The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-25
FOR PRESIDENT.
VILLAIN A. WHEELER,
OF NEW YORK,
For Presidential Elec.or,
The Battle of DOrkinp.

For an American the chief interest in the
impending European contest centers in this
question,-wil England fight? With all the
Jealousy and all the old heart-burnings be-
tween Jonathan and John, it is hard to rup-
ture the bonds of kinship. There are hun
dreds of thousands of Americans who habit
ually say that they would ''like to see Eng
land humiliated," but the most of them
would probably be extremely sorry to hear of
"the battle Of Dorking." This is now
name without a thing, like the chemical ele-
ment Ammonium" the "luminiferous ether''
OF the physicists, the ''planet Vulcan" of
astronomers, and the "moral sense' of meta
physicians. Such names independent of
positively known correlative facts, are useful
for the purpose Of holding plausible theory
till its reality can be tested, for explaining
and connecting known facts or for adding
symmetry to an otherwise incomplete series.
The battle of Dorking may play some i'm
portant part in history, though there be ever
so little probability that the hostile squadrons
will ever face each other on that dreadful
said to be Col. Hamley, wrote for Blackpood
remarkable paper called "The Fall of Eng
land-The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscen-
ces of Volunteer" It gave all England the
nightmare. Col. Hamley's narrative told
how German feet defeated the British navy
by the use of newly invented submarine
torpedo, and afterwards landed an army on
the coast. The English force, made up
largely of militia and volunteers, after few
disastrous skirmishes was driven back to
Dorking, where decisive battle was fought,
which resulted in the complete humiliation
and dismemberment of the British Empire.
In the general scramble for the spoils the
United States possessed itself of Canada and
the West Indies. This De Foe-like nara
tive, written when the terror of the German
miraculous conquest of France, created
almost as much excitement as a real battle.
Sleep forsook Britannia's eyelids, and the rich
burghers of London dreamed they saw real
German feet pushing across the North Sea
and the spikes of the Prussian helmets brist-
ing on Lne daIWlcn SnOr6.
But it is probable that no great results fol-
lowed from this English demonstration Of
the fact that England can easily be con-
quered. Military men in all countries are
fond of exalting the Importance of large
army, and in this case there was superadded
spirit of Tory spite against Liberal min
istry with its desire TO keep down the ex-
penses, But one important reform has been
provided for in the British army since the
publication of Col. Hamley's paper. The
pnrchase system has been abolished by royal
decree, and something more than noble birth
and large wealth is now necessary in order
to obtain leadership of the British forces.
The Col. Bakers and other fast young scions
of the great houses must now be good SOL
diers or they cannot gain promo tion. This
reform was earnestly opposed by the aris-
tocracy who like to retain their hold on the
army as well as on Parliament, and even
under tie new system it will take good
many years to get rid of the noble viscounts,
marquises, earls, baronets and knights who
fill such multitude of positions from lieu
tenant upward. The Duke of Cambridge,
cousin of the Queen and grandson OF George
III, is still commander-in chief. A stone
thrown into any camp of English regulars
would create larger hiatus in the British
peerage than did that historic brickbat at
Washington in the ranks Of our brgader
generals. In wading through Kinglake's
very circumstantiai narrative of the Crirean
war it is extremely curious to notice the in
terminable "my-lording' that goes on among
these exalted gentlemen. Promot ion by rea-
son of merit may in time give the English
army better soldiers for its leaders, but it
must be confessed that with all their prig-
gishness these young peers give a good ac.
| count of their manhood when they meet the
| enemy. Their morbid consciousness OF
| their eminence and the care they take
| to have it recognized is sometimes in Gu
| rious contrast with the extraordinary cOur-
age they display. For instance, Lord Car
| digan who led the famous charge of light
cavalry afterward declared that the pre-
dominant feeling in his mind as he led his
brigade down the fatal North Valley at Balak-
| lava and expected every moment to be cut
| in two by a cannon ball was one of extreme
| anger against the plebeian Capt. Nolan who
ventured to ride across his front and address
the troops, with view, as it afterwaId ap
peared, of correcting the terrible misconcep
tion of orders under which they were acting
Indeed, the incidents of that day turned al
most wholly on the extreme appreciation
of their greatness on the part of thu
military lords. For it is gravey recorded il
history that Lieut.. General, the Earl of Lu
can, gave the fatal command for the cavalr!
to advance in consequence of being unable tt
properly understand the order from Lore
Raglan, because the aforenamed plebeiar
Capt. Nolan made use of somewhat ironica
and disrespectful language in presenting i
to him. The undisputed readiness of sucl
men to die for their country and especial.
for the credit of the British peerage will be bu
trifling recompense for the blunders they
will commit in case England concludes to joil
issue with Russia and Germany in behalf O
her Moslem protege.
But whether England joins in the cont
mental war or not, and whether or not she
destined to abdcate her greatness at Dorkin
or on the shores of the Black Sea, there cal
be no doubt that she draws great comfort AM