Star.
London, England, 1805-11-05 00:00:00

nEFENCE OF THE► COUNTRY:

In giving our opinion of Britifh Volunteers in a
cnlleOive and military capacity, we are well aware
how difficult it is to fpeak with freedom, and yet
without giving offence. There is a cant upon this
fulajeft, which pervades a great part of the commu-
nity, from whom a wifer (train of thinking might
have been expeded, and the f.me puerile (train of
fatisfaelion with our fyllem of national defence,fanc-
tinned by that authority, is bandied about from one
blockhead to another, till the general cry has drown-
ed all jail reafoning on the fubjeft. The tacit and
fel;•delufinn is this—" Fear not invafion ; our four
huhdred thoufand Volunteers, and our two hundred
thoufand Regulars and Militia will annihilate any
force that BONApmera may bring or fend. Speak not
of fear ; our Volunteers will fight like lions ; half a
million of fuch men are invincible. Where could the
enemy land a hundred thoufand men at one point ?
before he could have landed, our carts and waggons
would have brought twice their number to overpower
them. Befides, we are fuperior at fea; there is no
danger, and there ffinuld be no fear."
An Officer very high in the Briti(h army, and a
Member of Parliament, had the confidence to tack
an argument to this ridiculous bravado, which was,
that if we only confidered how difficult it is to crofs
a river in the face of an oppofing enemy, we (hall
be in perfe& fecurity as to the poffilsility of our ene-
mies croffing a fea in the face of our defenfive arma-
ments.

General Mace probably reafoned pretty much
in this ftyle. At his leifure moments, in the bands
of the rant men who ventured to crofs rivers and
even baftions in fpite of his teeth, he had better dic-
tate a few lines of advice to all fuch Commanders
as chafe to rink the trial of Inch poffibilities. A na-
val Commander facetioufly rallied the Houfe of
Commons on the abfurdity of believing that an ent-
iny's flotilla could efcape our blockading fqnaeon.
Gentlemen imagine (laid the fagacious feaman) that
it is as eafy fcr the French gun boats to come out of
port, as for Members to walk out of Ins Houle.—
The Houfe laughed a good deal at this blunt and ,
hold, and to all appearance irrefragable reafoning
but the laugh was idiotically oat of feafttn, for we
have lien, by experience, that it is Much eater for
gun boats to clear out of harbour, than for members
to fqneeze out of a crowded room. Thete was ano.
they, and a very different grain of reafoning afloat
when the combined fleets had efcaped, when we knew
tot whether they were defined for the Weft Indies,
or ultimately for the relief of the Dutch fleet, and
favouring the defeent of the Brea fleet upon Ireland,
as well as the efcape of a Boulogne flotilla—fuch a
jundture of affairs, had the Continent been at peace,
would have realised our alarms. If the nation were
not half mad, they would not ref one thought of fe-
corky on the protoftion of their fleets. The language
which we hold on this fubjea is not that of bolddefs,
it hardly merits to be dignified with the name of
rafhnefs ; it is a cowardly and flothful evafion of our
formidable fears ; it is the folly and fwagger of in-
toxication, without its attendant boldnefs. We are
become a nation of traders and truckers—our intel-
lefts feem befotted by the love of money—we deplore
the lots of time to learn the ufe of thofe er.as which
are to be meafured againft BONAYARTS, to defend us
from his hangmen and his butchers ; we bewail the
expence of national defence ; the lofs of time which
to the idolaters of money is as deplorable as the ex-
ertion of their enervated (hew!) to the wealthy and
luxurious. Merchants have been known to difmifs
clerks from their counting-houfes for confuming too
much time in learning the ufe of arms; and ladies of
rank have complained in the bitternefs of regret that
their men-fervants cannot perform, as before, the duty
of dangling at their backs, or fending behind their
coaches in their forenoon vifits and airings.

