New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-06
BRITISH TOPICS.
THE ZULU WAR EXCITEMENT.

| DINNER TO BRET HARTE.
! IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUSF.l
| LONDON, Feb. Colt is a pity the Zuus do not
see the English papers regularly. Tho saw
age has natural taste for fuss aud feathers, and
would be tlattered by the amount of attention be-
slowed by these journals Zulu affairs. Four five
columns day in big type seem to he none too many
for the appetite of the British public. These long
accounts for the most part devoted TO technical
and professional details; 10 the selection of regi
| Inents, and of transports TO carry them, with full
descriptions of each body of troops of their officers,
their equipment, their former services the very
| fittings of the ships and the quantity of raisIns
they carry for the making Of plum duff and the num-
Der of bottles Of wine for the officers and barrels of
| beer for the men, Yesterday two regiments
actually embarked-one at southampton, the other
| at Gravcscnd. Lest the enthusiasm might not be
| mp 10 the lingo mark, the trumpet WAS blown
! loudly IN the morning papers OF yesterday, sum
moning the English people to witness such a spec
tacle as had not before been by this re leralion
| the spectacle OF British force sailing away
from home to retrieve a British disaster. Well.
don't know that too much IS made of it,. The very
shrewd conductors Of these Jmgo papers know what
interests their readers, and what brings fresh
| buyers for their sheets. The interest in the Zulu
business, which was very slight before news Of the
destruction of the oath Regiment arrived, has been
very great and general since, and at times becomes
intense. Among soldiers, the view is professional
one 1t service" and they one and all eager
to be ordered away. This is true of officers and men
alike. There plenty of volunteers for the rank
and flc; IN some eases, cOrp0raS and serSeantS
said to have sacrificed their stripes in order to be
| transferred into marching regiment. 1t is true,
nevertheless that old officers shake their heads over
the condition Of the troops vino are gong.
and in cases, over the choice of the regiments
The two cavalry regiments are criticised most
sharply of all. What is wanted in South Africa is
light cavalry that can get over the most ground in
the least time, and do continual scouting work
without being the worse for it. Bat the Iancers
and Kings Dragon Guards ara two Of the heaviest
bodies of horse in the army. Routine did 1t. They
stood next the roster for foreign service.
In the infantry the number of weedy
recruits, of mere boys without knowledge of their
business and without physical stamina for the hard
work before them, is very large indeed. An officer
who has seen service and won fame in the Crimea
and in India was describing to me. the other day,
the state of regiment he had inst been inspecting
Hardly competent nOn-cOmmiss Oned officer to the
whole force. he sal j, nor the material for making
one. The young, narrow-chcsted, pale
faced, and absolutely without experience in the field.
great pant of them had not even been with
the cOors long enough to look like soldiers.
a little hardship would soon knock them over
he said As for the officers, he knew Of but
two who bad much proficiency in command Many
of them were fine fellows; few of them were fine
soldiers
And one hears queer things of the three Generals
who go ont 10 take commands under Lord Chelms-
ford. 1t is a business Of life and deatl-of other
mems lives and deaths aso-but the usual influences
| .ko 10 paH lama loo
mischief IN the choice of troops, and fayortism
makes mischief IN the choice of commanding Off
GERS General Newdegate, General CrealOck, and
General Marshall are and all men Of no practical
acquaintance with campaigning but Of high social
position and knship. Not one of them has seen ser
vice. Two Of them are Adershot staff Officers
the third is q Guard,man. They have never, hear
commanded troops at all. even on parade or not
more than battalion. Yet the army list is crowded
with the names of general officers who have learnt
warm the Crimea and in India and who have at least
seen something of marching and campaigning ct u
certain sort in AbySsinia, and in Ashantee. Ii IS
SAID few of them could be sent to Natal because they
are seniors to Lord Chelmsford, and 50 could not
serve under him. Lord Chelmsford is one Of the
Youngest Generals in the service. He is a pet of
Lord Beaconsiied, and was pitchforked over the
heads of his seniors into this South African command
TO win easy glory in " little war" The little war
turns ont rather a big one the glory is yet to WIN
a great disaster has already resulted from official
INCOMPETENCE; but the system Is perscvored IN.
Not Ia trouble yon with extracts from the Zulu
blIe-book -mblished, as usual with this Govern
ment when it is too late for the mischief they have
entered on to be stopped will quote instead an
extract or two from the letters of an officer now IN
the field. They are written to his family. and
are without prrtcncc but they afford glimpse of
opinion formed on the spot. The dates are the
end Of December and the beginning Of January:
A. to the war going 10 make somewhat m
proper remork. We want 10 possess an the 'oh' III
south Africa that Is worth having or course ms mas
nothing to 80 with Zdiuand our MOTIONS III t h VA
rectiou indeed III every direction are smpt D"'tu
desire FOR the advancement Oi Chr'Stnl'' anu
civil Latpn The real reason Tor TINS war u h''cSSN
Here we have an exceedingly Fo"'tini & in. ,T
a. p, ON our border whose trade always mas Eee war
last few years on account OF not having any
| tn fight against: We nay" q eri sur ho ~"
non that their next object for trade VIII ne our
coou-ts out here aud suppose We are pouhd 10 rus
trte these intentions. Bui airr Ma' nay som"ps
noners lam no, very keen in opposing ths chance 81
ira ing the Zulus' part We have asked the Huu7
and snndry other questions, ana nave ehdeo up by OF
imS5seif give Cttcwa9o credit for good sense
than to have with ~ at the present. Hie, HueS7
indeed hc Is forced TO it hy MS which IS very 'seI mo
4 cOlonI>t with much useful Information tels me
with reference to the Zuius that no hshnS WIZ cone
Of unless intent on IT. II we are ,TlinS I" mako
them dsarm, they will Gght. hnt for nothing else,
Zllus think sOldicTs different from "ther Wc' IHeH
account for ;he red OF coats IN new way hc'Io
men whom the Queen feeds Oh a. h'h per - we eau
eat. Always eager 10 hshi, "Hch We "dt ,no
cuemy We immediately dye OurcOaIs III MS poo"i heH'e
the color.
For a week or two past report has been circulated
thai a newly -madc judge had persisted IN keeping
unearned fees which he had received IN advance Tor
services TO be performed at the bar-sefNces WHICH,
when raised to the bench, he was no longer able 10
render Sir James stephen, the most recently ap-
nointed of the new Judges, now comes forward to
deny that he is the person referred TO. He aiirms
that so far AZ he ia concerned the story rs not true