brous armour of mere defensive war, so amply and so ably delineated by your Lord. ship, I should now proceed to examine some other of its parts, and to suggest a remedy for the evils, of which I complain; but, this must be deferred till another opportunity. In the meantime, however, I cannot refrain from observing, that it is very far indeed from my wish to be understood as censuring the conduct of the Volunteers, many of whom, the far greater part, I trust, would, were they placed in a proper situation, behave with great bravery in defence of their country and their Sovereign. It is not the men, but the system, that I dislike, that I censure, and that I hope to see abolished; not because it is not the best system that could have been invented, but because it is the worst; not because it is not sufficient to save the country, but because its evident tendency is to destroy it. I am aware, however, that I shall be charged with having endeavoured "to make the Volunteers think meanly of "themselves, and to render them contempti "ble to the enemy." But, as to the former part of this charge, if the Volunteers can be reasoned out of a correct opinion of their own strength, courage, dispositions and intentions, the confidence they at present feel is not very strong; and, if their opinion upon those points be not correct, it is doing them a favour to make it so. To render them contemptible to the enemy might, indeed, be seriously urged as a political offence, did we not daily and hourly hear these same accusers, expressing their wishes that the enemy would land! Either the volunteer corps are truly described by me, or they are not; if they are, the nation is at present deceived with regard to them, and is, in this respect, relying upon a broken reed; and, if they are not, if we have in these corps 240,000 fighting men, then, if the enemy believes me, I am leading him into a most dangerous error, and, if he does not believe me, then he will not contemn the volunteers: so that, in whatever direction my opinions are traced to their consequences, it will be found, that the charge against them falls blunted to the ground. ——The charge of communicating intelligence to the enemy is, indeed, a most convenient thing in the hands of the ministry, it is a thing of universal application; it fits all persons, all places, and all topics: this charge and the charge of creating despondency" have been aptly enough termed the two winkers, with which the ministers and their partisans

have contrived to keep the nation from looking about it. By the means of this contrivance, both the parliament and the people have been led contentedly along to the very verge of the precipice. Every word that is uttered, in doors or out, tending to produce a conviction of the defects in any of the measures of government, immediately becomes the ground of one or the other of the above-mentioned charges; and, that, too, in the mouths of those, who have laid it down as a maxim, that govern ment ought to follow, and not to lead, the people. In the ministerial pamplet, entitled Cursory Remarks, it is described, as "a characteristic failing and misfortune" of the Pitt and Grenville family, that, as to the measure of defence, for instance, they "would have had it their measure, and not the "nation's; it would," says the author, “have "been their act, and now it is the people's."

popular sentiment taking the lead, such a "bill" [the General Training Bill] "could

ever have been carried into effect "† To speak to the ministers is, then, become perfectly useless, until you have produced conviction in the people, and, indeed, until you have prevailed upon the people not only to adopt your opinions, but to join you in requiring them to be acted upon; but, here, comes the other obstacle, you must not complain of the present measures, if they relate to topics of war, because you thereby create despondency", and "invite the enemy to invade us !"-This has been called a weak ministry, my lord, and, in some respects, it certainly is so; but, if it be suffered to fortify itself with barricadoes like these, I am greatly deceived if it will not prove too strong for the liberties and independence of the nation.I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's most humble and most obedient servant, November 1st. 1803. W. COBBETT.

* See Speech of 30th June, 1803. + Speech of 4th August, 1803.

ON THE PURCHASE OF COMMISSIONS.

S1B,-The present aspect of the political horizon appears big with mighty and important events, The die is now cast.-And the most collected and decisive energies must be employed, to vindicate our honour, our independence, our existence as a nation. Threatened with the horrors of invasion by the licentious and sanguinary hordes of the Gallie despot; surrounded by domestic innovators, who meditate rebellion and the complete destruction of our venerable constitution and government, our country presents to Europe a magnificent and interesting spectarle-Either Rome must perish, aut delenda est Carthago. Again our wooden bulwarks must gloriously triumph, and victory, on her indeable tablets, swell the gallant list of our naval beroes, or dreadful alternative! man to man, and shield to shield, the embattled line must rage, on our paternal fields, to maintain with the formidable and insolent foe the dubious contest for all that is dear to social and civilized life.-Although on this momentous occasion every thing may be anticipated which a nation, distinguished for heroic courage and intrepid magnanimity, can display, stimulated by that amor patria which vibrates so strongly in the British bosom, and which so proudly characterises them among the nations; yet, notwithstanding, the most prudent and vigilant circumspection, the most enlightened and energetic measures must be promptly adopted, in order to consolidate our internal security. Should our bold and adventurous enemy, allured by the irresistible stimulus of indiscriminate plunder, by a fortunate concurrence of the elements, elude the vigilance of our fleets, (and who from a false misguided confidence would presumptuously assert the impossibility?) it is then in our army we must confide: it is to it we mast look up as the impenetrable ægis of our defence.I would not here be understood to associate with the name of army, or as forming a constituent part of it, the motley battalions of reserve, volunteer associations, &c., which form such a heterogeneous and anomalous mass of indigested materials ; whose numbers would only serve the more deeply to embarrass, and whose aid would only tend to accelerate a defeat; which serve only to impose upon the public false ideas of ioefficient strength: in short, the mere gingerbread automatons of a puerile puppet shew-There are other military institutions in the country which though apparently more respectable, are equally insignificant in point of real utility.-But as these are so distinct in their organization, and as the

