New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-01
A BRITISH STORY REPEATED.

| a
British history has sgnaly repeated itself In
the present South African campaign. AT the be-
ginning there have been plumbers, reverses, al
most disasters. As the campaign proceeds THESE
bid fair to cease, and in the end, no doubt, there
will ne complete victory. That has Deen the
story Of nearly every British campaign. II was
| so I'm Ashantee, in India, in the Crlmea, IN the
Peninsula. II was so In earlier wars, even III
| those of ancient times Philippe de tohlhes
| four hundred years ago declared that no nation
as more raw and undisciplned than the English
| "at their first coming over Yet he adhed, u
| little time makes them brave soldiers excellent
| "offlcers and wise counsellors.' Time was never
| needed 10 make them brave. They were always
| that and never more than in the greatest
| blunders ms at Balaklava. 1t was and is needed
| TO bring wisdom Of military counsel and to ac-
+, custom them to the ways of the lands In which
they fight and Of the forces they have to night
| That is one of the penalties of insularity. So
Scott makes the Earl of Oxford In Anne or
| Gcierstein." say: "An English army never was
land never will be- fit for service I'LL they have
"been out of their own island long enough 10
"accustom them to military duty" 1t would he
| more accurate and just. perhaps to add ITO me
military duties required in the particular land
an which they may he engaged Braddock
learned that too late at Pittsburg, and General
White has had 10 reearn the same lesson IN
Natal.
Nor is the historical record. from Braddock 10
Colley. al there is to remind the British COM
| manders Of their needs in council. Some OF their
own best men have impressed the fact upon
them over anu over again One OF their greatest
military genuses of the century-the greatest
| perhaps. T. we contrast the meagreness or MS
means with the greatness OF the results ne AT
taincd-Charles Gordon, emphasized the very
point In an impressive article publisheG, by
strange coincidence the very day before the
tragedy of Majuba HILL He said that when
regular forces enter such n campaign as mat III
which General Coley was then engaged, ana
such as that of the present day in the same
country. they ought to avoid any unnecessary
haste for time does not press with them, whlle
every day increases the burden on country
without resources and unaccustomed to diScl-
| "pline All engagements in the field ought
"If POSSIBLE 10 be avoided except by corps raised
"from people who in their habits resemble those
.in arms, or else by irregular corps raised Tor
1.-THE purpose The regular forces will act as the
| backbone of the expedition, but the rock and
cover fighting will be done better by levies OF
"speciallv raised irregulars" Those were words
Of pure wisdom. uttered by a man who knew
whereof he spoke and who had proved the truth
OF his words by his deeds. Could they nave
reached Colley in time, and had they been
needed by him, there would have been no Ma
| iuba Hill Had they formed the rule Of the
present campaign the British losses would not
have been a 1.-THE of what they now have BEEN
II II no n sked why after centuries of such ex-
perience the British army has not yet learned
This lesson the answer is readily given. The
reason subslsts in the neradcable and immuta-
bic nature of the race. 1t is the characteristic
British trait which has been described more
| picturcsquely than elegantly as "you-pe-0amheo
| ness"-the blending OF self-reliance, self-con-
| fdence arrogance and what not of the same
nature which constitutionally impels the Briton
| TO regard his foe with certain condesceh-
| sion. if not with contempt 1t is not always
the most amiable trait in the world, and, as
| we have seen ii is often seriously ln1udlclouS'
| Nevertheless it is not. either, altogether evil
| Doubtless considerable portion or the success
| attained by the British in diplomacy ana III
| war has been due to the action of that same
| nrinciple The man who has an abundance OF
| eolf.confdence may now and then be Overrash
| hut he is far more likely to impress others win
| n sense of his power and greatness than Is the
man who is always difiident and timorous De
| spitp. therefore, the losses which this trait usu
| alv entails upon the British at the outset OF
military campaign. its existence is not altogether
| IN no regretted: nor is It TO he altogether re-
rrotted that the American Nation is so tinctured
with the blood as to possess a measure OF the
same trait.