In fpeaking thus of a daftardly fpirii which per.
wades many individuals in the upper ranks of Co-
ciety, we do not mean to impeach the courage
and enthufiafm of a great mars of fociety who'
have conftituted the Volunteers. Numbers, in
deed, of thofe brave men have attended their duty
faithfully ; but the good are viaims to the negligence
of the bad, and to the radically abfurd fyftem which
has been purfited in conduaing the Volunteers. That
infane fyftem has been, on the part of its managers,
not to fee that the ranks were well filled and regular-
ly as well as moderately drilled, but to bring toge-
ther (no matter how few) faithful attendants on their
.I.lty, and harafs them to death one day in ten, in-
NA of giving a (hurt and eafy Teflon every day, as
ight to be done, without allowing one abfentee, or
flighteft interruption.
But how the volunteer ranks have been filled has
been nobody's concern. It is left to chance. Every
man truth to his neighbour—we count on half a mil-
Fon in this ifland, and the dreadful truth is, we have
not two hundred thoufand fit to Rand the Ihock of
regular troops. In Ireland have we any fuperfluous
means of defence ? Does not the very name of our
fifter Mend route a fecretalarm in everymind thatcon-
rem plates that fore, unfhielded fide of our body politic?
—The Continent is falling before our antagonia—a
worfe than Attila is to be at our gates—We are dream
ing of defence, and we have not half the defence we
require, or a tenth part that we might eafily pof-
ref!. A fair trial has been given to the volunteer
Wem, and we find that it mull either be altered,

or abolithed, or leave nt to certain dellruelioo. It
will not do in the prefent thape. It is always
worthy, indeed, of a free people to retain fame de-
fenfive force under that appellation. The name and
nature of voluntary ferrite is honourable to Britons ;
let filch men as can fulfil the terms, continue to re-
tain the name—but why in the name of reafon arc
men called volunteers and counted on for the de-
fence of the kingdom, who have nothing of the vo•
Wafter but the name And the uniform ? Are we come
to the very dotage and drivelling of political inility ?
Are we ferioutly relying on men of paper for lilted
foldiers—and foldiers to fight with BosAvarrs ? Do
we not fee that although volunteers may well be re-
tained as an acceCory means of defence, folic other
means mutt be ufed to bring out the whole phyfical
force of the country: when the arms of BONAPARTI
are difengaged to fight us alone, Overt that force will
not be overabundant for the bufinefs. We fee by
experience that you may as well leave the taxes to be
paid by volunteering, as the country to be defended
by that alone. It is more than human nature can
be expeaed to perform, to yield an uninterrt:pted
attention to arms, milers the duty be fo enjoined as to
leave no plea for evaßon.

Abolifh, therefore, the volnntarity of chafing to
attend drills, or he abfent. If men chute to belong
to corps, entitled Volunteers, let them do fo in ear-
nefi ; let them deck themfelves in what trappings
they pleafe. and chute their own mode of being dif-
ciplined,, only let the country fee that they are difci-
plined fufficiently. But the main body of the people,
who are ultimately to be the living wall of our de-
fence, mutt be drilled and organised in a difcrent
manner, or the coot:airy wilt me hie for falvation.
Their drills !tuft be made moderate and eafy, but
regular & daily ; and their attendance molt not be left
toatheir own option ; it mud not be expekled from the-
' poor and laborious that theyare to curdle themfebres

whole days, or de.ote any part of their time by ati
effort of fpnutaneent pariotlfm. The very matters
under wham they wotkwill not accommodate their
hours fo as to permit a daily drill. unlefs the duty be
compulfory. Sat appoint them to meet by an edift,
and the dury.will be regularly performed. Make it
alto as eery a dusty as potible. It is grievoully eta
nifhing to fee the ibperfuons fatigue that is given in
drilling and marching. Eight or ten men may learn
in a few weeks in a hall of jo feet long, and half as
broad, as ouch difcipline as the Volunteers have
learnt by freezing and fweating during the whole
Ammer and winter days of their trudging after In-
fpeeing Officers.

