The Cannock Chase Examiner. — 1874-07-18 (Cannock, Staffordshire, England)

ENGLAND'S MILITARY SY.STEF.  The proposed Congress at Brussells, however, will have a tendency to aid the cause of peace, by drawing the attention of the working classes to the means to be devised by the representatives of the European aristocracy to alleviate the sufferings of those who are wars. Whether the means • ever be afforded an opportnnit, msted, is a question which the gra of the people must answer. are many who contend that the quest/en orthe justice lightingiceo fthef force is people of being considerationmpelle d toiintaiwnma -mired with other evils which oppress the working chump, of this country, but those who argue thus lay themselves open to the charge of not having given the subject that attention and consideration which its importance demands. Let them read the histories of the military system of England—from the time when the Norman conqueror, with his onsatiable lore of blood and plunder, invaded her shores, murdered her inhabitants, and divided their lands between his followers, on condition that they should place at his command an equivalent in the form of armed vassals—up to the time when the aristocracy, with their characteristic love for confiscation repudiated the contract, and while saddling the maintenance of the fighting forces on the nation, kept possession of the land—let them read these things and they Will not then deny the claims the advocates of peace principles put forth, that these question deserves to be treated as one of paramount importance. On material grounds the injustice of the present: military system is clearly demonstrated, when we con. older the efforts which have been made to reduce the taxation of the country, by the formation of Poor-law and Local Government Boards, and by various enactmolts which have been passed with the intention of corbelling the continual influx into nor workhouses, is it not a paroday on their efforts, that while endeavors. lug to reduce the pauperism of the country, they should legalise the causes which produce it. " Ro long as constitutional England liar existed, there has been a jeahmsy among all classes against the existence of a standing army. Now we have a standing army of large amount, quartered, brigaded, and encamped permanently in England, and fed by a consider. able and constantly incensing reserve. It will, in due *time, be officered by a class of men eminently scientific, but With no relations necessarily with society, while the militia is witlidrarn from all local influences, and placed under the immediate command of the Secretary of War. Thus, in the 19th century, we hare a large standing army established in Rngitind, contrary to all the traditiois of the land." Such are the words of an eminent statesman— the Right Hon. Ilenjamie Disraeli—when addressing the cameos of Manchester, in April, /872. And he spoke truly. There is a jealousy among classes a jealousy among the working class, a feeling of indig. nation, that, contrary to all traditions of the land, con. Wary to all ideas of civilisation, they should have to maintain a large standing army-500,000 men. Men vvithdrawn from all the occupations of productive in. dustiry, men who might be producing wealth for the country, and whose labour might materially reduce the toil of their fellows, bet who on the contrary, not only consume what they have never assisted in producing, hot who are trained, and their lives devoted to the destruction of the production of others. With such knowledge, and such facts before hint, well may the present leader of the Conservative party admit that the existence of a large armed force has the effect of creating jealousy among all classes. It vrould be well for the nation; it would be a lasting honour to the present Premier, were he to use the power with which the country has invested him to the amelioration of the system against which the above remarks were uttered. He might be sure of the co-operation of the working classes. They have no interest in war, they have no desire for war, and they look upon a standing army, as the greatest curse a country can maintain. But twelve years have elapsed since the sentences quoted Zbove were uttered, and to-day a Tory Premier must be a supporter of that most chenshed and most necessary of Conservative in. stitution—a large military, force, so well as an advocate of a "spirited foreign policy." (To be confini(4d)