The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-26 00:00:00

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,—A. paragraph which appeared in a London paper of
the 14th inst., was on Saturday put into my hands by a gen-
tleman who visited the Model of Waterloo, with a request
that I would answer the assertion therein contained,—that
" the victory of Waterloo was not creditable to the British

ration." I immediately related the circuni. tan,t of the
Battle to the visitors then in the room, and explained to them
the character and amount of assistance received upon the day
of Waterloo from the Prussian army.
The subject is of national importance, and as I feel con-
vinced the generality of your readers are desirous of knowing
the truth, I beg the favour of your allowing me from time to
time to make known the facts of the Battle.

The paragraph to which I allude is full of inconsistencies.
The writer tells us that " the festivals in commemoration of
this event are not national—that the anniversary of the
Battle is only remembered by a peculiar party—that the
sooner it is suffered to pass into oblivion the better—that the
Waterloo festivals ought to cease altogether—and that we
should act a more consistent part were we annually to offer
up prayers for a continuance of the blessings of peace."
Now, we, who do annually celebrate the victory of Water-
loo, are not urged thereto by a desire " to awaken in the
hearts of Frenchmen a feeling of hostility towards the Eng-
lish ;" but we do and will rejoice in the events of that day,
inasmuch as they tended to secure for us the blessings of a
long and lasting peace ; and we deeply regret that any one
individual in this kingdom should desire to restrain the feel-
ings of gratitude, or should withhold the voice of thanksgiv-
ing, upon the anniversary of a day whereon the best blood of
England was shed to stay the progress of a man imbued with
so deep a spirit of ambition that he would have remained un-
satisfied even in the accomplishment of universal usurpation.
The crown and liberties of England depended on the
results of that day. Had Napoleon been successful upon
Waterloo, our own shores and soil would soon have
been the arena of contest, and would have exhibited all
the horrors of a theatre of war. I ask, therefore, (if
we have ever even glanced at the sufferings of those
fated countries which were visited with that scourge,) can
we have the proper feelings of Englishmen—can we even
be possesssed of the common feelings of mankind, if we re-
fuse to join in commemorating the day of Waterloo, whereby
we manifest our gratitude to Almighty God that our favored
country has yet escaped the tread of the despoiler and the
unsparing hand of reckless men, the myrmidons of war, al-
lured by hopes of plunder and rapine ?
The writer of the paragraph then goes on, not only to de-
tract from the merits of the Duke, but he proceeds to rob the
British soldier of his meed of praise by circulating the erro-
neous statement that the British, but for the arrival of the
Prussians, were beaten on the field of 'Waterloo. He quotes,
how wisely, I will not pretend to say, Lord Byron as his best
authority, for saying to the Duke

" The chief has fallen, but not by you."
Poet as Byron was, is it to him that we must look for esta-
blished facts of history ? Or shall we seek guidance in our
moral code from him who tuned his harp to touch the pas-
sions of mankind ?

The opinion which he expresses has, I am sorry to confess,
been much circulated in this country. It has prevailed in
consequence of the refusal of the Duke to become his own
historian, and in consequence of the general reluctance on
the part of our military men to make a stand against an in-
fringement of honors in the reaping of which they were per-
sonally concerned, and in the maintaining of which they
would be personally interested.
I am not restrained by any such feelings of honorable
modesty, and therefore it is that I enter my protest •against
the industriously circulated error, and request the privilege
of stating my readiness at all times during my stay in Liver-
pool to relate the circumstances of the battle as they have
become known to me by intercourse with military men of all
countries, whilst inspecting the model of the field and vic-
tory of Waterloo.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
FREDERICK S. THOMAS.
Union Rooms, Slater-street, June 22d, 1840.