The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-16
A PRINCE AS A CADET.


A PRINCE AS A CADET.
TEE PRINCE IMPERIAL OF FRANCE AT TEE
ROYAL MILITARY SCHOOL AT wOoLwICH-
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TRAINING IN
THE FUTURE.
The London Times has the following edi-
torial on the military training OF the Prince
Imperial as connected with the possible
future movement: Since the catastrophe of
Sedan the primes has lived in England. and
advantage has been taken OF his residence
in this country TO pursue and COM
plete his military aud general education.
He has passed two years as a cadet az
the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich,
and the results Of the annual examination,
IN which he has taken his share with his CO.
temporaries, have been watched in France
in England, and in other countries, with
unusual interest. The examination of the
Woolwich cadets was concluded Yesterday
and the Prince Imperial's friends have good
reason to be satisfied with his success. He
passed as seventh in a numerous class, and
was distinguished in several depart
mems of education. He had, indeed,
every inducement to exert him
self 10 win high distinction. Proficiency in
mere technical studies is probably more
highly valued in France than in England,
and the success the prince has attained may
lead to important consequences in the esti-
nation of the French army and the French
nation. Moreover, the effect of success in
the present case is considerably heightened
by circumstances. The prince imperial has
pursued his studies in English language
of which, in its scientific aspects, he pos
sessed at first but an imperfect knowledge.
He has been, however, a dillgent stu
dent, and has, we believe, made a
practice of recapitulating the results
Of bis labors in his native language,
and has thus in some measure doubled his
course of study. Thus, even had his place
in the list been much lower, he could not
have failed to profit by his residence
at the great military school of the country,
and he will doubtless have learnt to respect
the traditions of an academy which for a
century and more has only changed with the
advance of science, and whose present coz
stitution dates from long before the year in
which Wellington and the first Bonaparte
were born. Every nation has its more or
less stereotyped forms OF all branches of
education, bur in the present day these diff
ferences are steadily tending to disappear.
Science is
A GREAT LEVELER
and freedom of communication must tend,
in general, TO beneficial results. One re-
markable Characteristic, however, which we
may hope English education will long re-
tain, is that, while it is thorough and COM
plete in most of its technical aspects, it
never limits itself to technicslities. Such a
training to a foreign pecially to
one who may be called at no distant period
to occupy so important position as that to
which the Prince Imperial was destined
by BIRTHS incalculable. He will have I'M
learnt much that imperils the security and
spoils the completeness of a more
isolated intellectual cultivation To speak
somewhat paradoxically, he may turn out
better sen OF France than if be bad been bred
up more exclusively IS Frenchman. The
interest which the English public have in
the present occasion is limited TO that
friendly curiosity which may be INDUCED
without any desire of meddling with, or
any tendency to prejudiced speculation on,
the political affairs of our neighbors; but we
can not forget that many millions of those
neighbors have an interest in the matter
which far exceeds the measure of ours.
More than one large section of the French
nation would have rejolced to see the heir of
the Bonapartes convicted, when brought
to q searching test, OF something be-
low the average of mediocrity; hut
a large and daily increasing mass of warm
partsans will rejoice to find that he has
merited honorable distinction, and fully
vindicated in a third generation the INTEL
lectual claims of an unusually able and
enterprising family. Whatever may be the
amount of favors accorded in different
quarters to the Prince Imperial, the
European public will unanimously wish
him fair field: Whatever may be the
career In store for linn, he is entitled, as
we'll as the meanest son of the soil, to bring
his abilities to the best market. Many of
us may regard B0napartism in the abstract
as monstrosity in politics, or the Nspo-
leonic legend dslusion and a snare to
the people who obstinstely cherish it; yet
the least defensible of doctrines may have
deserving representative, and TIE vices OF
the system may be lost in the virtues of the
man.