The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-03
e u n o p e .
ENGLAND.

atres.
-r.11o LONDON, April Is, 1858.
Easter Monday dawned very brightly and before
I'VE O'Clock A. NJ. thousands Of volunteers were OF
for the grand review and sham battle at Portsmouth.
shall not undertake to describe the scenes at ana
near that seaport 1t would beold news before this
letter could be published and besides this field days.
which are such wonderful events to the English vol
unteers quite familiar to the citizen soldiers of
the United States Your purpose will be better
served briefly critlcise the main features Of the
display.
The distance from London to Portsmouth is about
two hours and half by rail. The volunteers carried
neither knapsacks nor baggage, and were therefore
easily conveyed by the trains-as easily as ordinary
passengers. All arrived IN time, and there were no
accidents. Nearly thirty thousand volunteers and
one brigade Of regulars. The reviewer " march
past" as the English call it-amounted to nothing.
All the best corps shirked 1t, and with very few
ceptions marched directly to their stations. The
most of the battalons reviewed gave one very poor
idea Of the volunteer force The men kept their dis
tances badly; the artillery horses were all abroad
The sham fight was held on the hills and in the vii.
lagos above Portsmouth, the country sloping down
to the sea- and feet OF gunboats taking part In the
conflict. The plan Of battle, like all amateur at
tempts was an impossbility. No enemy could or
would land and advance as had been arranged; no
army could or would repulse an enemy in the man.
ner laid down on Monday: At times the scene was
very picturesque, especially when little villages
smoke burst from the thickets and hedgerows; but
at time did st all resemble real battle This was
partly the fault Of the and partly that Of the off,
GERS but on the whole the latter were the more to
blame
credit. In ten minutes they constructed q pOntOOn
bridge over q creek ninety feet wide and made it
passabe for skirmishers; in six minutes more artil
lery rolled across it, OF course the enemy looked on
at this work without firing a shot to Interrupt it.
During the day squadron Of cavalry was missed for
some hours, and was afterwards discovered banging
breaches were left in the lines OF the volunteers and
single regiment Of real enemies would have made
very unsteady when formed In line, and
those who were behind the works kept
lighted the enemy's sharpsnooters If he had any.
No officer knew enough to send his men to cover
when bank or fence was available, and the men
the sake Of noise when the enemy was supposed to
be very far out Of range. On the whole, the best
military men assert that the English volunteers have
only shown themselves fit for defensive work In forts
and fortified places. We know from experience that
the American militia can do something better than
that.
These criticisms, by means unfriendly, are con-
Cured in by the leading London papers; but, with
able to the volunteers on the contrary, it did them
credit for 10000 men, to give up their national ho
freshments, tramp about all day and return home
thoroughly tagged out late at night, Is certainly
very patriotic proceeding when us object Is 70 IN,
foreign foes. But when these men are compared
with the volunteers of America the contrast is not
very favorable to them. In uniform in drill, in
parade in the camp, at the review and on the
field the New York volunteers are UNNECESSARILY
who were disappointed in the evoiutions Of the vol
unteers were more than compensated by the appear
alce Of the brigade OF regulars-splendid fellows,
who marched like one man, and moved ike
machinery. They were armed with the Snider rife,
and you could tell when they came into action by the
rapid firing, Just as the Chassepot announced It's
In London Easter passed or very gayly; excepting
the absence OF noise, seemed more IKE the Fourth
land Of the free. The parks, the Geological Gardens
and the Crystal Palace were all overcrowded during
ike day, and all the theatres In the evening. There
was wonderfully little drunkenness. Although the
streets were thronged yesterday the holiday spirit
snd snoess wales 's for end was % the
occasion OF q hearty popular demonstration as the
The three Children Of the Prince and Princess are
left behind, two Of them in charge OF the queen,
who has recently assumed the role OF an aectionate
grandmother. few months ago she was scarcely
on speaking with the Prince and his family, but
now Prince Alfreds conduct has 1t Is said, quite con-
to see the pains and space which the London papers
take to announce the fact that the children are LETT
This and their Rova Hirhnesses that one would think
they were speaking OF giants instead Of babies.
Disraeli is down in the country writing startling
letters about the spread Of Popery. He knows the
humbug OF this as his critics. but he thinks 1t
good electoneerng dodge. l fear that he Ii mis-
taken. II he cngs too firmly to the Irish Church he
Mr.. Dion Bouccaut has not yet suriciently recov.
cred to leave his house. and the Princess theatre Ii
announced for rent shortly. John Oxenford's YER
sion Of "Oliver Twist' has been dismal failure
at the Queens theatre. Burnaud's "white Fawn" is
moderately successful at the New Holb0rn, which
opened on Easter Monday, and his "Hit or Miss"
an adaptation OF Herve's "L'El Creye," IL
is playing the a. ns G S ReS at the 81
James theatre-her farewell engagement-to mode
rate audiences. Professor Riseys Japanese troupe
are decided hit at the Lyceum. Br0ugh's new
buresque 'The Field OF the Cloth OF Cold" Is 60
at the Strand. Both operas are doing pretty well.
Miss Kellogg has renewed her success OF last season.
and 1t is beyond question legitimate and genuine.
new play, called Poor NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for
the Bowery theatre--has been successfully brought
out at the surrey. Miss Louisa Pyne has returned to
town with her operetta troupe, which have made an
immense sensation in the provinces.
decided sensation 'by q series Of articles upon
modern English girls, which are said to be
Here is the latest description OF the English
gir-The girl OF the period Is creature who dyes
her hair and paints her face the first articles of her
personal religion; whose sole idea of life IL plenty OF
fun and luxury, and whose dress Is the object
Of such thought and intellect she pos
sesses. Her main endeavor in this Is to
outvie her neighbors in the extravaganza OF
fashion. No matter whether, as I'm the time of crno-
lines, she sacrificed decency, as now in the time
whether she makes herself nuisance and an neon
venence TO every one she meets. The girl OF the
period mas done away with such moral muishness IA
consideration for others or regard for counsel and
rebuke. Nothing IL too extraordinary and nothing
too exaggerated for her Initiated taste. IL sensible
fashion lifts the out of the mud she raises hers
midway to her knee With purity of taste she has
LOST also that FAR more precious purity and dclcacy
OF perception which sometimes mean more than APP
pears on the surface. What the Ino,ide does In
It's frantic efforts to excite attention she also does
imitation. This Imitation of the dey,i in dress
leads To something In manner and feeling not quite
so pronounced perhaps but far too like to be honor
able to herself or satisfactory 10 her ends Itleads
10 slang, bold talk and asness; to the love OF plea
sure and Indifference to duty The girl Of the
period envies the queens OF the dent- monde far
more than she abhors them. She sees them por-
geously attred and sumptuously appointed and she
knows them 10 be battered, feted aud coured with
certain dsdainful admiration Of which she catches
only the admiration while she ignores the dsdan.
They have all for which her soul il hungering and
oh n nj rrl.f