New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-01


present campaign; il 10 true tina. though this de-
.fruction hiss been m,iniy Effected through the
ipcapacity Of the Commander ia. Chief aad the
stupid administration Of the Comnisssrtst 8 few
additional battles, whether successful or not
would have ccouplished the same result aud
left the country equally destitute of sol iiers;
but YET these facts do DO, seriously affect
the importance 0f Bftan as one Of the leading
rowsrs OF the world. 1t should not be for
gotten that this petition was not acquired by
he possession Of armies as umerols as those
Of the great Continental Governments. OF
eminent commanders, England has had
,wo-the Duke Of Marlborough aud the
Duke OF WelliDgtOn: and the achievements
of the latter, especially, have given her
military repute which was rather accidental
than otherwise. England was never m Ii
tsry patton, Ucr. for the last thirty FIVE
years at least, ba. she attempted to riv.l either
France, Austria Prussia or Russia in that re-
spect Her dominion il the ses. There she 10
still without a peer; and so long as her fleets
are as great and strong ss now, 6rstrase power
she uust remain, in spite Of any disasters her
small army m,y encounter by land.
Still il is not unins to observe that
while ss a paval power England yet stoSs 40
signs Of waning. her military arm is consider
ably wesler than it once was. Half century
a,o she kept an army of lOO, 600 men in the field
wi.hou, difficulty. NoT, with large increase
of weslth and population, she fiads herself strait
ened to send 81, 600 TO the war against Russia
and exhibits q positive inability to afford that
small army the re endorsements necessary TO keep
lite numbers full. Tue British army is gons, aud
to replace it seems to be almost impossible,
without some radical change. Fhe process
of recruiting has been urged ever since
the war began, but the result has presented
poor Offset to the wholesale gaps in the
ranks caused by fighting, disease. starving
aid freezing in the Crimea. Moreover, it must
10 remembered, tba. the defamation constantly
going on there carries of men Of every rank.
Now, it is possible that recruits might be found,
in sufficient numbers TO take the place Of the lost
bu; where are the officers and IN commissioned
officers to be bad without whom these recruits
must be Of comparatively little value Where
are the drill sergeants and cofporsls, by whom
the recruits TO be taught to stand in racks, to
march and to handle their weapons Where are
the Ulcers TO iUstruc. them in company and regi
mental maneuver.l Ia these indispensable ele-
neuts of an army, and in the capacity t, impro-
vie new one Eog and is far inferior even to
Bavaria, patton of elk million souls.
The truth is, the habits Of the British people
sud the spirit Of the .n,tion, are rather Up posed
thsn conseDial TO military exerton. The fdnda-
mer tai martial virtues of bravery s,esd'ness, and
endurance, they possess; bur these are not enough
10 mske good soldiers. They are but the fJun.
dstion, on which science, tacs. drlll discipline,
Isise the superstructure. But something more
than ev;n these is requisite for l-adIng military
power. There must be a military spirit IA the
Essses, or, as the Germans express it, military
seLse. But .uch spirit is as lltsle active an'Dg
the English people as military science is didused
smopg Britsh officers. A gallant set OffellO IS, NJ
doubt, the latter are: bur, taken a class, their
professional instruction must be set do wn at zero
According to their not uukind allies, the French
tie Epglish officers are uoacquainted with the
6uty Of advanced posts; they do not know boF to
select ii eir ground; nor d, they understand the
science Of arm., BIS it applies TO the appropriate
use Of the right Kind of arm in the right place, as
tsue ht by military experience. Thus they will
teId light horse where Dragons are required, or
grersdiers where vOtigeurs would be more
proper for the service to be performed.
In France, Prussia Austria, AMI Belgium, on
tire other hand this military spirit psrv,des tee
entire body of the people. Every man Of middle
see bss been solder, and every young man ex.
poets 10 be one; thus certain marital education
us universally disseminated. Prussia, with SIX
teen millions Of inhabitants, can far moIe easily
ard speedily bring into the field an army of
100000 mep, thsn England with swensy-seven
millions, one Of 100 600; and the Prussiaa army
will prove relatively far the better Of tue two.
Tie reason Of this is that the PrussianI are con-
ttituted ard trained TO be military pso pie;
every able-bodtd young m,n, even the sons of
the highest sristociscy must, without exception,
serve at least one year as a common soldier ia
the ranks. The case in the other continental
countries s similar, though in none is the system
enforced with sach rigid equality as in Prussia.
On the education Of officers, great attention il
also everywhere bestowed. In France, while q
certain proportion Of them are taken from the
rsnks, thus stimulatir the ambition of the men,
the Government maintains extensive and very
thorough military schools, and no man receives
con mission who cannot psss a strict examin atom
in the various branches Of military science aud
practical service.
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