members which compose them in general constitute one of the most enviable branches of our happy constitution, they shall be more particularly discussed on a future occasion. The line shall more immediately claim my present attention; and it is under this appellation I mean to designate the army. --The brave and heroic men who compose this, I need not here attempt to panegyrise; their gallant intrepidity, their indefatigable perseverence, the toils, the danger which they have so magnanimously braved, the miserable privations to which they have so cheerfully submitted, on the most difficult and important services, and the splendid achievements they have performed before the eyes of the world, have immortalised their valour; and yet, at this momentous crisis, how little has been done towards the improvement of this army! How reluctant, languid, and procrastinating are the steps which have been bitherto pursued to improve the present miserably defective system of our military economy !-This is not a time to procrastinate; nor is it a time for us silently to behold injudicious, improvident, and unjust distribution of the rewards of merit diverted into channels which pollute the sources of our honour, degrade our service in the face of Europe, and officer our army with mere higgling and mercenary brokers.- To expatiate on this ample field, where such foul and deleterious weeds vegetate in such rank profusion, ought long since to have challenged the attention of every mind, which takes a gene ous interest in the welfare of its country, and feels animated with the genuine sentiments of loyalty and patriotism.The task is not an Herculean one-and to accomplish it only requires a cheerful and vigorous exertion ; it requires nor skill, nor scientific knowledge-and the remedies may be administered with perfect safety. Common sense may judiciously prescribe, and an undiploma'd hand may operate, when the regular physician with his empirical aphorisms, and technical impudence declines to officiate without the prospect of a fee.Dazzled by the brilliancy of our military exploits, it is natural to inquire to what we ought principally to attribute these splendid. successes of the British arms? Is it by a fortunate combination of the skill and experience of the officer, who from the subaltern to the general ascends through each gradation of rank by distinguished merit, superior talents, and veteran services alone? Is it by means of these, united to the bravery and discipline of the soldier, that our armies lead so often to glory and conquests?Let us do justice to the inquiry; let us im

partially discriminate. To affect a delicate reserve on a subject of such national importance, which calls so loudly for legislative interference, and which, if continued longer, must tend to precipitate our ruin, would not only be dangerously absurd, but, in a certain. degree, traiterous to our dearest interests.In recurring to the weekly Gazettes of promotion, in order to consider the merits of this interesting question, heavens! what an indignant blush must crimson the check, on discovering, that in place of the different gradations of rank being filled up by those only of distinguished merit, talent and veteran services; that a most pernicious system of commission-brokering has lately risen to such a serious and alarming height, as threatens shortly to degrade us to the most humiliating insignificance in the eyes of Europe, and indelibly brand us with contempt and irretrievable infamy.-The mercenary and avaricious spirit which this disgraceful system of buying, selling, and exchanging of commissions must necessarily introduce into the service, will be rapidly productive of incalculable evils and misfortunes to the country. In place of having our regiments offcered by gentlemen, brave, disinterested, and emoulous only of promotion as commensurate to their services, a pestiferous swarm of mean, selfish and mercenary individuals continue daily to be inundating the service, with a sordid view of bringing their money as to a common mart where they can lay it out to the best advantage.-These, instead of devoting their attention to acquire a competent knowledge of their professional duty, and render their services useful to their country, study with avidity all the mercenary chicane and selfish finesse of commissionbrokering, exchange, &c.-Hence, in consequence of these shameful and pernicious practices, the meritorious and experienced veteran is excluded from every prospect of promotion, unless an affluent patrimony or powerful friend are ready to sanction his otherwise inadmissible pretensions.