The times and events are fo &rimq that we mull
(peak and reafon of out Means of defence, and of
the main bull/ark of otir fecnrity, the Volunteers, i
like rational and plain men. Let as ceafe to fondle i
and to flatter thofe men, as if they were children that
mull be Coaxed to perform their duty: Away with
every compromife and furrender to falfe delicacy—
the dreadful truth will one day be thundered in our
ears from the cannon of bon APAITS. if we do not lif-
ten to it in due time; the truth, which our deareft
blood will expiate, if we neglea it—that to meet our
invading enemy, difcipline, as well as numbers, are
required, and that death and defeat are to be expeaed,
if we tile not the whole phyfical force of the country
in defending it.
Let us reckon oar defenfi've force : We rate our
Volunteers at four hundred thonfand on paper. Sick
and whole, young and old, lame and naive, drilled
and undrilled, are the components of this (weeping
afeertainment ; and people are as recite of their force
being effeeive to this amount, as if they were lifted,
infpeifted, and difciplined in the regular ferrite: But
we affert, without hefitation, that if all deduaions are
made of men beyond the prime of life (and in the
prime of life they are alone to be relied on in the pulb
of war) ; if we dedua the numbers neceirary for
(erring in ftationary polls and watches in the interior
in the event of invation ; if we except alto men,
whole ignorance of difcipline would amft the enemy
more than ourfelves, not one half of that amount in
real and difpofable force is capable of being called
out. And of thofe Volunteers who are the bell difci-
;dined, what is the exalt value ? Are they equal in
!kill to foldiers that have beat the Grenadiers of
Aueria and Hungary? Are the Volunteer Officers
equal in (kill even to thofe of General MACK I Bra-
very, even to defpair, we might expect•—the courage
of patriots and of Englithmen ; but of this we have
heard enough,andto this we have trufted fufficiendy,
if not by far too much.
The whole people mull be armed and difciplined ;
Wand of promifcous regiments of aged and infirm
men intermixed with the young and the alive, we
mull have all the difpofable force compofed of men
in the vigour of life, and of inch men our country
could muter at leaft a million. Let not one be ex-
empted, there is not a man fuperfluons. Dilcipline
Inch as the enemy's, we cannot expea among our
men ; let numbers then overwhelm him, mighty and
irrefiffible numbers ; let thofe numbers be drawn oat
ere the time is too late, and trained to arms, at Una
in false degree more regularly than the Volunteers
are at prefent.

Prepatv, or be for ever saw! Think not of vie.
tory, while your confciences mull tell you that you
have left fo much of your duty unperformed. The
ranks of the Volunteers are not half filled, the mars
of them are not fit for fervice, and not a tenth part of
the phyfical force of Great Britain is held in readi-

