The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-15 00:00:00

RIFLE CORPS.

A movement has been set on foot by the Right
Hon. Sir J. Coleridge; the Hon. W. W. Addington,
-and other influential gentlemen, with a view of
inducing the agriculturists and labourers to join in
the formation of rifle corps in the towns and vil-
lages of the district where the above gentlemen
reside. A public meeting for that purpose was
held at Honiton (Devonshire) on Saturday.
Sir J. COLERIDGE presided, and in opening the
proceedings said—Gentlemen, I have no doubt you
are sufficiently aware of the general objects of
our meeting together to-day. I, for one, having
only heard of it last night, certainly felt that,
although an old man, and having been a judge, I
should not at all be out of my place in coming
here for the purpose of advancing the objects of
the meeting. (Hear, hear.) lam as fond of peace,
and God knows that I am as anxious that peace
should be preserved, as any man can possibly be
(Hear, hear.) If I thought that I should be assist-
ing to disturb the peace of Europe, or to bring upon
us the horrors of war, or, what is still worse, an
invasion of our peaceful shores, instead of being
here I should have come forward and have lifted
my feeble voice, as loudly and energetically as I
could, for the purpose of preventing anything of
the kind
being done. (Hear, hear.) It is because
I believe in the truth of the maxim—" to be fore
warned is to be forearmed"—and that if we are 1
prepared for the horrors of war we are the less
likely to encounter them, that I am here to
advance the objects of the meeting. (Hear,
hear.) I see ministers of the Gospel here, and I
believe they are equally in their place, and I could
only wish that more were present. (Hear, hear.)
You are aware, gentlemen, that although we have
a very powerful army and navy, and not only
powerful, but as•brave an army and na,vy as can be,
and I trust and believe as well governed and com-
manded as any army and navy can be, yet that the
population of this country has, from various cir-
cumstances, been a singularly unarmed population.
(Hear, hear.) It is a population less familir pro-
bably with the use of offensive weapons than any
other population in Europe. (Hear hear.) I
think this has indirectly been the consequence of
several things which have grown out of the con-
stitution of the country. Perhaps the game laws
have contributed in some measure to the less
familiar use of the gun by the peasantry of the
country. It is also owing partly to our insular posi•
tion, partly to the smallness of our army as com-
pared with the armies on the Continent, and partly,
blessed be God, to the little use we have had for
our army in a defensive way for centuries and
centuries. (Hear, hear,) But, gentlemen, in
consequence of these things, the population of
the country is essentially an unarmed popula-
tion, and a population little acquainted with the
use of offensive weapons. (Hear.) Now, if the
time should ever come when the people of this
country should be exposed to the horrors of an in-
vasion by a large hostile force, I put it to you what
would be the difference in the situation of England,
with a population unused to arms, and the situa-
tion of any other country where there is an armed
population ? I will illustrate this by reference
to a country on the other side of the Atlantic, the
institutions of which are more congenial with our
own than those of many European nations—
I speak of the United States. There the people are
proverbially hostile to anything like a standing
army; indeed, they have the smallest standing
army of any nation in the world, in proportion to
the population and size of the country. (Hear,
hear.) The American army is something so small
that it would sound in the ears of European poten-
tates almost ridiculous when we talk of an
army of 9,000 or 10,000 men ; but,• gentlemen, they
had in that country, until within a few years, a
large militia force, and they came to a resolution
some time ago to discontinue that force, and
that the male population generally should become
accustomed to the use of the rifle. The conse-
quence is this—that, although their standing army
is small, it is commanded by a remarkably well-
trained corps of officers. I have had it, I believe,
on the best authority, that the military training of
the United States is as severe, as scientific, and as
careful as that of any nation in the world. They
have therefore the nucleus of a large defensive
force, and, if necessary, they can turn out at the
shortest possible notice, I believe, from what
I have heard, I may say without exaggeration a
half million of men ; of course not all assembled
tor