family or pecuniary interest, who it is wel known are ignorant how to head a platoon of lead on a half squadron.-How easily may this plain and melancholy truth be demonstrated in examining the War office Gazette only for a few months back. What interesting information might be drawn from thence by an accurate list of those names which have in that short period alone appeared by the necromancy of exchange in several gra dations of rank, and a comparative statement of such as have been promoted on account of their merit, and as a reward for disti guished services well known and approved by the country. Alas! alas! the execrable livre rouge of the old French court neveresceeded the infamy and corruption so manifest in the registers of British military promotion. -It is true, warrants have been from time to time issued, to correct, to suppress, in short to preclude, the possibility of these infamous clandestine bargains being transacted. But what are War-office warrants,what are speci fic regulations fulminating his Majesty's dis pleasure at the smallest deviation being even meditated. When officers commanding corps, and the parties concerned in these mercenary negotiations will meanly, will villainously, prostitute their bonour in every memorial, and daringly evade by private agreements those wise and salutary restric tions for which these warrants were expressly framed to lay upon mercenary and interested individuals. Entrenched within a golden barrier, inaccessible in the heights of office, this formidable combination has long been fortifying itself, so as to mock the idle assaults of an insulted order---" And o'er their heads the royal thunder rolls-and lightnings fall innocuous."- -But the hour of investigation is approaching--the black catalogue shall be produced, and retributive justice will vindicate her own.

-What an humiliating conclusion must we then draw, how degrading to the generous character of the British name! But, in order to remedy this pernicious evil which we thus affect to deplore, which breathes such a withering blast on the laurels we have so gloriously won, and casts such an obloquy on the national spirit, what salutary correction ought then to be applied? The best or

blishments in Europe point out a remedy for our acceptation, as palliatives will oftentimes accelerate dissolution, the sources of this polluted stream must be examined, the deleterious poison, transfused through the mass, must be completely eliminated. The ranks of our army are filled with gallant men, not alone distisguished for courage, and

VIVT

intrepidity; for, intrepid courage, unless conducted under the auspices of prudence, and matured experience, united to genius, talents, possessing a promptitude and inexhaustible fertility of resources, happily accommodated to the most doubtful circumstances of the moment, is oftentimes productive of the most serious misfortunes. But united to personal bravery, we have numbers equally distinguished for professional knowledge, scientifically cultivated, who are every way qualified to grace the most dignified and important situations in the army; and yet, decus! decus et patria! scarce one of these brave and meritorious men have even received a common medal, the humblest order of merit, as a testimony of his services; but reverse the perspective! What innumerable instances daily occur of school-boys just emancipated from the terrors of their usher's rod, by the necromantic potuer of money, stepping by a bold metamorphosis into military office, and, in as many gazettes as he ought to have served campaigns, superseding many an adult and neglected veteran who has faithfully served his country with a distinguished reputation. -Such is the system by which our military economy is at present regulated; thus are the rewards of merit disposed of-thus completely inverted the just and regular gradation of rank. Hence our army lists are swelled with names from the subaltern to the general officer unknown to their country, but as they appear in the gazettes of promotion-hence that illustrious galaxy of characters which composes our present general staff, and hence that British military phenomenon, a soldier of merit, elevated to the dignity of a subaltern's rank, conferred upon him without purchase, as a grateful testimony of having deserved well of bis country!! I wish it not to be understood that any of the above allusions are designed to be insidiously levelled at our illustrious commander in chief, or his personal military administration. No: the universal esteem and popularity which he has so deservedly acquired with the army, are a sufficient panegyric on his splendid talents, indefatigable attention, and paternal care for its prosperity and welfare.-The generous solicitude which he has so often manifested with a view of ameliorating the service is well knownmore fortunate would it have been for the interests of the country, had the administrative powers supported his exertions and done justice to his wise and enlightened operations. The discretionary powers which the high responsibility of his station indispensibly requires, in order to give a decisive effect to his measures, have been too often cramped and thwarted by the malignant influence of

ministerial interference. Surrounded by satellites, who industriously conceal, from his knowledge and observation, the accumulating abuses which have with such impunity crept in, and maintain their post with such daring effrontery in every branch of the military department, must necessarily account for the timid and temporising system lately pursued at the Horse Guards and in the War-office, which ought at this time most vigorously to co-operate, in order to reform the abandoned depravity of the present organization and economy hitherto practised. Let that be now cheerfully adopted and performed with a grace, which necessity will in no long space of time imperiously dictate. In order to preserve the constitution, before the vitals are assailed, let the corrupted members be amputated, or let the axe be applied to the root, and this flagrant unconstitutional abuse of military policy, the holding of commissions, by purchase, be abolished in our service; let that natural spring of emulation and heroic energy in armies begin to operate with us in its fullest pride: let the rewards of merit and veteran services be distributed with a liberal hand, and let our military youth, by a salutary course of gymnastic exercises, and of a preparatory education for the service, aspire to honour and fame, by a patriotic zeal and generous emulation to excel. Let effeminate novels, cards, and dice yield, or at least hold a secondary place with Saldern and Dundas- let our fashionable heroes learn to figure with as much ease and grace through the various positions and evolutions of a battalion or a squadron, as they can figure across a ball-room or down a country dance. Let them familiarise themselves to as much practice of the natural optic in the field, in order to acquire the important knowledge of the coup-d'œil-as they do in reconnoitring in the streets, with their operaglasses, the female loungers and demireps; then we should no longer with shame and contempt hear of officers marching at the head of a platoon under the majestic canopy of an umbrella, or dealing deaths around to every passenger they meet with the levelled tubes of their telescopes !- Let it not be imagined that our design is to rouse expectation by a few general declamatory observations: a long and elaborate detail of circumstances must be brought forward-truths will be preferred, the proximate causes of this pernicious evil will be minutely investigated and explained, and remedies proposed. It is our wish to convince the public that it is not by the dash of a diplomatic pen that a campaign is fought or a battle won—that it is not the deep mouthed artillery of the Trea

