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    ^ 47Q THE IiEADllK. [Sattjkd at,

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    THE NOK-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE MESS...

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    " THE STRANGER" IN PARLIAMENT. [Tho resp...

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    Modernt Imperialism. It May Be Said Of I...

    history on the Ifost Bonaparte , ^ while it pretends that universal opinion is in its favour ? Even in three years a good step has been made towards Pere la Chaise and Pompadour . Probably the theorists of whom we are speaking would shrink from the idea of thrusting back humanity under the yoke of despotism for ever . They mean their empire to be transitional , '" and fancy that the despot

    will resign when he has carried out their theories , and inaugurated a polity which it seems is to be founded , not on political intelligence or political virtue , hut on manual industry . They expect , in short , that a long continuance of absolutism vnR produce a greater aptitude for self-governmeut , and that an established despotism , or rather a confederacy of established despotisms , will recognise this increased aptitude , and abdicate

    before it ! To save men from such phantasies as these , no profound political wisdom or great political erudition is needed . Nothing is needed but a knowledge of the commonest facts of history and the commonest laws of human nature—right moral sympathies—patience under temporary failure—and faith in God .

    ^ 47q The Iieadllk. [Sattjkd At,

    ^ 47 Q THE IiEADllK . [ Sattjkd at ,

    The Nok-Commissioned Officer In The Mess...

    THE NOK-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE MESS-ROOM . It is not fitting that the British public , dazzled by the Vauxhall brilliancy of Xiord Palmebston ' s eloquence , rivalling the strains of a Maiotbbs on behalf of our " old nobility , " or distracted by the reverberations of the bombardment of Sebastopol , or the inauguration of a new movement for securing the appointment of proper men , should forget that the army still remains the close preserve

    of the Plutocracy , the oligarchy , and parliamentary connexion . Not one single step has yet been taken towards opening the upper ranks of the army to any one not belonging to the privileged classes . Every time he speaks on the subject Ijord PaijMebston grows more eloquent in favour of the existing system ; and we may safely conclude that Lord Hajbdinge and his friends are

    as resolute as the Premier to shut out the pick of the unmoneyed multitude . " When we reformed our political institutions in 1830-32 , we did not touch our military institutions ; and hence it is that the two are not in harmony ; and that the British army , in many respects , as regards organisation , arms , equipment , is actually below that of Piedmont .

    Now the key of the position occupied by our great enemy the Horse Gaiards , and so zealously defended by squads of colonels and herds of squires , is the promotion of men from the ranks . Iiord Godeeioh , we are persuaded , showed true military coup d ' coil ; when he brought forward his motion to that end . The promotion of the non-commissioned officer is the thin end of the wedge ; the making of that promotion , a reality and not a sham , will be the wedgo driven home . In the first place , if non-commissioned officers share the prizes of the army , if emulation take

    the place of punishment , as au incitement to duty , a much liigher class of men will enlist in , the service . By higher , wo moan young men as poor , but bettor educated than the present class of recruits ; more ambitious , and more capable , who will make the arfc of war their study , and the management of regiments their pastime ; who will devote their leisure , in fact , to the library and the class-room , instead of the tavern or tho lounge . Wo don't want learned professors in the army ; wo want accomplished soldiers . It is certain that a little competition with non-commiosioned officers , sworn devotees of their

    profession , would weed the army of the dandy officers , and spur on the real soldiers . But until promotion by purchase is abolished , or until commissions are thrown -open to men from the ranks , it is not likely that many of the elite of the classes without money and influence will enter the army ; . In the second place , while the present absurd and profligate system of extravagant living is encouraged in the army ; while officers are spendthrifts , not soldiers , it is not possible that the mess can be congenial to the man

    promoted from the ranks . He would not be at home there ; for he would not be a soldier among comrades , but a man promoted from the ranks for his ability , among other men called gentlemen by birth and education , promoted or appointed because they could command money or influence . The non-commissioned officer , converted into an ensign , is a discord in the scale of harmonies , unless he have a natural quickness in adapting himself to society . Moreover , he would find that his pay would not be sufficient for his wants , unless he held some lucrative regimental

    appointment as well as his commission . Therefore , in the mess-room he would be out of his element—that element being the field . Therefore , as long as the present system stands , even if some commissions are thrown open , there will be painful difficulties for the aspiring sergeant to surmount—but mark , difficulties made painful by the relative social , not military , incompatibilities . This explanation suggests the

    remedy—abolition of the system of purchase ; promotion from the ranks , to a fixed extent ; promotion by seniority up to the rank of Major , and "by selection beyond . But the promotion from the ranks must be real promotion , leading to the highest grades . At present the public are hoodwinked by g ' jwm-promotions from the ranks . What promoted non-commissioned officer is likely to rise to the rank , say of Colonel ? We should be glad if some Member of Parliament would move for a return of

    the names of the non-commissioned officers who have received commissions since March 28 , 1854 , stating the date of their appointment , their rank , and whether they hold any appointment as Quartermaster , Riding Master , or Adjutant .. often does a man from the ranks go beyond a lieutenancy ? " We must have the non-commissioned officer in the mess-room ; that is the key of army reform . We must have him there by

    degrees , but have him we must . And so by degrees we trust the mesa-room will be cleared to some extent of ill-bred , profligate , and dishonourable men , by leavening the lump of privilege with the Slite of the unprivileged classes ; men having more brains than bank-notes ; more solid acquirements than corrupt influence ; the bearing of gentlemen ; the hearts of soldiers ; and devotion to their profession .

