The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-17
France and England.

and promptitude for military defence are adj
vautaees which even the citizens or subjects
of constitutional government might covet.-
Whilst such countries as England and Amer.
lea rejoice in the full possession of the sweets
Of liberty and Ivy their manufacturing and
commercial enterprise have accumulated an
amount of wealth which is temptation TO
aggression, their weakness in a military point
of view keeps them in continual distrust and
apprehension of powerful rivals. In neither
country are large standing armies tolerated,
and, when the signs OF the times seem to re-
quire special preparations for defence, the de-
laws and division of counsels incident to free
forms OF government impede and embarrass
their action The Frenchman does not suffer
as much unhappiIess from Imperialism as the
Engiishman from the absence OF that military
protec ton which Imperialism secures. Eng
land is in chronic state of apprehension from
her French neighbor. She is like a rich old gen.
tleman whose vaults are full of gold, but who
lives in a bad neighborhood, and cannot sleep
O, nights - for fear of robbers.
We see the working OF the English and
French systems in relation to military pro
lection in the measures taken at the instance
of Lord PALMERsToN for coast defence anu
those adopted by LOUIS NAPOLEON at the same
time. In the one case all is publicity and dis
cussion: the amount which the government
wants must be stated to Parliament, the facts
and figures given in every item, the necessity
of the estimates shown, and every class OF OBJ
factions met and silenced, before the estimates
are voted and the tax imposed Even when
| all this is done, we do not see the promptness
and energy of an Imperial movement The
for tifications proposed in the appropriation
of nine millions obtained by Lord PALMER
| sToN some months ago, are not yet begun
| Louis NAroLkoN manages his military and
naval affairs in quite different style. 1t Will
no remembered that he was much grieved at
! the distrust expressed in his purposes by MS
excellent friend PALMRRsTON, ana as an evil
dence of his pacific policy, he declared tnal
the French Army and Navy were botn inaoe-
| q uate to the wants OF the government. SONS
time before, 1t was announced that they were
both to be reduced to the peace standard, ana
that the Navy was already comparatively un-
manned. The real Interpretation OF all TINS
is shown in an account, now before us, OF
visit of an intelligent English officer to Cher
bourg. 1--WE are surprisingly quiet In Cher-
bourg, sir but that doesn't show our weak
ness was the answer OF q french marine 10
the British stranger. OF the fifteen vessels
of-war IN that port, one alone is ready Tor SER
vice but SO perfect are the arrangements and
| so ample the naval stores at the sfatlon, tha',
| in two DAYS, notice, all the others can be
placed upon a war footing. A sufncient sup
ply of arms and ammunition, rined guns and
conical balls, for the whole Navy, is contained
| In the arsenal. In the armory, there are thlr-
| ty thousand stand OF arms. In the oafracAs,
| there are only fifteen hundred troops ana
| three thousand marines but, IN thir siA
| hours, in case of necessity, fifty thousand men
can be brought from the stations Oh INC III te-
| rior to Cherbourg, fully equipped and ready
| 20 be dispatched on any service. as many as
| nine thousand five hundred workmen are re-
ceiving daily pay in the dock-yards, forts ana
| offices of the station. For purposes OF de-
| fence Cherbourg may we'll be considered I'm
pree nable. The enormous breakwater which
at the distance Of two miles from the prlnci-
nal works. guards the harbor, has been in
| creased in length and otherwise siren gtneheo'
! whilst the forts are said to be SO immensely
| strong and massive that they remind the be-
holder of Gibraltar. 1t is evident, at Cher
bourg as at the other naval and military sta
lions of the empire, that if the Army and
| Navy are not up TO their full numbers. the
| springs and wires which control the system
/ 4
| highest state of numbers and efficiency.
| On the other side of the Channel hundred
| thousand volu teers have been added to the
military capacity of the Kingdom for defence
but this has been a work of time, and will re-
| quire years yet before their nambers and dis
| cipline will be such as TO render them fol l..
midable II LOUIS NAPOLEON had seriously
contemplated the invasion of England, he
| would scarcely have given her time to buckle
| on her armor in this leisurely and dignifed
| manner The volunteer system must un.
doubtedly be the main reliance of Great Brit.
| ain but obstacles are still thrown in the way
of the organization of truly national mill.
tia. Ireland, which has furnished the British
Army some OF it's best and bravest troops, the
| government 10 afraid to trust, and the millions
| of workmen I'm England and Scotland are not
| enrolled and armed. Were Great Britain to
| organize her whole militia force she would
be able to bring into the field four millions Of
| mer. There is no reason why every one o.
these four millions should not become as ex.
pert with the Minnie rifle as the English arch.
ers of old, whose skill was equal to their cour.
| age, and who never drew bow upon the TIVE.
4 footed or four footed game that it did not fall
| With four millions Of men thus armed, Eng.
land might defy invasion from all Europe
combined. Yet an absurd distrust of the PEG.
| pie is manifested in certain high guar tiers
which shows itself on every possible occa
| sion. Lord HARDwICKE, the Lord Lieu tenant
Of Cambridgeshire, peremptorily refused tt
| allow q military organization Of the workins
| classes, on the ground that "if weapon wer,
| given to man who had no property-whethel
/ it were a civil weapon or military one-hi.
natural tendency would be to acquire pro
perty which he had not got" II his 10 rdshiI
has not utterly ignored the history of Anne
RIGA, from the first settlement Of the country
/ down to the present day, he must know that NJ
| such danger has ever resulted here from tn,
| universal arming Of citizens with both civil
and military weapons, and unless he distrust,
his own countrymen more than the French
he can safely urge England to adopt Ameri
can example.
Il ADkLINA PArTI-Concsrt.-The "musica
circles" will be pleased to hear that ADRLINA
PATTI, who created such Juror in New York
is TO give concerts here on Monday and Tues
day nights next. 1t is needless TO speak of tn,
l ability OF this artist, " no has SO suddenly be-
Il come famous, and who is SO well known
4 Through the press, to all. Mr.. STRAKosCH
her brother-in-l law, is the manager OF the con
certs-a fact which gives assurance to the pub
} lie that they will be attractive.
Il THn PRIHcns VISIT TO RIcHxoNp.-Th,
Baltimore American has the fo,lowin~ .hou,
the SANDERS lately published In the New Yorl
papers about the Princes visit to Richmond
We have reason to know, from the bast an.
a thority. that the Prince and his quite wsrs
II especially pleased with their visit 10 Rich.
, | mond, and with the com pleteness ana rSod
| taste Of the ARRANGEMENTS BY the Commi,,s."