The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-30

peg your Majesty noI W iauSh ofei luJ
patriotic fancies Stranger things than the
uniting of two great German races under one
head have happened in the worlds history
| Proud as we may all be of our race, ouI
army and our illustrious Emperor, our pride,
our satisfaction, would be increased tenfold
il we saw In. your Majesty's hand the sceptre ol
| an empire that stretched from the Danube 10
the Shannon, with Hindostan and Australia
embraced Within its broad fold. Thus would
your Majesty become arbiter OF all European
States. for none OF them could Withstand your
arms At the head of the united hosts OF Ger
many, and of the 800 English men-of-War,
you could appoint your own Viceroy IN every
capital of the West, aad carry out youroWa
policy. Only two great powers besides tnis
empire would eXist-Russia and America;
and both of these united would battle in vain
against the powerful Emperor OF our father
land and the countless navy Of England, no
longer weakened and hampered by the spirit
of trade and intrigue.
But how can your Majesty get possession 3s, o.
That is the question. Your Majesty imagines
that the first intimation of such an invasion
would set the whole country in fire and flame,
and that sword, rifle and revolver would be
placed in the hands of every man. This was
also my impression formerly. but 1t is SO no
longer. have studied these people too long
and too well to cherish such fears any more.
we'll If the occasion should arise; yet may re-
call an interesting fact. of which ! have been
advised by more than one Englishman: The
British army Is not made up of the fght-loving
men of England. There are districts in the
middle and north OF England where the only
great diversion Of the country and chief towns
Is fighting. They fight after working hours;
thew FIGHT On Sunday, ,for the mere pleasure that
fighting affords them, and yet not single one
Of these people can be induced to enlist as a
soldier. The military profession does not suit
their taste, and they scorn the pay OF SOL
dier So 1t comes that In greater part the
army of England would be recruited from
among few sturdy and brave men, like The
coalmen and miners OF Staffordshire and York
shire. Yet the army is a good one, and its
cavalry could be made the best in Europe, for
the people know how to ride. This army
would do its duty ii it were ever brought to
face your Majesty's military power; but doubt
if it would ever be brought to lace 1t. Let us
suppose 1t were known that your Majesty was
approaching the English coast. What would
happen? A great conlusion--a chaos of orders
and counter orders. marching and counter
marching The War Minister would propose
this, The commander-in- chief that, and the
House of Commons something else. While the
Duke OF Cambridge was planning line o. de-
fence on the hills of Surrey, the Minister of War
would be chalking out another for the plains
of Plumstead. In the midst OF this, let your
Majesty imagine the terror of the City OF Lon
don-a city that cannot think OF or know The
dangers of siege, and never has seen within
her walls a more formidable enemy than its
own .roughs" Imagine, your Majesty, this
city, filed with the accumulated treasures Of
all ages and nations! Imagine It's fat and
hearty aldermen, before whose eyes there
never came anything more warllke than q
parade of volunteers. Imagine the merchants
~ fhn al ft,ll nf n
their citizen police, suddenly surprised by bonn
bardment or by storm What panic of ter
ror they would be In /! how endless their con-
fusion how painful their anguish how loud
their cries for help The war minister and
the horse guards would be overwhelmed by
their petitions and representations, and amid
all the conflicting acquisitions the standing
army of England, some l3O, 900 or LAO, 900 men,
would be divided up and lost in half dozen
invisible detachments. say nothing concern.
ing the Queen. Her Majesty would at once be-
take herself to the mo lntains OF Balmoral, and
thus spare her ministers small portion OF
their trembling anxiety. We will suppose the
brave little army to be lost in ridiculous little
fragments; there now remain for us only the
militia and volunteers-also brave men, but
not much to be feared. The friendly stupidity
of your enemy would spare your Majesty al
most all trouble. The volunteers and militia
number together about 240, 900 men-a strong
and imposing army If they were we'll led; but
am convinced that they would not be well
led, or indeed not led at all. Moreover, what
we all know concerning the peculiar habits
and irritability of the volunteers, justi6es my
prophecies. To the many good old English
virtues which they possess, We must now
add that strong feeling Of personal In
dependence which Is 80 commendable.
but at the same time 30 incompatible with
military discipline. The British volunteer
has no conception Of what 1t is to receive
the commands OF any man. 1t Is, to use his
strong language, '.All damned humbug." Bis
motto is, "Every one for himself, and God for
us all "a noble device, full ofindependence, Of
but one which is hardly compatible with the
duties Of war and the profession of arms.
Were it possible, fnally-which, however,
would not be so easy as your Majesty might
AIDES of volunteers upon the route along which
hostile army was moving, half Of them
would in all probability be found wanting.
They would either, under the influence Of
their grand Idea Of: personal liberty, answer
the commands of their generals OF division
with that decisive, though not strictly military
formula, which has become traditional In their
patriotism excited to too willing obedience,
they would fire with wonderful precision upon
one another. In any case your Majesty may
rest assured that these brave hosts-for the
people are indeed brave-will do themselves
great deal more damage than the enemy.
But il is not necessary to take into consid-
Grafton a real battle. The whole thing will
be brought about without the necessity OF
coming 10 blowe. Scarcely would Mr.. Card
well, in his plumed three-cornered hat,
mounted on War-horse held by tree-high
policeman on either side, have pronounced
his benedlction in long speech upon the
last regiment of volunteers arrived at the seat
OF war; scarcely would Mr. Gladstone in noble,
half Homeric, half New Testament diction
Lave inspired the enthusiasm of the Alder
manic Council, when reaction would have
already begun.
In the first place, the cost of resisting for
eign invasion will be considered. What will
1t cost ?n is the moral and political catechlsm
OF every good Englishman Of our time. Mr.,
Gladstone, who unltes the mercantile love OF
peace with an evangelical horror OF war,
would begin by persuading himself with
the subilest arguments and sophistry that
physical submission indicates true
moral superiority. Mr.. Cardwell would 60
to bed and take some hot "grist."
Mr.. Lowe would infllct upon his colleagues
q panicky speech upon the imposing Of some
impossible tax to cover the expense of the ma
tional defence. The Times, which on Monday
conjured the English people by all the great
feals in history from the days OF Marathon to
that Of Tilbury Fort to sustain the honor old
England and the fame Of their ancestors, on
Wednesday would begin to joke over the whole
thing What its tone on Friday would be
would depend upon how the editor dined on
Thursday evening. But on the following Mon
day the cOurSe of IT'S DOlicy would take an en-.