The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-07

IL appears that since the British Parliament
passed bill authorizing the enlistment Of
foreigners to eerve in the British armies, there
have been Recruiting officers stationed ia all the
principal seaports of the United States, and it
Is said that up to this time, one thousand men
nave heen engaged to enlist. The authority on
which this number is given does NO. appear;
aid considering the very energetic and prompt
,Aessures which were taken at the start by the
police and legal authorities at Boston, New
York and Philadelphia, 1t certainly seems large.
One thousand men cannot be smuggled out Of
country in q handbook nor can it be under
stood, at first blush why the newspapers of the
British Provinces, where this thousand men
must have rendezvoused, have never dropped
cation. However, the number matters little.
1t is quite certain that attempts were made to
enlist men here for the British service; that
on the news of the same, oil the admin
istratien officials fell into paroxysm of
Indignation, and arrested Unfortunately
every man who appeared to be concerned
in what the Washington Union virtuously calls
"the grossest of insults and outrages against
the honor and sovereignty Of the United States"
and that the scheme failed in consequence.
On the strength of this, the government news.
paper at Washington takes occasion to solicit
confidence and approval for the administration
of General Pierce, and speaks of him as it is
customary to speak Of the Emperor Trajan, and
the greatest monarchs Of antiquity. The sub
ject will be suggestive Of other thoughts to the
public at large, and the transcendant glory of
the President and the unexampled zeal of his
subordinates, will strike most people as matters
of less Importance than the step which Great
Britain has just begun to take.
It was the boast of British statesmen when
this war began, that the government would not
call in the aid Of the press-gaDg. And very
proper subject for boasting it was, as the
abandonment of any other bad practice
would have been. But the change ne
cessitated the departure of the feet
from Spitheai in state Of semi musiny and
SO disorganized that Admiral Napier dared not
risk battle with it. 1t operated on the army
as WELL for that branch Of the British service
depended in great measure, though secretly,
on kindred system and after the losses be
fore Sebastopol during the hard weather of the
fall and winter, the British contingent had
fallen 80 low, and the recruitments came in SO
slowly, that the army soon found itself in a
worse condition than the navy. 1t was then
that the English government prevailed upon
Parliament to pass an act authorizing the
raising Of troops of foreigners. Emissaries
were sent to the various States of Germany
to Canada and to this country; and notwith-
standing most vigorous opposition on the part
Of the various national authorities, o consider
able number ofmen appear to have been raised.
The question is now whether this expedient
will answer as substitute for the CONSUMPTION
Of the continental powers, or the crimps and
press gangs-of old England.
Foreign mercenaries have, at various times
in the history Of the world, proved excellent
soldiers. The Swiss made living in that way
for many generations, and appear in general
to have evinced great bravery and stauuch
fidelity in fighting for mere pay. The Scottish
mercenaries who for so many reigns formed the
body guards of the kings of France, were men
of undoubted courage, as their type, Dalgetty,
is there to testify. In later times the Swiss
body guard of Charles the Tenth-who though
called Swiss were mostly Germans-fought for
him long after every Frsnchuan had deserted
his cause The Romans occasionally found a
troop Of mercenaries raised in o conquered
province valuable auxiliary. In the eigh
teenth century, large proportion Of the Ger
man people were regularly hired out by their
princes and masters to fight the battles of any
one who would pay them. They served the
King Of France, the King Of Spain, and the
Emperor; King George the Third sent batch
Of them here to "put down the rebels, and hang
Mr.. Washington" and it may be said generally
that they did most Of the fighting that was re-
quired in Europe and America at that time
1t appears, however, though the mercenaries
themselves have not deserved the contempt
usually bestowed On them, that no nation has
ever relied upon them to any extent without
being incontinently ruined, or at least suffer-
ing severely. Column after column Of this |
journal could be filed with extracts from hsto
ry showing this singular law of nature. The |
the Romans instead of nploying a
single legion Of mercenaries in the midst of half
q dozen Roman legions, entrusted their eagles
to an army Of paid foreigners, that moment de.
feat began, and continued until the prestige Of
Rom was broken, and q military despotism
soon replaced the empire. Peter the G reat of
Russia almost lost his crown and the fruit of |
all his labors by relying on his mercenaries;
he, howcve discovered his mistake in time,
and disbanded them James the Second of |
England hired Spaniards and Irish to fight his
battles as King Of England; and we all know
what became Of him. Genoa, the great republic
OF Genoa, used to hire soldiers from the Emperor
at the rate of SO many carlins month, and a
hundred carlins per man If they were killed;
and the downfall Of the State followed apace.
Venice made the same mistake and Jared like.
wise The more recent examples of the failure
d the mercenaries Of George III in this coun-