The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-11 00:00:00

THE MEN 01? KENT.

At the dinner of the Nonington and Wingham
Agricultural Association last week, in Kent, Sir
Brook Brydget, M.P., presided, and amongst the
company were Earl Cowper and Mr. IV. Deedes.
The last named gentleman, who is colonel of the
Kent Rifles, alluded in his speech to the importance
of a militia force, observing :—" One of the first acts
of my public life—l am afraid to say how many
years ago, but I know more than forty—was to con-
nect myself with this constitutional force of the
kingdom. I believed at the time I did so, and I
have thought ever since in continuing my position,
that I was adopting a course in strict accordance
with the constitution of the country ; and I was
desirous of keeping up all the institutions of the
country which are worth preserving. In so long a
period of time I have seen the ups and downs of a
military life, as fer as the yeomanry is concerned ;
I have known it in the highest state of prosperity
and in a state of depression. lam quite aware that
I stand on delicate ground in .alludiug to this mat-
ter in this neighbourhood. ; but this much I can
say without fear of offending the feelings of any
man connected with the corps, that the loss of
one of the best of the officers, and the almost
entire loss of one of the best of my troops, was the
source of the greatest unhappiness to me in connec-
tion with the subject that I ever felt Now with
regard to the future. At this moment the regular
force of the "Ithigaisiti is required a manner al-
most unprecedented to be sent out of the country
upon foreign and important service ; the militia has
therefore been called out, and rightly so, that it
may stand in the room of that regular force. In a
country like England, with such immense depen-
dencies and colonies, there must always be the fear
of a sudden outbreak among some of them ; and it
would be the worst of policy and wisdom for the
land to be left without proper defence when any
emergency arises. Well, then, if the regular force
has properly been sent out of the country, and if
the militia has properly been called upon to supply
their place, I say, and I have the authority of the
majority f my brother officers' agreement with
me, the yeomanry ought not to bo behindhand—
all should come forward for the purpose of bearing
a part in the force. I know that lam speaking the
sentiments of my brother officers, of the non-com-
missioned officers, and privates, when I say that we
should hail the completion of the ranks to the
proper strength with the greatest delight ; and we
are only waiting to put the shilling into the hand
of any williug man. Thus much for the yeo-
manry." With regard to India and the atrocities
perpetrated by the mutineers, Mr. Deedes said--
"I do not ask—God forbid I should—for indiscri-
minate vengeance, or vengeance at all. That is a
word that should never come from the mouth of a
Christian ; but I do ask for retributive justice—l
do ask that no consideration shall be shown to men
who, by their cruelties, have placed themselves be-
yond the pale of mercy. They have no right to ex-
pect it, after what they have done. They have cast
the die, and must abide the consequences. lam
sure the noble address of General Wilson to the
soldiers before Delhi would come home to them all;
and let me say that I have a deep interest in the
matter, for a son of mine has been serving there for
four months. (Loud applause.) I well know the
interest with which he would read that address ;
but I do not believe that a thought ever en-
tered the heart of any of them to take ven-
geance upon helpless women and children, because
those fiends in human shape had wreaked their
vengeance in such a manner (Applause.) These
are• not the sentiments that actuate the hearts of a
British soldier ; and I am confident that, when full
details arrive of the assault at Delhi, it will be
found that nothing has been committed of which
we need be ashamed, except that which can never
be avoided, when we take into consideration the
weakness of human nature under certain circum-
stances. I have heard with deep regret—though I
do not believe it—that a civil servant has been sent
to supersede one of the military officers engaged in
active wkofare ; and it• is further stated that he has
ordered the release of a number of prisoners. Ido
not believe it ; but if it is so, then the sooner such
a state of things is put an end to the better. No-
thing can possibly prosper if, at such a crisis as the
present, there is to be a conflict between the civil
and military powers."
At the Ashford Agricultural Society's meetiuk, a
day or two afterwards, Sir .Norton Knatehbull pre-
sided. Mr. Deedes and Mr. Hugessen M.P., were
amen the company. The Chairman, in proposing
the Army and Navy," said, Three years ago,
when I filled this seat, we were at war with Russia.
We issued from that war, if not with glory, yet,
children e n murdered,
tortured, of
w women with the help of our brave allies, with victory.
Not long after the restoration of peace there came
from the East sounds of wailing and woe—cries of
m
t ien
horrors
t ruthlesslyoo
terrible v a t
toe re
d , of
late. Gentlemen, such doings as these demand a
stern retaliation. (Loud cheers.) By this Ido
not mean veneeance. (Hear. hear.) My friend on
the left (Mr. Deedes)
has a child iu India ; I have
a child in India ; you, if you are men, if you are
Englishmen, if you are Christian men, you all have
children in India. (Prolonged cheering.) W 5
desire to, execute justice upon the guilty. The
Apostle says, " Vengeance is mine, I will repay,
saith the Lord ;" but iu what may be called the
same chapter ho goes on to say that man has the
right to wield the sword of justice. (Cheers.) Let,
then, no man presume to step between the British
soldier and that justice, in the name of which he
will strike home to avenge an insulted country.
(Loud cheers.)