nets to defend her. Affetnble and difcipline inßead
of dreaming in fecurity, and vaunting in imaginary
firength, or count on feting London in allies, and
myriads of fuch armed mobs as ye can *amble,
flaughtered and ditperfed. Do you know the enemy
who is approaching ? Do you doubt that his navy
will increafe, and that he will yet affuredly came ?
Gather, in the name of Goo, to troth this firebrand,
or the day is not diltant when it will confume you,
Gather the whole people ere it is too late. When the
death-pall of deftruftion !hall hare been drawn over
this once beautiful country; when tyranny than have
blafted this IA remaining OtOr in the defart of Eu-
ropean degradation, and when, to Chun the intuits '
of a conqueror, we (hall have no refuge but the grave
of our native foil, let our enemies write on our
tombs, " they peril rd by their aunt fogy."
It is a common topic of confolatioa that whatever
our Volunteers are at prefent, a little fighting with
Boa APAITeII foldiers will loon give them praaical
knowledge of the de of war ; 'alit is wifely added,
that the deficiencies of abfentees will he filled hp,
and even the numbers increafed in cafe of invafion.
Increafed and filled up, with a vengeance by men
who have been too bury hitherto to attend the duties
of Volunteers, though they entered the corps, or by
men who have never had the grace to enter them at
all. From fuch fillings up, and increafes in the ma
met of battle, may GOD deliver obi
Ti is ridiculous to alert, that to difcipline the whole
youth and manhood of the country, is ineompa-
tilde with its indufiry--an hour a day is ftifficient,
and if proper meafores were ufed to call out the
men in Convenient places, once in two or three
months is fufficient for brigading them—the effen-
di' parts of their difcipline may be learnt by
daily eitercife, without drawing them ten minutes
walk from their own honks. In every greet of every
'city and village their might be drilling &cures and
places for prattice at the tire of the mufket, and even
the lining of balls. The manual exercife, marching
and taking aim, are thus eafily learnt, and thus
without a murmur or a hardihip the whole people
would be trained to arms.
The Country mutt adopt Come new fyftem like this,
stn the iffue of invafion will be different from the
vain:o6Am cant that is fatally abroad at prefent on
that fubjea. Here lies the grievous, the deteftable
error which has given the death•blow to the utility of
the Volunteer Syftem, and by bringing the country to
the brink of ruin, calls aloud for infant reparation.
The mode of calling out the Volunteers to lOng and
fatiguing drills is ufelefs, it is pernicious. They wait
for hours under cold and rain to no purpofe—they
are marched for half days to no purpofe t they lota
time, Itrength, and patience in waiting for one ano.
ther, or for an Infpetting Officer. Ignorant and ab-
furd men,who have been the means of introducing this
wage of time and Rrength, pretend that it is to harden
them, and there are people befotted enough to believe
that, infiead of killing men unaccullomed to thefe fa-
tigues,they will accullons them to warfare. But who will
ferioufly :alert that the confiitutions of men are thus
to be changed at will, or who can form to indiftiat
a piaure of what will happen when invafion takes
place, as not to perceive that difcipline and courage
in the field are qualities of more importance than
hirdinefs in bearing the weather ? All the land on
which we mall fight is cultivated and full of houfes.
In defending a country like this we (ball need to be
brave and fkilful, but the hardinefi of Tartars and
Savages is only ufeful in fighting through fuch coun-
tries as they inhabit. Befides, if it were necerary,
it is not to be learnt at the age of adult perfons. In-
numerable deaths have happened through this folly
—for fuch deaths, and for the unneceffary difguft at
volunteer drills, which has been thus created, let
thofe men be accountable who have dragged their
corps through rain and mud, and mire, for the in-
lane purpofe of making them hardy.

Let us calculate the increafe of the French Navy,
Gnce this enemy of human nature has led them in
their bloody career. Their Naval Power is increaf-
ing and will increafe. Eitherßormatvi mull die, and
the whole energy of their Government die along with
him, or the fame continued energy will build a fuf-
ficient !hipping to bring over his invading fquadrons
in fpite of all human exertions to refifi ihem.Ultimately
the bloody die will be thrown on Briar ground, and

till we are affured that we have left no means untried
to be'prepared for the trial,our vaunting and fecurity
is all madnefs and fatuity.

What means this fancied fecurity—this public and
ominous flupefatlion ? Do we doubt that France is
become a new empire and a new people; that the
has (hated like Lazarus from the comb, or like aPhce-
nix from the flames of her civil war I Her people are

changed in every thing but their ancient fire and fe-
rocity : their vanity has fwollen to infolence : their
confidence feems to have cleiliny for its infurance—
their loyalty, that made them but half fuccefsful in
ancient wars, has now confecrited and idolized its
objeft. They have got what they only wanted, a
leader to guide their ambition, that ambition which
only changed its name under its varying fynonymes
of fraternizing and deftruttion. This, worfe than
Ma Host IT, and mole dangerous than &LYMAN, with
a people of thirty millions, with a nation of foldiers,
and a holt of Generals, is not to be met with boaßs
and vain confidence ; with Volunteers, undifeiplined,
or taught by a dozen or two field days in a twelve-
month. Woe to the nation that numbers by its trap-
'

pings and talTels the Ilrength of its military force.—
We have not, not can We uphold, a (landing army fuf-
ficienc for this encounter. We muR have V, hunters
on a wider or better fyiletit, or, what is infinitely pra-
ferible, an ORGANIZED LEVY IN MASS.

