Star.
London, England, 1803-11-25 00:00:00

_SIR. EKSKINE.

The following Letter as to honourable to the feel-
ings as well as abilities of the ditlinguilhed Author,
that we think it our duty to precast it to our Readers,
tin, though it is addreffed to a particular Corps, it
contains tentiments and obfervations that are appli-
cable to the whole of the Volunteer Service.

TO Till SIIMIIIII OF TM! LAW ASSOCIATION.
44 Gentlemen—When the return of bufinefs oblig.
ed me to withdraw myfelf for a Short feafon, from
that daily attendance which I had regularly given
from the first cflablithment of the Corps, I was anti.
ouz to alTure you that I fhonld loon rcfurne it with
increafed zeal and attention. The order, however,

of the Both of Oftober, was fnfficient to thew that I
had tax forgotten the application of the fame cir
' cumllances to others as well as to rryfelf, by its con-
fining, for the prefent, the General Mailers and
1, -r.-es of the whole Battalion to two days in the
week.
- It should undoubtedly be an objea with every
Volunteer ellabliflupent to reconcile, as much as pof-
fible, its pledge to The public with the duties and oc-
-1 cupations of common life ; an enemy would carry
' 1 his point to a certain extent, if he could dillurb a
people which he knows he cannot conquer ; but it
appears to me, that even in that fecondary object,
the enemies of Great Britain may be equally difap-
pointed ; becaufe Volunteer ellabliflunents almoß to
any extent, (even though compofed of men of bull-
! nets as we are) may be created and retained in an
'ireful Rate of difcipline, without any filch pram or
[ inconvenience, if a well regulated fyftem is adopted,
and firmly perfevered in.
4, The inaruilion of a Soldier may be divided into
two parts. That which he may be feparately in-
Strutted in, and that which can only be perforated in
combination with others.
44 As to the &ft, a Recruit may be taught in a
very Short time indeed, and at his own convenience,
by proper perfons provided by the Alfociation, the
complete ufe of arms, and all the pollutes and mo-
tinns of a Soldier; and afterwards by uniting with
others in fmall numbers, may in the fame manner
be very loon prepared to join in the evolutions of a
Battalion. This laft attendance is by far the moll
important, becanfe in Affociations of Volunteers it
i comprehends the inftruaion of the Officer as well as
P of the Soldier. - - -

y " The inftrutftion of Officers may at firft view
appear offenfive in an Addrth to a Military Corps ;
but it is what I am molt anxious that every Gem
1 tleman mould particularly attend to, and which I
confider to be equally applicable to myfelf.
U In Regular Regiments every Officer mull be
prefumed to be fitted for the Ration to which he has
fucceeded by regular gradations of ferrite, and he
ought to be rem.med if he is not. But when a whole
Nation rifts up ipontaneoully in arms at the call of
a fudden emergency. (itch a date of knowledge is not
to be upated ; the Officers are generally ekdted
for qualifications collateral to military capacity or
experience, from their Rations in facial, and from
the teems in which they are held by thole whom
they are to command. But this, though a delta in
the infancy of fuck Military Affnciations, ought to
be but a Anrt one. No man fhoold accept fuels 11.
nations from the love of dieinftion. hot as an anxi-
ous true for which he ought moll carnally to qualify
bimfelf ; beau& upon the &ill and knowledge of the
Officers in their different departments, the regulari-
ty of the whole body is 'mainly dependent, and eon-
fequendy its direttion and firmnefs in the day *f
danger. For this moll ufeful purpofe you &cared
to yourfaves in the beginning, an ineltimable advan •
tage in the jadiciouseboice of the otberField Officer,
qualified by his long experience, to give yon the mak
accompliesed afillanee, and emitted, in all other re-
.. (pees, to oar confidence and teem. I mentioned
to the Battalion. when under arms, on Sunday lan,
that befides the daily drills which remain as already
eftablifhed, he required two companies to affenible
feparately in rotation, on Mondays, Wednefdays,
and Thorfdays, at half part eight in the morning,
that both the Officers and the Privates might be re-
gularly inftruaed in their duties, with greater fa-
cility than can be accomplithed when the whole Bat-
talion is ambled ; a fyftem which, if regularly pug.
Ines!, for a few weeks together, cannot fail to place
us in a fituatioo of honoorablediftinaion. I entreat,
therefore, the larva poffible attendance upon theft
occafinns, as well as upon the general days of mac-
ter and eremite, by which we (ball procure more cafe
to ourfelves hereafter, continently with the duties we
have engaged in; beCaufe, when we are once perfea-
ly snarlers of them, they will become pleafant in the
exercife, and can never be forgotten.
" Gentlemen, upon the principles I have thus ad
rented to, and with the advantages which we pares,
I cannot help expeiting an immediate and refpedable
inmate to our efficient ftrength. The dignitaries of
the Law are of cootie excluded, whilft they fern us
by the influence of their cm.ntenance and regard :
Age and Infirmities are to be refjpeded ; but fubjed
to thefe confiderations, viewed without an unwonby
jealritify, and referred to the fafe forum of every
man's own jolt and manly fenfe of his particular
fituation, I looked forward with confidence to an et
Wive Battalion of at leaft five hundred men. This
expeitation cannot however be realized without a
contiderably greater number who may be fairly con.
fidered as efficient Members, because allowing for
occafinnal difabilities and all accidents, I With to be
fn.:de fore of feting that foil number of dilkiplined
Soldiers at the firftheat of the dorm, &mild our far.
vices be called for to repel an invafinn of our Country.
I therefore requelt that every Member of the Corps
will make his return to the Adjutant at his earlieft
convenience, whether he is to be confidered as effec-
tive. by which 1 do not mean an abfolute pledge to
that regularity of attendance is all cafes fo extremely
defirable ; but to fuels a regularity as his particular
situation may admit of, and at all events, to fuch a
(late of preparation as may enable him to join the
Battalion Ihould it be carnal out into aline as an stk.
ful effic;ent Soldier.
“ The remaining part of our numbers will never-
tsl:ltf. he molt ufeful to us in many important re-
fix is ; and I entertain fo hi6h a fenfe of the Chem-
t.l and Hon.ur of every Member of the Affociation,
~,,t; I tor. not required reiliallit LU ac.:orripany the
I a. rut of the non-eCetive... L
61 Gentlemen, wLat I have thin earned!? seed
..oft t 1... C. rm. i am oreoarerl to returnibetDX firm

ly refoh•ed by fludy and attention to endeavour to
junif* the choice which your partiality for me has
occafinned.

" I have it in command from his Royal Highnefs
the Prince of Wat.st. to communicate to you his
gracious intention to prefect us with our Colours—
His Royal Highnefs cleared me to add that our if.
ftdion and duty to the King, which led us to come
into his Royal Pretence at the Review without them,
and without being previoufly infpeeted and reported,
had given him the higheft fatisfaCtion.
" I have The honour to be, Gentlemen,
44 Your moil obliged,
" And moa faithful humble fervant,
" T. ERSKINII."
Lincoln's Inn Fields, N0v.17, 003-