sury Bench which can destroy an invading hosi, nor the brilliant Phillippics of a fluctuating opposition that can stem the torrent which threathens to overwheltu us, or turn the keen edge of the hostile faulchion which is lifted up against us, that neither the nice and elaborate calculations of the budget, nor voluntary contributions, nor civic enrollments, nor armies of reserve, can work out the salvation of the country- that nothing can make the declining orbit of our military glory shine out with renovated lustre, and its half extinguished rays shorn of all their beauty, reflect once more the proud and luminous characters which decorate the venerable shrines of our immortal forefathers, but the complete abolition of holding commis sions by purchase, or at least regenerating the present disgraceful and corrupted system. VIRGINIUS.

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR, -The great struggle we are engaged in, against the unbounded ambition of a restless foe, appears to have operated with a few individuals, whose minds are, no doubt, so enervated as to make them forget the proud and generous character, which has ever distinguished Englishmen in the field of battle; and in their panic, they seem to wish to sacrifice the dignity they derive from the valour of their ancestors, and hold out the language of cowardice in recommending the barbarous maxim, of giving no quarters to the enemy, from a dread of seeing them enter their luxurious abodes, which they do not feel themselves disposed to defend. I beg therefore, to remind them, of the sentiments delivered by a Roman General, who lived in times not dissimilar to the present, and saw the capital of the world plundered, and committed to the torches of The destructive Gauls; but who never sullied the profession of arms, by such acts, as are recommended by these degenerated Britons to whom I allude.- -War, at best, said Camillus, "is a savage thing, and wades through a sea of violence and injustice, 66 yet even war itself has its laws, which men of honour will not depart from; nor, do they so pursue victory, as to avail "themselves of acts of villainy and base"ness."--What! will British soldiers debase themselves to execute that diabolical

decree, at which, even the blood-hounds of Robespierre shuddered?-No! they will to a man exclaim: "perish the thought," and prove, what they have ever been, terrible in battle, but generous in victory, and will hold in the same contempt, those men, who en

tertain such unmanly sentiments, with them who allowed the pride of this free nation to be trampled upon by the petulent ruler of France; and who, after having committed the honour of the empire, by their diploma. tic quibbles, dread the sight of their antago nist, conscious of their neglect in preparing to meet him in the field of battle, where all ill conducted negotiations are generally rati fied. Here creuds on my mind such a ca lamitous continuation of blunders in our po litical and military operations, that I cannot encompass them in the narrow limits of a letter, neither would it pernaps answer any good purpose to develope them in the present circumstances; but, Sir, will it be believed hereafter, that the present adminis tration, after having been forced, by pub. lic clamour to warn the nation of the approaching storm, after spending an entire session in framing confused bills, not yet understood, for the defence of all that is dear to Englishmen, who spontaneously turned out to meet the enemy, that they should be told at last, notwithstanding the numerous taxes they pay towards the defence of the empire, that there were no arms in the mili tary magazines, and that they must provide themselves in the best way they could, or apply to the Board of Ordnance for pikes, which were not resorted to, from a convic tion of their advantage when intermixed with muskets, but from an actual deficiency in the stores of Great Britain; on whom is the blame of so shameful a neglect to alight? Not on the Master General of the Ordnance, for he is president of the council, and notwithstanding he is an active man, and an experienced officer, cannot be supposed to at tend the council board, inspect the ordnance stores, and discharge the duty of a general officer commanding a district; allowing him ten hours in bed, the remaining fourteen can scarcely be sufficient to attend to such an immense weight of business; however, notwithstanding ail these disadvantages, it is to be hoped, the skill of the present pilot will weather the storm, and bring the ship to a safer anchorage than the late one.-Perhaps, also, when the self armed people have cleared the land of the disorders which threaten it, some good doctor will, with modest assurance, tell them, that it was bis pills, and not theirs, that purged the country, and restored it to health and vigour.- But, I con fess, Mr. Editor, that I have more confidence in the nature of Englishmen, and rely more on their good constitution than on the abili ties of the quacks, who administer their nauseous drugs in spite of the sufferers poor who seem to be sensible of the poison they