111.4iITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

bablie •
Witerfari

MAILS THIS DAT...-Wind Eafterly.
MIL DOS. AIM 11016
i 3 I Hataarsit 0 3
$ Gottgabersk 0

Penzance Nov. i.—By the packet arrived yeller.
day from Scilly, we received intelligence, that in ad-
dition to the. Magdalene, of Greenock, in our Pier,
two others of the Sniffing flips from the, Welt Indies
by lift convoy, are recaptured, and put into Scilly
the one by an armed fchooner, and other by a Gum.
fey privateer; unfortunately the 04 recaptured by
the latter 'ran aground in Old Grimthy harbour, but.
it is hoped will be got off without much damage.
Fatiourn, Nov. s.—Put back this day the
American Ibip Carpenter, Captain MITERS, which
failed yefierday for London. Sailed the American
(hip Martyn, Captain Livti.sron, for Liverpool with
tobacco; the Lord Auckland packet, SZVTLIIII,
with the mail of the agth tilt. for Lisbon; the was
not ezPeeed t 3 fail till the gth init. but an esprit, ar-
rived late lag evening, ordering her immediate fail-
ing, and to take on board the Ruffian Ambaffador
lot the Court of Madrid, who has been waiting here
Come days ; alto failed the Bacchus, Burrsavisto,
for Newport ; and Friendthip,Tottaams, for Bridge.
water. The ralfingham packet from Linton is daily
expeded ; the wind is at prefent unfavourable for her
arrival. Wind EA.
POILTIMOOTH. 00111111311. 4.—Arrived the Mary,
I &saw, from London.—The APOLLO frigate is ap-
pointed convoy for the Mediterranean. Wind E.
Novemsta 4.—Arrived in the Roads this
morning from the French Coaft and the Downs, his
Majcay's gun-brigs Fearlefs, Pmcher, Sparkler,
Bloodhound, Firm, Mariner, Thra(her, and Gallant,
and remain with the Defperate, Blazer, Bruiser, and
Conftant. It is fuppofed that there gun.brigs are
come to take each one of the launches which have
been fitted here under the diration of Sir Stoner
Ststri.—lt appears that the enemy do not think
their veffels fare under the cover of their batteries,
for, fince one of them was blown op lan week, they
have not appeared outfide of the Pier.—Arrived the
Courier cutter from a cruise.—Sir SroaiT SMITS
has been here to day, attended by Captain Stemmas,
of the UTtacHT.—Wind S. S. E. and fine moderate
weather.

DEAL, Nov. 4—Arrived the Velvet. and PIGA.
Itts frigates, COMBATANT, OMNI; and the Veto-
toys Hoops of war, and feveral gun-brigs from off
the French Coati. Came down from Sheerners the
Jaczatt gun brig, and remains in the Downs with
the (lips as per la'!.—Wind S. E.
Yaanourn, NOVIIIIIR 3.—Saturday arrived the
Arra sa frigate from a cruize, and the John armed
(hip, with a fleet' of Merchantmen for the Baltic.—
Sunday arrived here an Englifh kleffenpr, and em-
barked on board the CAIRIEL, which immediately
failed for the Continent. Monday failed for the Bal-
tic the John armed (hip, with a' fleet of Mer-
chantmen. Arrived from the Southward, (even fail
of light tranfports under convoy of two gun brigs.—
The fleet under Admiral Russsti is le:paled to
fail to-morrow morning. Remain in the • Roads the
Majeftic, Elephant, Dieator, Princefs of Orange,
Stately, Roebuck, Ruby, Agincourt; Allrea frigate,
and four gun brigs, and three cutters. Wind. S. E.