The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-12-28 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

FRIEND OF GOOD ORDER.  " TRANSATLANTIC BOMBAST."-AMERICAN  ARMY. WHAT FORCE COULD BE BROUGHT AGAINST THE AMERICANS, IN CASE OF WAR?  TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,  SIR,—I was much astonished in reading a paragraph in your valuable paper of the 14th inst., headed " Transatlantic Bombast," wherein it is stated, that the editor of the New York Herald asserts that there are four millions of fighting men in the United States. I now therefore beg leave, with all due deference to the editor of the N. E Herald, to contradict his bombastic and ridiculous assertion. While in the States, I frequently read articles of a similar tendency, and never had the pleasure of seeing them contradicted. I shall therefore have an eye upon their assertions ~and I Venture to say, that nine assertions out of ten will be found to be incorrect. I will go the "whole hog," and if I do not "row them up salt river," 1 am much mistaken. I will dispose of the Herald first. In the Politician's Guide, (Philadelphia, Key and Biddle, 1835, page 10,) I find the " fighting men" of the United States amount to 1,362,315, instead of 4,000,000, as the Herald asserts! ! The standing army of the U. S. amounts to only 5,052 men, being only 166 soldiers to each state and territory! Of the standing army and militia, I know not bow to express myself. I only wish, Mr. Editor, You could have seen a muster of these "fighting men !"—then, and only then, you could appreciate my feelings. The most miserable squad of wretches I ever saw collected together was upon an American " field day ;" some with guns, others with swords and pistols, whilst others had rifles, muskets, blunderbusses, &c., the whole arranged in the most picturesque disorder. The "fighting men" laughing and talking—the officers joking with the soldiers— the shrill fife and discordant bugle—the ill-timed march— wretched ignorance of the commands; and the whole turnout was the most laughable and disgusting attempt at military order I ever beheld, or ever will behold again. This is no high-coloured picture: I appeal to any honest man, who has visited the United States, it' this is not " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." In Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, I had numerous good opportunities of seeing the "standing army," and certainly I never saw such an apology for soldiers: neither their persons, dress, nor discipline would lead you to form any other opinion, than that they are, in the words of an American paper, "a host of ignorant pretenders!" I ask any military man, what could an army of undisciplined men do in war? Their numbers would only lead to the greater defeat; they could do nothing against a disciplined army. Place 1,000 Britons, in a fair field, with 10,000 Yankees, and the result is obvious : the Yankees would be mowed down like grass. Another thing is, they have no experienced officers to command an army. What are men without good officers ? Nothing. They have, in fact, no officers worth talking of, and not one of them capablei, of taking the command of a large army. The Americans could never fight like brave men. In the revolution and last war, they fought like what they are—a batch of cowards. They always fought behind rocks, trees, walls, &c.; they concealed themselves clandestinely to pick, choose, aim, and shoot their fellow-men,--in short, converted themselves from self-styled soldiers to cold, bloody murderers. I shall now show, and clearly prove— What flow could be brought against the Americans in case of war. hi%