    " The Stranger" In Parliament. [Tho Resp...

    " THE STRANGER" IN PARLIAMENT . [ Tho responsibility of tho Editor in regard to thoso contributions is limited to the act of giving them publicity . ' Tho opinions expressed aro those of the writer : botli tho Leader and " Tho Stranger" benefit by tho freedom which is left to hie pen and discretion . ] What has tho Tory party gained by doing what the Duke of Wellington ( according to his congenial Boswell , Lord Ellenborough ) declined to do—firing great guns at little birds ? ( And it may

    bo parenthetically suggested , that if fowls wore precious in proportion to their size , a gooso would bo preferred to a bird of paradise , and Lord Ellenborough would get on . ) On Monday , Lord Derby did nothing but ehow , with elaborate parade , tho weakness of his forces : and though it ' s » great thing to have a great general , it scarcely answers to arrange for a display of want of forco in order to indicate what a tremendous fellow you have at tho head of your troops . Quo can well understand that

    ™™_ - _ _^~ with De Clare first among the favourites for next Wednesday ' s race , his noble owner can care uncommonly little for the historic Tory party ; Lord Derby is too much given to understand by " the country , " " the turf . " But it is incredible that this carelessness can be tolerated by his followers , and it is certain that the commoners among them deeply deplor e the blunders which on Monday allowed the world to perceive the utter absence of cohesive power in the party which was beginning to talk impertinently of Lord Palmerston ' s failures and confidently of the imminence of Lord Derby . The debate annihilated the

    Derbyite prestige , and the division made Lord Palmerston safe —say for the session . Mr . Disraeli , standing ( behind the throne ) monumentally , in an attitud e and a pallor to catch the eyes of the ladies' galleries , heard the speech of his chief , and must have then and there relinquished his ambition—must have seen that that sort of man ,, thus let loose to gabble recklessly his deplorable commonplace , would be always undoing in an hour the intrigues of a year . The catastrophe was the more awful for the grand preparation . It was the finest " House" ever collected ! Lord Redesdale is right in comparing the galleries to

    the Casino : —the rustle of silk was in the place all the night : —there were long lines of gaily-clothed ladies —( but most of them virtuously doing something to destroy the Casino simile—they were so plain )—collected there by the rumour of " society" that the coming man was to arrive at last—and that he was to annihilate Palmerston the first night . The Derbyites were very proud of this addition—an elephant — to their menagerie , and fomented an eagerness for the exhibition—and lots of rats were ready to go into so respectable a company if the thing looked at all promising . The Oommons deserted their own House to get among the Peerage : they

    crawled like street-boys into the most improper places of observation—they filled every nook . The excitement was enormous : that coolest of all classes , the stenographers , were observed with new pencils , palpably purchased for the great occasion . Of Lord Ellenborough ' s speech , this is all that can be said : — that poor Lord Panmure , muddleheadedest of old Whig noblemen , made an exhaustive reply to it ! The best of the Ellenborough speech was its brevity : he compressed his feeble affectation of much strength into an hour . Perhaps the condensation was clever ; but the Roman oration did not suit : for what is the use of

    Tacitus' style in talking truism ? The speech was a leading article-like arrangement of some familiar views , and not suggestive , if accurate , facts ; and the result is certain—that splendid audience was disappointed , —on the country the Oration ou Nothing has not told . The public , indeed , missing the alleviations of the fine presence , the beautiful voice , and the perfect elocution of Lord Ellenborough , and has been puzzled to know what all the fuss was about : — the public likewise not understanding how the clubby characteristics of Parliament , and the social position of the man , influence an incident such as

    Monday , when , in Lord Ellenborough , men and women saw , first of all , a personage whose life has been " , " and who is much " talked about . " Sensitive that his elephant had not been a great hit , Lord Derby did not get into the howdah with much tfclat , and made a painfully-rubbishy speech , in which the indolent and irresolute man , trying to disguise a want of will and want of perspicuity , was fidgetily bidding for office without conditions . As to Lord Hardwicke , who has a quarter-deck voice , and " the man who wouldnT ; rescue , " & c ., sort of manner—with a gesture winch ests that it is only deference to the galleries -

    sugg HUUICVDIiD 1 >»« Mi »* m mr •¦ «• -w--- ^ n that prevents him hitching his trousers by way oi emphasis—ho hallooed half tho ladies and all the Commoners away , and , generally speaking , conducted himself with tho too customary impertincnco of his class . A sudden oratorical success was made by a little round-bodied , round-hoaded , awfully -dressed , red-faced peer , who turned out to bo the able Lord Elgin , who on thia occasion gave tone to tho debate , and the cue to all tho rat » , by saying that tho grea objection to tho motion was that it would turn ou incapable nion , and bring in still moro incupttW men . Tho only debating speech of tho dcbulo

    few of theao Peers cau manage more than pr - pared twaddlo — was the Duke of Newcastle , md ho had , in iseU-dofcnco , to talk too imuch

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 19, 1855, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19051855/page/14/