The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE LONDON JOURNALS.

A general order has lately issued from the
Horse Guards, which does great honour to the
sagacity and good feeling of those with whom it
originated. The old rules for governing the
service of the British army, with whatever care
or skill they were digested, have hitherto leaned
perhaps too much to movement, materiel, and
detail. We by no means affirm that tha
" morale" of the army was neglected, from any
tendency at head-quarters to disparage its im-
portance ; but theme have always appeared to tii
to be some points of high moment, which re-
quired to be brought more specifically and more
prominently under the observation of military
inen in England, than was contemplated at for-
mer periods by their chiefs. Among these desir-
able objects was the imposing some clear and un-
derstood obligation upon young officers, to
gall
_a prospective knowledge of their profes-
sion. There must of course have been at all
times an obvious necessity for every subaltern to
acquire an insight into the subaltern duties which
he was hourly called upon to perform, and the
acquisition was as easy as it was imperative, no-
thing in the world being more simple or meagre
as to their detail. But what we mean• is, that
there seldom or never was brought home to the
consciousness of a Lieutenant or Ensign, either
by the regulations of the line or by its practice,
time necessity for his making himself master of
the duties which must be discharged by the
officers of a rank superior to his own, although
the contingencies of war are such as often, with-
out a minute's preparation, compel the junior
officer to supply, under arduous circumstances,
the place of his senior, unexpectedly carried off;
thus exposing him to the embarrassment of learn-
ing his task when he ought to be already ca-
pable of fulfilling it, and involving the service in
risks which ought, at whatever price, to be avert-
ed. it is rare, as we understand, to see
young officers exercised by their superiors in
itesvenfiettle
Cap-
tainsdi are not often allowid the opportunity.
a-
Lututli,tirges,
aandbatitnaliton'alnytir'ergoiuthents
The instances are even more infrequent of any
attempt to make tile junk r officers acquainted
with the business of Adjutant, either in the
orderly room or in the field, although the exact
and scientific discharge of those duties are of
vital importance to the effic:ency of
,every corps.
An effective Adjutant Must know the business
of a commanding officer in all that concerns the
field movements and interior economy of a regi-
ment. He must, in fact, be complete in what-
ever constitutes the definite and tangible parts of
the profession, in whatet er appertams.to mere
discipline ; those finer rrinciples of military
order which embrace the tact and sentiment of
commanders in their relation with their juniors
belong to another chapter, and must come
with time, supported by original character
and early education. But unless he has some
means of familiarizing himself with the daily pro- .
ceedings, of an Adjutant, it is extremely difficult
for a military man to become a sound and welt-
histructed soldier. We are happy to observe,
that Sir Herbert Taylor provides in the above-
mentioned circular order, • for the defects which
we have alluded to in preceding regulations.
He enjoins all General Officers at inspections to
call out from the body of the battalion under
review, 'captains or subalterns indiscriminately,
and make them put the corps through some of
its prescribed' manceuvres. This direction im-
plies that junior officers are to employ them.
selves on all occasions in preparing for the eye
of the General Officer, from whose report their
proficiency in the art, or their ignorance of` it,
will be at once made known at the Horse Guards,
and their future eligibility for promotion will be
most probably determined. It likewise teaches
commanding officers of regiments that their duty
is to encourage, instead of discouraging, as too
often is their inclination, the endeavours of
subalterns to qualify themselves .for the service,
A diligent inquiry into the business and du-
ties of the Adjutant is also recommended to
young officers of marching regiments, 'as a step
to valuable knowledge, and a recommendation
portionsto favour. 0
of this
thes
general most
orderestim, a:a:rlieet:a nitdificaetx.:!il.ecalic_ti
Ist, requires the junior ranks of office'rs to be-.
come thoroughly acquainted
ter, dispositions, temper, and ica4rtichutihitze,fots'lieoNt'eardv
and
non-commissioned officer and private soldier of
their respective companies ;" and 2d, those, ad-
mirablebeneficiallythat
which
set passages with which the circular eon-
onptil:igimiliepts%pttopeahbolieecf:alctvt honour.ouie:tveji,o,i ,f..
con-
cludes, recommending to officers of all ranks the
use of temperate and kindly language towards
their men, reproving them, when reproof is un-
avoidable, in such a manner as will be least likely
to irritate their feelings, or mortify their honest
ha tiaihit lie iarri evenils
thepi: ''Phisise; ii sr ;tar
beyworowruehcnici,
-aiPlr:ewioqeturifriutellwere
more
frequently
-,,ar with that
stead of his dread of bodily and disgrace;ul
punishment,--that if he were taught to
t.ha men are kept at the
hi;iffiellic:e,eorilii,lndat:
„el dsonitinuent
I,baaoenieynixicorUeelsiil:ogenl! tao fear ttig
officer,
a.'atl in professional
seal and -devotion. The British is that,
we army
their officers that in which
the " mort24o aristocratique," so much adverted
marks the demeanour of
greatest aobltleeslit‘teyClettuainoncnewaptai):
the fighting man who Wears an epaulette towards
the fiehting man without one ; and let no mill-
-,i
tau pedant pretend that the courage and prowess
tloiarliotyv'eillhtilmieirmtorerea*lesitiet
instead of
otfliesh flilcleyr.respl,fetthitel„,
oili
udreeit'he
of the British troops are owing to such a pecu-
iw:ienrle,
itta iiisgliiltm byi ahirtitimbialiitlyna:
kindness
b
not exeoute his orders with • • ii.erea(-11 .
and devote themselves with t c
4a alacrity,
his glory and -old ardour for
their own. WO look upon this
circular letter as I- ••
..singthe foundation of a new
04 iii the Morn! c 1
iaracter and' habits of the
English truly ; and it will be . .
more gratifying to
the wition generally, because there is a plivsical:
Impossibility that the system recommended
by it
should not abolish the.odious cat o'-nine-tails as
completely as could any Act of Parliament, -
4, imes.

We have inserted in another column, front
the Dublin Morning Register, a letter front
Mr, A. C. O'Dwyer, on the subject of Eeele.
slastical Affairs in the Kingdom of the Nether-
lard„ and some of the recent proceedings in that
respecting the Liberty of the Press:,( The writer (says our Dublin Contemporary)
has had peculiar opportunities of acquiring in-
formation, and his
countrys
l
talent and discrimination are
wig well, known to.the readers of Association
debates to need our hursble eulogy." We Cot
very easily . understand why the King of the
Netherlands should he anxious tp obtain an in.
kence over the Catholic Clergy of that coml.