The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-15
who can attend on Tuesday should make It q

who can attend on Tuesday should make It
point to do 20.
| The Proposed Visit Of tho seventh Regiment
20 Paris and LonGon.
The Seventh regiment of this city has been
invited by the American residents Of Paris to
visit that city during the great Exposition next
year. Supplementary invitations from the
London Volunteers and the Paris National
Guard are anticipated or on their way. The
officers Of the regiment have taken up the
matter seriously and have considered 1t very
sensiSly. A committee has been appointed
and has reported that the expenses of the trip
for six hundred men will be three hundred
thousand dollars, and the time consumed about
two months. The estimates Of expenses in
clude transportation, band and drum corps
and . new full dress uniform in the old style,
viz:-white trowsers and gray swallow tailed
coat Upon the recommendation Of the COM
mittee copy Of their report has been sent to
every active and exempt member Of the regi~
ment, with questions appended as to whether
the member ia able and willing to devote so
much time to the trip and to bear his proper
ton of the expenses. The answers to these
questions will constitute vote upon the SUBJ
ject, and will probably be decisive, one way
or the other.
After all, however, the decision Of this mat
ter does not rest SO much with the members Of
the regiment as with their parents, guardians,
families, employers or partners. The Seventh
regiment has always been Q great favorite
with our people, and anything affecting its vel
fare or reputation interests everybody. The
expenses Of its members have been enormous.
Parents who have sons or merchants who have
clerks belonging to this regiment are some
what in the condition Of the unhappy Siamese
who is honored with present of white
elephant. The elephant is sacred; he cannot be
sold or given away again; he must have the
finest food and numerous attendants; and SO
his unfortunate possessor is often ruined by his
splendid but expensive guest. A member Of
the crack Seventh is almost as costly. Every
once in while he must have new uniform !;
he contributes to support magnificent band
and drum corps be must take tickets for the
regimental concerts and help pay for the regi-
mental ball and receptions; he must sub
scribe for birthday, bridal and farewell pres
ents to his comrades, bis sergeant, lieutenant,
captain and colonel be must not be detained
from the squad, company, wing and regimen
tai drills he must be excused from duty at
the store or Office on inspection days, on
field days, on every occasion when o
parade can be arranged. In the summer he
must have his week for the encampment. II
there be any disturbance in the city he must
leave his business and remain at the armory.
His place must be retained for him and his
salary paid while he is away upon excursions
or on guard duty here or at Baltimore, or
wherever he may be ordered. For father or
q merchant to object to any Of these things
would be to bring upon himself storm Of
popular Indignation. He would be at once
accused of injuring the white elephant. We
do not wish to be placed in such predicamcnt
but we do say that these matters should be
taken into consideration before our citizens are
called upon to give the Seventh another two
months vacation and three hundred thousand
dollars more.
We do not suppose that anybody but an
American would ever have conceived the idea
of this proposed visit 1t is big idea-it is
an immense idea; but, like almost everything
American, it has Its ludicrous side. Nobody in
England or France would ever have thought
Of sending regiment of British volunteers or
French grenadiers to our Worlds Fair; but
hardly was the Paris Exposition announced
when this project Of inviting the Seventh was
preached. In what capacity the regiment is to
go has hardly been determined. It cannot be
classed as one Of the American productions on
exhibition, and put into glass case. As q
regiment, its part in the late war was not con-
spicuous enough to entitle 1t to represent the
grand, conquering army of the Union. II the
French and English want to see the men who
suppressed the rebellion Mr.. Smith Ely, Jr.'s,
idea Of sending over the SCARED veterans of
the Forty-second and Sixty-ninth regiments is
much more acceptable but even then a few
OF Sherman's bummers should be inclnded. II
Is absurd to suppose that the intention isto
teach the foreign. soldiers how to drill
for, excellently as the Seventh regiment
performs Its evolutions, the people Of Paris
and London, accustomed to see the regulars
in their parks, would hardly be astonished at
anything we can show them in that line. As.
q specimen of our uniformed militia the
Seventh would do very well, although 1t 10
hardly fair specimen for where, outside Of
New York, can you find another sach militia
regimentf But then the question recurs az 10
whether ii Is worth three hundred thousand
dollars to show the French and English reo-
pie how perfectly one OF our militia organiza-
tions can handle its muskets. In national
point of view we doubt whether The sight of
the Seventh in martial array wonld make the