The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-12-04
4 Field for Refor.s,.

z~fzsz q vTz a Field for KefOr10s ~
rho London Times Is forced 70 admit inc saSt SUI
r;or;.v Of the Russian officers In their profession
md as educated gentlemen to the officers OF Great
rri,,;u. Tho same admission might as well De
N ale with respect to the French officers II Is
mortifying fact and not without interest to our
own people, in whose army and navy may De
found the root of the same evil which has eeitea
the complaints Of the London Times. Inc 'aensi'
cal aristocratic feature, which prevents pfoh'oaoh
according to merit exists in the service Oh ING
United States as well as England. Inc r"inous CT
fccts OF this miserable system have oeea seen ~ .he
succession of inefficient commanders Win winch
the British army in the Crimea mas been cu'Seo'
denorsE.ed and degraded Az this very mohiela
NC and the abest officer OF the BRUSH army, OF
Colin Campbell, coming home In disgust profess
c,Iy. ON account of private affairs, eut rear
IL. no doubt, because his eminent services nave
been passed by in favor Of a man whose principal
distinction was achieved as leader of the British
forces at the repulse of the Redan In both the
Russian and French armies different system pre-
walls The man Of genius and OF merit receives
his reward, no matter though he be even private.
The way is perfectly open in the French army
from, the ranks to the baton of Field Marshal and
many Of the most illustrious captains OF France
have been thus promoted. Nearly all Napoieons
great generals arose from the ranks. But in Eng
land and America the private has no earthly
chance for promotion. No matter what his tai
ents, character, and service, private lie must
remain forever. There have. it is true, been
occasional examples in both services OF pro-
motion from the ranks, but they have been
so rare as to offer scarcely respectable ex-
cep,on to the general rule, andssth treatment
<ad off, ha iyodf r,nu
their new associates, has been sometimes such as
to make them wish themselves again in the ranks
We have recently read the most appalling
pictures of the universal prevalence of drunk
enncss in the British army In the Crimea -
The British journals TEEN with speculations
as to the cause of this terrible state of things,
and the best remedI bfor the evil. The officers
are said to be in despair. having exhausted
all the usual means of punishment without the
slightest effect. The London Times thinks that
the men have so mnch pay that they don't
know what to do with 1t, and it is seriously pro.
posed TO go into the manufacture of cakes, plum
puddaes Sc. TO give them something to spend
their money upon, instead Of drink BY the side
of these inebriated Britens, is the multitudinous
French army, in the most perfect state of disci
Pine and sobriety, having no sympathy with the
- vices of their Saxon allies, and absolutely looking
down upon them with rdicue and contempt Why
this difference? Not for the ridiculous reason that
the British soldier has nothing to spend his money
uron. save liquor; but simply because the military
system of England, which prevents promotion
from the ranks, has deprived her private soldiers
of hope, of ambition, of selfrespect of all those
incentives to good conduct, which animate the
humblest soldiers Of France, and make them gen
tlenen in the camp and lions in the field England
nisy hold to her present system, with the char
acteristc tenacty she exhibits for old abuses; but
the United States, young and republican govern
n.ent, should place her military and naval estab-
lishments upon the only footing consistent with
common sense, republieanism, and the greatest eff
eieney-promotion from all grades, and from the
ranks-accordng 10 merit.