The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-31 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PDBLIO JOURNALS.

TIMES.—A measure which has been for some time in
contemplation is now coming to maturity in France.
A Commission has been appointed to consider the
modifications which it may be advisable to introduce
into the military organisation of the Empire. This
is well known to be a subject with which the Em-
peror's mind.has been busy of late ; more especially
since the results of the recent campaign in Bohemia
have brought into evidence the vast superiority of
the Prussian over the Austrian military system.
Some such inquiry as is now instituted was said
to have been planned by the Emperor previous to
his departure for Biarritz ; an the French journals
at that time filled their columns with extracts from
the writings of Prince Louis Napoleon, proving how
early the attention of the present French Monarch
was engaged in researches of that nature. All this
is sufficient to explain the interest taken by the Em-
peror in this matter, and leaves little doubt that the
Commission of Ministers, Marshals, and Generals,
over which his Majesty has reserved to himself the
presidency, is called upon to examine a scheme sug-
gested by the Emperor himself. The alleged object
of the intended reform is to place the forces of the
Empire in a condition to insure the defence of the
country, and maintain the political influence of
France. Possibly the measure was a wider and
higher scope; for we do not believe that either for
defensive or offensive purposes France could be better
armed than she is at present ; and as to political in-
fluence, his recent expedition to Mexico and Rome
ought greatly to have shaken the faith of Napoleon
111. in the efficiency of " big battalions." The ob-
ject we feel inclined to attribute to the Imperial
scheme is such a reform as might indeed increase the
real strength of the national armament, but would
also better adapt the means to the end ; a scheme
which would enable the State to keep up the largest
possible army at the least possible cost. For this
purpose hardly anything better can be suggested
than an adaptation of the Prussian system. This
system, as we well know, originated with the neces-
sity in which 60 years ago a Prussian War Minister
was placed of limiting his standing army to 40,000
men, and yet having it in his power to take the field
at a moment's notice with three times that number
of combatants. The present French force numbers,
when on the peace footing, 404,155 men and 86,368
horses, and can be raised on any warlike emergency
to 757,798 men and 143,238 horses. By organising
it upon something like a Prussian model, the army
in time of peace might be reduced to 300,000, and
yet muster 900,000 in the hour of need. A system
modelled on similar principles may be made very
simple. It should consist in training every man to
be a soldier, but allowing him to be a citizen the
moment his training is complete. Of course, it
supposes in the State the right to the military service
of every subject, or, in other words, it is based on
the law of conscription—a law so universally estab-
lished throughout the European continent that the
generation born within the century is now fully re-
signed to it. A man on the Continent belongs to
his country,, while with us it is the country that be-
longs to the man ; with us the subject is at all times
free to betake himself and his moveable wealth to
any part of the world he pleases ; the State having
no actual hold on anything besides his real estate.
On the Continent the citizen is still adscriptus glebx
up to a certain period of his life, according to the
requirements of this very law of conscription. As
the service is compulsory, it is evident that the
citizen who does not choose the army as his profes-
sion should be kept in the ranks for as short a
period as possible ; not one day longer, in fact,
than enough to qualify him for active service.
It is, we believe, calculated that six months' re-
gular instruction will fit a soldier for service in the
Infantry, while in three years the best trooper or
artilleryman may be thoroughly trained. To some
such period should the compulsory service of the
citizen be limited • and the men should afterwards
be kept up to the degree of proficiency acquired
by such an apprenticeship, both by weekly drill
and by a few weeks' yearly muster in camp after
the Swiss fashion. The whole male population
would thus be organised into a Militia liable to
be pressed into service during the period from the
20th to the 50th year, but divisible into categories
according to age, and mustered up into battalions
out of which picked corps of amateur riflemen and
artillerymen could be drawn, on the plan of our own
Volunteers. This national force, however, which,
for mere defensive purposes, ought to suffice every
nation, could and should also be looked upon as the
nursery for the standing army in those countries in
which such an institution is required. The standing
army might to a great extent be recruited out of
the Militia by voluntary enlistment, but were such
a means to be found inadequate to the want, the
men should be draughted by lot out of the Militia,
taking, of course, the first draught among the young
men of the first category, and leaving the rest for
the reserves. Any man who had served his time in
the standing army should, upon his dismissal, still
fall back again into the ranks of the Militia, under
the same liabilities to a recall under the standards.
Such are the views, grounded on the strictest prin-
ciples of equality, that the Prussian system of Army,
Landwehr, and Landsturm suggests to military men
in Continental States. The system does not, of
course, admit of indiscriminate application, and the
Emperor Napoleon, who is supposed to entertain
some designs of this description, must be aware of
the difficulties with which too close an imitation of
the Prussian model would have to contend in his
dominions. The French law of conscription is
binding on all citizens, bnt it admits of draught by
lot and of exemption by substitutes. The absolute, j
inexorable equality of the Prussian law would strike
the French as unnecessarily harsh. The liability to
service for nearly a lifetime would also clash with
the nature and habits of the French people. The
Frenchman is aware that as a soldier he owes a debt
to his country. He presents himself to the Maire
of his village as a conscript, draws his lot, and if
he gets a low number, and has no money for a
remplagant, he goes out and serves his time ; but,
that being done, he looks upon himself as a free
man, resumes his peaceful avocations, marries, and
is safe from future molestation. To prolong the
present period of service would be almost impracti-
cable in France. Still, the principle that only half
or one-third of the army need be under arms, and
the rest may be kept at home as a reserve, may be
found easily compatible even with the present French
period of service • all that is required being simply
a reduction of the period to one-half or one-third
of its present duration, and a dismissal under con-
dition of a possible recal for the remainder of the
term. Instead of 100 conscripts, all bound to nine
years' full service, for instance, let the draught be,
of 300, with the obligation of only threeeyeartso
active service, and with six more years' liability
be called upon. However firmly
the Elnperrolrnce
Napo-
leon may deem his power established inf
thire,
lie
could hardly be bent on any reform of
to the
present
national armament implying an d
already terrific rate of expenditure. addition
en the pros-
pects of the most splendid c.amoytahiegnv
pride of the
across the
Rhine, and the hope of lowe.r.invjnr
_y
di tempt the
victorious needle-gun, -woutd
French willingly to increase thetitsrfibute of gold and
y_ the cravings of
blood by which they have to sa
A larcrer army the
their enormous War Budget.
Emperor could not think of mustering, but he may
hope to find a more efficient means of insuring the
defence of the territory and maintaining the political
influence of France by an armed nation. It is by ,
an armed nation, in contradistinction to an army,