The true Democrat., 1854-10-04
Napoleon, Arkansas, Sept. 3Oth, 1854.

Napoleon, Arkansas, Sept. 3Oth, 1854.
 MIR. EDIToR-Sr: I continually hear in all companies and almost upon all occasions the expressed surprise of the American people at the evident want of energy in the prosecution of the Eastern War; the inactivity and supine movements of the allied armies is subject of astonlshment and wonder to the people of this country. Not so with me, am not astonshed, 1 am not surprised, 'tis exactly as I always an- ticipated it would be, am an Englishman and served years in the English army in crack cavalry corps now in Turkey. l can tell you sir why nothing has been done and why nothing will, the army of Finland is officered by boys just escaped from the trammels of the school room without military experience, manhoods energy or any ambition save to sport their gold lace bedizened jackets in the ball room or on the parade, and composed of men whose natu- ral energies are crushed down to earth, who are mere automatons; who work as it were by me- chanlsm, doing as they are TOLD not daring to know If 1t IS right or wrong, who are not on- ly expected not to think but are publicly told that Mey have no right to Mink, who are not allowed to study military tactics unless they bear cer- tain rank, and whose ideas of good soldier are limited to, cleaning the horses we'll and furnishing their kat until it is bright and po- lished as a mirror; who are continual spies up- on each other, and are treated like overgrown children. l myself have known man tried by court martial for reading the life of Napo- leon Bonoparte." l knew another a drummer in the 3d Bluffs who was f1ogged for leading a mere handful of his companions (during the campaign on the banks of the Sutledge) against an overwhelming force of the enemy i ln, in, n nd 4Lo D
 with their fire; the drummer's party spiked the guns of the enemy and returned to the camp victorious after the officer ordered to execute the same movement had ingloriously retired alone ald deserted his command; in any other service the drummer would have been honored and promoted he was hogged because he act ed without orders, 1 could quote numberless instances of the same kind but it is unneces- sary.
 Of the French troops, say nothing, simply because l know nothing. Of the English I 1 speak of what 1 know and can prove also know that two-thirds of the corps I served in were entirely ignorant of the art of self-defence. They were all taught to ride; they all knew the movements of the lance exercise; the cuts. guards and points of the sword, only as the child learns. the alphabet without the practical benefits of it, by opposing them to each other in mimic fght-the cavalry soldier of England has the whole of his time occupied in brighten ing up and polishing through one day. to dirty and rust them the next. The first duty of a soldier in the cavalry and the grand object of his life is-polish polish, perpetual polish and the greatest coward would be esteemed by his commandant a dashing dragoon, provided he could polish his stirrup-lrons and btts
 AS to the nOn-cOi m lSSlOnpI officers tho cI1r- est way to obtain promotion is to be devoid of soul, to creep and crawl, to grovel, sir, almost to the dust before your superior officer; to be the petty spy of the barrack-room and the lick spittle of the men in office before you. from the lance corporal up to the colonel; to hold that promotion, when obtained, to play the mean spirited tyrant to all beneath; to exercise which tyranny you have every facility, as the word of an acting corporal would have more weight in the orderly room ofany Regiment in the ser vice than the oaths of all the private soldiers in the corps, if in contradiction of his statement.
 Of such an army, what can England expect? AN EX DRAGooN