Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-06-26
,rbc Armed Peace Of Europe.

with some accuracy to the deincanor o. him
who is generally locked upon by friend and
foe as the fountain.head Of European excite
ment. And its application will be found still
more correct, il intended for the country which
presents itself, in these days, under an aspect
forming 4 perfect contrast to that which we
have been used to witness. France is calm and
collected; Europe is disturbed and disunited;
Napoleon is silent; his Colonies threaten no.
body through the columns Of the 'Monitcur."
For the last three months, "a Ions time at the
present rate Of speedy he has published no
pamphlet; not even on the eastern question:"
the question last mooted. If it be true that
men are but oYergrown children, and that chill
lren keep most quiet when most intense in
doing mischief, then Napoleon and France, the
rider and his horse, could not wrongly be sus-
pected Of brewing some trick of their own, and
preparing for a start.
The fact is, that the unusual circulnspcctlon
Of the great powers, the Suhduea tone in which
Russia has treated the ticklish question Of the
East, the retirement Of Austria, squattcd
apart, as Z bear after 4 fight repairs to
his den 10 lick his woundS-the absence Of
defamation in the Parliament Of England
on the faithful ally and the sudden ccSsa-
ton Of the press in their comments on the pa
triotic warnings Of Mr.. lIorselnaa and Lord
Lyndhurst; the attitude Of Prussia, which has
become Of late extra .Prussian, that is over eau
tious and expectant, with an addition Of means
for further safety by providing for an increase
of her army, all these outward appearances arc
not those ola sincere return to tranquility. They
look more like the calm which precedes the
storm.
By bringing in this ~hackncycd comparison
we have no wish 70 dismiss. with the aid ola
cloudy metaphor, the question browning a windy
period. Nor must the reader fancy, when he
hears of 4 new increase Of the army, or of the
navy, or of casting Of new riflcd guns, or OF
recognizing the cavalry, and other changes,
additions and improvements in the means Of
attack, as we'll as Of defence, that these arc the
same heretofore talked about. No. They arc
new movements. They all CONE forward in
their turn. and il the same manner that the
Minnie rifles drove the smooth bore gun from
the field, aud caused, nay, forced the inrcn-
ton o fthe rifle gun. New tactics supersede the
old ones. Infantry and artillery have been
taught to move so fast and to act so etlicacious-
", that cavalry Can no longer occupy their &C
customed stand they have become compare.
lively slew and unseryicable. Hence the ne
cessity for reform, for trials of new mancuvres
and new ornaments, because modern warfare
cannot do without cavalry any more than could
ancient warfare. Yet it only wants u cavalry
that will answer.
Now, what takes place among the different
parts Of a standing army, with each nation
separately, also takes place among the nations
themselves, when they happen to compare their
armed forces. IF we can, for one instant, look
at Europe as q single nation, and at their nu-
merous armies as only component parts OF one
single and immense European army, we will
perceive that they are respectively undergoing
the same process Of reform, in regard to each
other, that has already taken place for each of
them, in their infantry, artillery and cavalry.
Prussia has reformed and improved the
landwer; England the militia ard the reserve
corps, besides originating and organizing the
volunteers. France is now ready to adopt a
new system for working the CONSUMPTION, which
will permit, on an emergency, not a leree en-
anasse of recruits, but of soldiers. The system
is Of the simplest character. The contingent,
every year, is to be divided in two halves
one half to do active service, and remain all
the time under the military flags, as is'now
the practice; the other half TO be divided in
twelve lots, each Of them to pass only one
month a year under the c%olors, Tor drill and
instruction.
That twelfth part would meet ut the "chef
lieu Acknowledgement :" Of each department, in
barrackcd camps constructed for that purpose.
Where is then the increase of the armed force
in a system which calls in only half Of the con-
tingent, and drills only %one.twelfth Of the other
half at a time? 1t does not look so, but new
erthelcss the Government will be enabled by
that to have Mt its command q larger force at a
less expense. If it now calls in one hundred
thousand men, it has to provide for the expenses
Of one hundred thousand men all the time
Under the new system, it might levy $50, 900
every year with less expense; the half in &C.
tive service would be 5000; the twelfth of the
other half, $3.50, and tho whole 81, ESQ men,
whose support would burden the budget
throughout the year in ordinary times whilst
IN case Of war, the 100. 900 Of each contingent
for every year during seven years, IN aggregate
of one million fifty thousand men, would be
ready to obey its call. It has been calculated
that for the first year the building of the bar.
racks for the ACCOMPLISHMENTS would entail
an outlay Of Sc, 1000, 600; u sum, however,
which would soon be recovered by the ensuing
saving. The new system has been matuyed
and carefully examined in all its bearings, and
nothing more is now wanted but the official
decree from the Emperor, which, the Paris pa.
pers say, will soon appear in the "Moniteur.'
The steadiness of preparations for war which
reigns over all the continent Of Europe, and
which finds its counter part in England, is
more significant than the fevcrish excitement
which we have at other times noticed. Stcadi-
ness and perseverance bespeak a fixed pur-
pose and the rumor is gaining ground that
under the shelter of the din and clash of the
triumphant expedition of Garabaldi, Napoleon
is laying his pipes for the question Of the
Rhine, which will be opened as soon as that Of
Savoy is de6nitivcly sealed up.
The Tarboro Chronicle says Of the Bank Of
North Carolina:
sgThe stock Of this institution is worth :,