)gether in one place, but all of them accustomed
the use of the rifle. (Hear, hear.) Consider,
gentlemen, what the effect of that must be
in defending their country in case of aggression ?
You have thus a body of men, knowing.the country,
knowhig those with whom they act, familiar with
the use of the rifle, employed in the way for which
they are most fitted, and calculated to do the
greatest possible harm to an aggressive force.
(Hear.) It seems to me to be a worthy example
for a country like this to follow. (Hear, hear.) Let
us arm ourselves in the same way ; let us be effec-
tive as a defensive force, and yet not capable of
being used by an ambitious Minister, or a strong
warlike party, for the purpose of foreign aggression.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, it is in that view of the case
that I think we are called upon to view the resolu-
tion which will be proposed to you to-day. And let it
not be supposed that in doing this we ought to give
offence to any of our neighbours. (Hear, hear.)
For their purposes they have thought it right to
do what they have. They have set on foot enor-
mous military forces, and who can tell, if these
forces are in the hands of an irresponsible power,
considering the nearness of this country to France,
considering the altered state of the passage between
the two countries—the introduction of steam, and
the immense advancement of the French navy—
who can say that out of mere caprice, or for the in-
dulgence of a mad unreasoning prejudice or passion
on the part of the army, some attempt may not be
made on this country ? (Hear, hear.) As long as
we limit ourselves to the rifle corps, as it, is in-
tended, we are best enabling ourselves to meet an
attack of that kind ; we are doing no damage to
our neighbours, or in any way giving offence to
them. (Hear, hear.) I trust that this movement,
which is spreading through the country, will con-
tinue to spread ; and I hope that in this my native
county it will be ieceived with corresponding en-
thusiasm and spirit. (Cheers.) lam afraid I have
trespassed on your time. (" No, no.") Forgive me,
then, for one moment longer. lam much the oldest
man in this room, and I am old enough to remember
how, when an invasion was contemplated in this coun-
try as a probable event, it was met by the people
of the country. We had an enormous volunteer
force. There was not a town in this county that
did not produce companies of from 70 to 80 men,
and in some cases there were two companies in one
town. (Hear, hear.) They were regimentally
trained ; they went out and acted with the militia
and the regular ,troops of the country in learning
their duty in a very serviceable way, and so they
continued up to the close of the war. I know it
was the opinion of at least one very considerable
authority—the commander-in-chief of this district
—that he had under his command a force which
could oppose a very serious resistance to any
invasion which might think, been attempted at
that time. I possess, I among my papers a
letter in which General Simcoe, when he acted as
commander of the district, addressed the volunteers
under his command ; and as it is so much to the
purpose, it might not be inconvenient at the present
time to make a republication of it, with a view of
bringing people's minds back to that which existed
among us in times gone by. (Hear.) I trust we shall
show ourselves not to have degenerated in point of
patriotism and courage, and that we shall show that
although we have gradually extended our power
and empire—that although we have certainly in-
creased in wealth, and I am afraid also in luxury
and indulgence, yet that this has not been followed
by that which might have been apprehended—by a
degeneracy in the sentiments, the wills, and the
hearts of the English people. The late wars in
which our army and navy were engaged have shown
that our soldiers and sailors are not deficient in
skill, courage, and patient endurance, but are
eapable of sustaining, and did sustain incredible
hardships. (Hear, hear.) I hope we shall not allow
it to be said that we suffered the whole burden to
fall upon them, but that we shall be ready to take
our part, both by personal and pecuniary assistance,
in doing all that is necessary for the salvation of
our dear and beloved country. (Loud cheers.)
The Hon. W. ADDINGTON moved the first reso-
lution, as follows :
"That this meeting, taking into consideration the danger
to which this country may become exposed from a sudden
act ct. hostile aggression, approves the general principle of
establishing volunteer rifle corps throughout the county."
While he did not apprehend any immediate
danger of invasion, he strongly urged the necessity
of being prepared for any emergency, for the feel-
ing of bitterness that was engendered by
the reverses which the French met- with in thde
Peninsula and elsewhere had not yet expire
(Hear, hear.)
The Rev. J. J. COLERIDGE seconded the motion,
and it was carried.
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He ardently hoped that England would not
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an invasion, to which it had for centuries been un-
used. They must consider that, however efficient
their navy might be—and it was efficient—yet that
science had introduced a great change therein. lie