasbtesp~rt phlegmatic. Perusal cannot but prove interesting even to
'grnatic. Some of the recommendations
I,l;staki -*so in the review demand the deepest con-
tk„titied°ll, as likely to produce, by trial, a very
h'ilter„ improvement in the organisation of our
thou t Among these we would particularise,
tutp the most feasible and. the most judicious,
Nee
thl ta-"al that our raw recruits-drawn gen e-
ellifi'ul the lowest dregs of the population
ae'iv "busitted to a system of rational tuition, that
tr.7l4o,,,'kUlties for observation and reflection should
alte wholesome culture, whereby they would be-
Ctieeklt opened to an appreciation of their position as
s,thee,:t,ings; while their bodies should be drilled by
vres'l'on of more bracing and invigorating ma-
than witnessed now-a-days iu the
sh are
tO pm,. discipline of the barrack-y.a.rds.
thanoa
veekliii,isrs, nothing can be more requisite
sihs eau, course of instruction in the mysteries
Is"Nlt -IttY tactics-a necessity which is now
N"(l,4,ertlittirely overlooked. Fredericks, and Cromwells,
41'4%3 ueroughs, and Ilassienas were not fostered in the
4frilezliq such scenes as Arthur's, or in the atm usphere
staisse„s and sentimental young ladies. A great re-
z tea"on is demanded among our sold ery, from the
b4eer downwards to the sutler; that reorganisation
000allItIged with all decorum if the authorities will
Cve thePon the matter ; otherwise, public opinion.
will
cv change to its accomplishment, as itulteruate y
o_titaa°ther neglected abases. Before relinquishing
NON.lect of this first article, we must utter our fullest
Ililetttion of the subjoined paragraph:-
skt esenai Prance armed to the very teeth, and
fi increasing
tritots with unparalleled rapidity and energy-half
tilklon are frantic for an English war, to avenge her
tsZati 'atlases. * * We see, again, America,
tsa, t a reckless President, intoxicated with the
eta of irritating England on the. Oregon or
O'vas ;:tr question which should give him a
„',tar the annexation' of the Canadas to the republic.
IS scs,`aar side we see the dark and insidious barbarian
tkjlittoose hatred of all liberal principles and of the gene-
tsgile'cil of intelligence renders England peculiarly odious
aZte'ttrouclaing like a wolf is seize the first favourable
1,4 rev blotting out England, as he has done Poland,
tti e 7 41 si:vt k :104- 'o' :l
theologicalate:lgP ainosut febtmeEcipu semi
-vassal
Peninsula,
eiu'ens gloatingt Belgium,
eeatle andeumi rmo autos upon ruse' Prussia
-and
- oaahnhpneeiidssi
tiakitisept,he infidel in Smithfield. We even see Ireland, itself
titti'tik Portion of the British empire, in a state of general
liltimilt,444l, under the dictation of one who inspires, till it
redalmost instinctive, an unrelenting and interminable
the " Saxon race.' And, in addition to all this,
ttlarikilittc. anaZAMpled fruits of our national industry, mane.
legt„tiliktiittigentlity, and commercial enterprise, exposed to
Ptteri,,:Y. of the world. and holding out the most ravish-
attlaa;e4 of plunder that can lure the foreign bandit on
L 4.4 of
heroism!'
"assra:vi are ts most viciously ex-
tvse d ;are most vicious sentiments
tft:get trleY are to us a strange anomaly in the
tb® Review-they are vicious, as searching
tith the incitement of a feeling of panic. Besides
liiitoverp' form an accumulation of very novel historical
vs vl C.B' For example, it is something really bold
the
ttl,lat Nicholas the First " blotted Poland from t
40%6 Europe!. and as to the announcement that
the orthodox" monarch is the semi-vassal
0'0744, erellan Pontiff ; it is one for which we confess
t
Vtla -11 coolly unprepared. The insinuation about
le tko 41.
and the stirring up of Irish bile against the
titheetac. e" is surely too obsolete, so long subsequent
i'iberater's" exit from the Richmond Peniten-
eitlilk it horn our intention to lull one single
Illaknestilind into a delusive confidence ; nevertheless,.
reprobate such unchallenged and gratuitous
.b.._11(41;,,ft Peaceful authority like that of the Papal
a revival of the old buebear cry of
fish' e''„,"'ith all the anima icy of theological hate to renew
'
41' k I') dos' anon the heretic and the infidel in Smith-
mj -."4
sentence which contains the very quintessence
leirt sa!, and illiberality. With this observation we
ktets4'°,..cle our notice of the "Social, Moral, and In-
' teVII, Condition of the Army." Mr. Thornton
tid wit the author of the " Foster-Brother," is dis-
t I'd lth much .
dote spirit in a paper on historical romance;
tit ,bittki the writer of Whitehall come off without some
A Pea_o4or stripes. The " Life of Dalton" is a passage
Ilettlitalltlie biography, most instructiv as an example.
ktrid killt analysis of "The Medical Police of the
kTki„ilttvions" is striking the iron while it is hot, and
so
"t' .rne heavy shoigs-hammer blows to boot.
oery gistration of Larded Property" will command
ill the "encl. perusal, and will amply repay curiosity.
‘ll altrye
Possiw y of the " Present State of Parties" we
Nstiteeile and an opportunity of referring shortly,
?a let e te and terse series of thoughts. And with a
ViA4lassePt'Yeloesetlia rs-specting the " Affairs of N.:,w
tevitcetaaesue of • !reef& is eon tented. The
114
" e° '''"
is valuable and well-
gultfal partioulars