New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-26
HOME EFFECTS OF THE WAR.

HOME EFFECTS OF THE WAR.
We devote much space in our columns to-day
to the accounts of the capture of Alma by the
united French and English forces. 10 the ma
neuvers of the British army there was an simple
exhibition of that logged valor which is pro-
verbal To the greater number Of the English
twas their maiden victory; the French, however.
were the trained cohorts who have fought so
often on the sandy plains and perilous mountain
passes of Algeria. The activity of cavalry is pre-
cisely measured by their horsemanship, in which
each man must become more or less skilled.
That of the foot soldiers, however, varies very
much with the nature of the service to which
they are assigned, and there are portions of the
French army whose agility is extraordinary. Tho
care which they give to gymnastics might prove
valuable lesson to the pald liyers in cities;
everything that renders them dexterous of hand.
alert of foot, and quick of movement is rigidly
practsed and the foundation of the victory at
Alma was laid by the attention so paid to physi-
cal discipline One portion of the Nights was
left undefended by Menchikoff under the belief
that il was impregnable, but he was mseraby
mistaken as to the Chamois-like qualities Of the
Zoaves-traiBedsc alers in the French army-who
performed so-caed impossibility, by wormng
their way up the craggy sleeps and GROWING the
nights, to the surprise aud discontinue of the
Russians.
The wonderful advances made in technical
skill by the improvements in engineering in arms
and proectiles, and war-economles, seem TO have
had no effect in lessening the individual valor of
the soldier, who fights as bravely now as he did
under julius Cesar, when he had nothing but a
bulls hide and a bowie-knife to depend upons
The sublimity Of mass of men having faith in
the naked courage of the bayonet-adyancing on
the death-shedding cannon of the foe-is sight
which in fact or fancy ensnares the imagination at
the cost of the reason. Up to this time 30 far has
the fiery element of our nature prevailed that in
countries so called ChisteDdom, war has been the
rule, and peace the exception; and so seductive
is the aurora of its glOries, so absorbent wither-
ing, blasting Of the honors and humanities Of
peace, that all England is now once more crying
Havoc. The battle RACES throughout her heart
and brain, and the railroads hurry and the tele-
graphs omnipresence-gener0us growths Of a
long peace, and discoveries impossible in war
are now made the means of llumin ating the land
with the war.spirit.
What a ruin will there now be of the influ-
ences of the men Of peace! How will the faces
ola Hume, or Bright, in politics. Paxton, Ste
yenson Landseer, Dickens, Buwer in science,
art and letters-be obscured 10 the lurid glare of
war! PalmerstOn, who expressed the pent-up
but ever strong contempt Of the fighting Norman
aria fnr tha IN, Il 4 l.
their bidding, beslabbered and beaddled with the
superstition Of loyalty-Palmerston hurled his
contempt at Golden, as a peoples man before
ship was sent to the East or shot fred in the
war: with triumph now in bis hands--with the
English soldier gaining victory as Napier scknowl-
edges in his PeniHsuiar War, "under the dark
shade Of the aristocracy how immeasuraby
will the Norman be resssured and the chances Of
reform put of.
Byron in his Don Juan mentions some Cossacks
killed in battle who would be immortal if any
one could pronounce their names. Lord Raglan
in his dispatches appears TO have been under the
sane difficulty, as regards the names of the Brit
ism soldiers without q title. The Jenkiases.
Scrogginses, and Browns Of the common troops,
are all Jumped under the unexceptionabe valor
of the entire army. No tribute is paid by the
Commander-in. Chief to the foremost common
soldier, though his conduct were the most un-
common, and the terror Of an Achilles flashed
from bis bayonet. But his Lordship is careful to
mention by name every officer whose services
could be signslized, and every officer who was
wounded or killed. But the men-they were still
"uDder the dark shade of the aristocracy." Fight.
ing for panper's wages-hopeless as to prefer
ment-and dying on the field no more mentioned
BY name than so many horses. "a peerage or
Westminster Abbey said Nelson, before his
last victory: but no passing notice, not the faint
est breath Of applause or honor is spent over the
brsvest Of the brave, who was a mau only, but
not ga gentleman "a soldier, but not an officer.
The dresriest part of this war is certainly the
assurance !! gives to The alistecZaey. Il to1tiSa