The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-26


- ----------------0 the throne with
chain of cannon balls? Under Victo-
ria vast dominion was acquired. I'm
der Victoria too although she died
praying for peace, England engaged in |
over 90 wars.
The opening of the new century finds
England in the fever heat of military |
ardor; yet, to say nothing of high NOR
al motive in her wars of the last 60 |
years, one looks in vain for the dis
play of real military genius or of vital
military prowess. Yet the mighty Wei
lington opened that era, the great
Wolseley fitted across it's lights and
shadows and the much belorded "Bobs"
has proclaimed it's glorious close, sub
ject, of course, to ratification by De-
larey and De Wet
Not long ago Wolseley, who put by
the sword for the pen, broke into wrath
because the volunteers of the American
civil war were called veterans. Per-
haps England has had Gettysburg,
Chickamauga, a Stone River or a Pc
tersburg, which her historians are too
modest to declare, and Grant and a
Lee, Jackson and Sheridan, whose
fame has been embalmed for the tex
elusive admiration of posterity The
armies Of Great Britain since the
browning of Victoria have fought to
establish monopolies in opium and in
ivory, to bolster up the Christian MUIR
.dering Turk, to exploit Egypt and In
dia for the profit of London merchants
and to perpetuate Cecil Rhodes. Their
victories have been Lucknow and Kan
dahar, Magdala and Ulandi, Omdur-
man and Paardeburg.
In the first decade Of victoria's reign
England made war in China. Egypt
and India. General Robert Napier con-
quered Sinde anu on his fighting repu-
tation succeeded General Cough. the
hero Of the Sikh war, who came out
finally under cloud because Of vic
tory which, like some of those in South
Africa, cost too much British blood.
While the armies We're fighting in Chi
ma and southern India the Afghans
showed signs of cutting loose from
British leading strings, and the queen
declared war. One incident Of this so
called rebellion was the slaughter of
the entire British army, with its fol-
lowing, about $4,000 souls, in Khyber
pass Finally the rebel khan was de-
posed, Sinde and Dude were annexed.
the Sikh war ended, and Sir Henry
Hardinge, who had fought under Wei
lington at Waterloo, came out of India
the hero IF l6 pitched battles, with a
decoration for each and the fame of u
conqueror When Wellington died in
1852, Hardinge was rewarded by APP
pointment to succeed him as command
err in chief.
From 1850 to 1853 England had on
hand a war with the Burmese. This
was another rebellion" according to
the London dictionary. The nephew
of some native ruler claimed the pen
sion of his defunct relative, which Eng
land refused to pay in money when
blood was cheaper. About then the
unspeakable Turk was making pas,
time of numbering Christians, and as
he knew no distinction between those
of the Greek and other faiths the czal
of RusSia called halt. To give the
car his way with the Turk would
mean the end of the convenient ''sicF
man" of the east prospect England
could not relish. Finding an ally in the
newly fedged emperor of France, who
wanted to justify his assumption OF
the title of Napoleon III. the queen de
clared war against Russia. and for the
first and only time in all Victoria:
reign England was up against foe Of
her size Needless to say that thu
British armies won no glory in thu
Crimea. and England gained no per
manent advantage. AS soon as France
became entangled with Germany, il
1870, Russia withdrew all she hat
ceded at the treaty Of Paris, and Eng
land dare not lift hand in protest
The craven deSertion of her old ally il
1870 is page in English history whicl
1t is only fair to set over against tn
claims for military greatness SO boldl
held up for the worlds admiration
since-well, since the fanatical Suda
dervishes graciously accepted slaugl
ter before the machine guns at Omdul
man. The French soldiery took the "a
nous Malakhoff, while the Englis
failed twice at the Redan. and til
French carried off all the fighting hor
ors of the allied army in that war;
Already involved in China. Englan
turned from the Crimea to face De7
troubles in the far east. Persia ha
captured Herat, the key to Afghan
tan. Troops from the armies in Indi
We're sent into China and against tt
Persians. Then the sepoys arose
mutiny. The young fighters Of the MI
tiny days are the veterans of toda
using the term veteran" as Wclsele
would have it, The two lords VOLS
ley and Roberts. We're right in it an
we're individually brave. Wolseley ha
teen In the Crimea and began in Ind
a major. while Roberts was only
novice and lieute lant. Roberts ser