The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-06-28

with Mr. Charles Dickens went the day before yes.
terlay 10 visit our military establishments at Chat
ham. | do not know whether he Is any Judge Of
Rarrisons and OF those who garrison them, but am
quite certain that If he were to give detailed &C.
count OF all he saw 1t would verify exactly all
have been endeayoring to impress upon your read
ers in this series OF letters. The garrison at Chat.
ham Is an excellent sample OF the whole English
army. The various military establishments are very
perfect Nothing can be better than the manage
lnent OF the hospitals, the cleanliness OF the bar
racks the feeding OF the troops the teaching OF the
engineer corps and the perfect discipline OF
the whole place. The money spent on
the various military administrations is al
most unlimited, and from the commandant
down to the youngest drum boy everybody knows
his duty and does 1t thoroughly. But, as said be-
fore. the Chatham garrison is but an example OF the
whole English army, and Notwithstanding the I'M
mensc outlay OF money Chatham could not place
more than 5000 fighting men In the field to-mor-
row, ana 5000 would hardly sutlce 10 defend It's
own walls.
prophesied some weeks ago that the effect OF the
enormous Irish emigration would soon show itself In
diGculty of getting soldiers. What then said
was verified three days ago. The minimum height
Mt which recruits can now be received for the British
army has been reduced By an inch, and yet we can
not dnd men to I'LL up the vacancies. Our soldiers
gre paid better fed better lodged better and treated
better than they have ever before The term OF
service for soldier has been reduced from twenty
one to ten years. The period Of service in India has
been lessened from fifteen to seven or eight
years. We have no war In any part OF
the world to cause any extraordinary thin
ming OF our ranks. We have not increased
but have actually decreased the strength Of our reg
ments. And yet the vacancies are as many in pro-
portion and more difficult TO Ill up, than they were
during the Crimean war. One reason for this is the
ever increasing unpopularity OF the army The mill
tary arlstocracy will not from the beaten track,
and so improve the service that man entering II
as private soldier would have fair hopes Of obtain
ing rank after a certain number Of years. Whether
htJed untitled for the service, no matter what his
education requirements may be, 1t is rarely indeed
that an English soldier obtains commission. And
in proportion as the working classes get better
and better educated they avoid enlisting in the
service. This accounts in a great measure for the
pauclty OF recruits that we can obtain In England
Bu is not the sole reason nor Will 1t account for
why Irishmen, who used 10 form two-thirds OF our
line regiments, do not enlist. But I win tell
you what does account for it.. Within the last
and agricultural aborers, a large portion OF the
very pith and marrow of England and Ireland, have
emgraled from Liverpool and from Queenstown for
your country; and although they cannot be prevailed
upon TO shoulder musket on this side OF The ATTAIN
TIC, there is little doubt that they would make
celient soldiers II called upon by your country.
The worst feature, that Is to say the worst feature
Win respect TO TINS emlgrdtl0n the otter
hatred to everything English that these emigrants
carry with them TO America 1t was not so IN for
Iner years. In those days an emigrant often left his
own land with a sort OF underlined Intention OF re-
turning thereto, or at any rate OF beneting more or
less the relations he was leaving behind him when
land of his adoption. But now even Eng
lishmen leave the country with the conviction
that prosperity and Advancement are TO them
all bu forbidden, and that 1t only those who have
money artstocratc birth that can hope TO get on
in England. / need hardly tell you how far more
leave their country with not only an ayowed and
determined hatred OF England, but with q Arm in
tenton to return some day as the armed enemy OF
the English government. One OF the most extraor
binary facts connected with army at present is
there was a debate in the House OF Commons on the
subject Of an army reserve. There was great deal
the occasion. But any foreigner listening 10 the dis
cusslon might have imagined without much dini-
Kingdom that had only just sprung into existence,
instead Of in the time.honoled House OF Commons
guiated by Lord Elcho, who since the voluu.
teer moveG ent began has always been
notable opinion started which is one that begins
strange to say TO find advocates here In England,
that we should revert to the old system OF the ballot
or IN other words, that We should adopt in this
country the conscripiion for recruits which we have
so much and SO long condemned as French nstltu.
tlon. The outline OF this new idea, which is only
now beginning TO be agitated IN England, Is that In
every parish there should be held every year ballot
OF all men OF all ranks OF life between the ages OF
eighteen ana thirty and that those who draw certain
numbers should be liable, II CARED upon, to serve
seven years in the army and seven years In the re.
serve. This scheme, II 1t could be carried out would
no doubt be fair ana equitable mode OF filing our
ranks; and If the nation could be imbued with the
fdea that the ballot would be honoraby
and honestly carried out, we have no doubt
that would become very popular. But
what could be carried out without unfair
ness in Englands What between the arlstocracy OF
ZION In tiis country would simply become gigantic
JOB. OF which the rich would get AZ the profits and
the poor AL the-xnocks. And this 1t 10 that makes
every one look upon the scteme as Impossible to be
carried out.
You no doubt remember the result OF the Abys-
sinian war; OF which we were so proud year or two
ago. And there Is no doubt That, so far as the
troops are concerned. the expedition was most
creditable one 10 our arms In every way. Not so,
however tue financial arrangements connected WITH
the war We pad our first little pil amounting 10
some $50, 001 600, without much grumbling; but
We find there Is supplementary bill TO be paid
amounting 10 from $40 o0o,O0O TO $500 900; aud,
as usual, that the horse Is stolen Begin
ming 10 lock the stable door. An inquiry Is nov
ordered into how this enormous expenditure was
incurred; but doubt very much whether any good
will result from the inquiry.
tWhSn the expedition was first set on foot num-
Der OF young officers were selected IRON the Engsh
army TO run all over Asa MinOt, parts OF Arabia
Palestine and Egypt TO purchase mules, oxen, corn,
nrewood and every KIND OF supply that the army
could possibly want These officers were selected,
not on account OF any particular fitness for Their
work, but simply because they were ofrcers add did
belong TO the British army They knew nolhing OF
the countries they were sent into, nothing OF the
languages spoken IN those countries, and stl less,
possible, OF business OF the fudlineuts OF nnaIClai
arrangements. AS matter OF course, they had 10
deal with the most knowing people on the lace OF
the earth. Animals worth four pounds were bought
Tor forty pounds; grain worth a dollar measure
was sold them for nve dollars; the horses they
bought Tor f1Oo aud fl50 were not worth as many
dollars, and everywhere they we're met by well or
ganlzed associations Of natives determined TO make
the British government pay through the nose for
everything they wanted. This payment, by no
means a pleasant process at any tirne has now
20 be met-or rather IL has been met and
IL now being discussed. II Is the old story
OF the Crimean war over again. and the
forerunner OF what might expect 40
70 a larger scale. Let 1t be remembered that
the actual forge that marched up to Magdala was
not only numerically very small but tbat as French
stan OFFICER who accompanied the force described II,
the men were undergoing very great privations
nearly the whole OF the time, and that throughout
ury and hardly nything In the way OF comfort 10 be
found n the camp and have In nav this