'Flashes of Light.' CHAPTER XII. Our Army not large enough, either for Home Defence or to guard our Foreign Possessions-The Sepoy Mutiny caused by the Smallness of the European Force then in India-Men and Guns the only real Argument in War-What we have is ours only so long as we can defend it-The Horrors of War little known- Now described-What Soldiers do for the State and their Reward-They are Cheap as an Insurance, but they cannot be manufactured in a day- Reductions would therefore be Impolitic and Dangerous-Probable Price we should have to Pay if Invaded and Conquered-As we cannot rely on the Forbearance of Nations, we should always be Prepared-When a Nation reaches the Zenith of its Greatness it is in Danger - How Decay begins; Patriots too Succumb-We should avoid Apathy and Indolence by Training for War-The Sad Example of Sedan again held forth to warn us. Edward Hine's EDWARD HINE, in a pamphlet called Flashes of Light' (pages 74 and 75), recommends that every man in Great Britain should be made an artillerist and that school-boys should be drilled. This we read years after all our suggestions had been written; for the Author published the basis of this analysis in the 'Weekly Englishman,' in the year 1861, and his remarks on artillery were prominently brought forward in the 'Pioneer' (as before stated in this work) in 1869 and 1870. We Our army not cannot think with Mr. Hine that we are justified in assuming that 20,000 of us are equal to 2,000,000 large enough. TROOPS FOR FOREIGN POSSESSIONS 273 of any other nation-even though we were proved to be 'Israel.' The army we have is not large enough, even now, for what it is expected to protect, and to enfeeble it would simply be to invite an attack. Would it be safe to keep the 'Koh-i-Noor' in a crystal bottle, without a guard, in the centre of a London street? Would you expose the wealth of our metropolis to be carried off by the inroads of countless hordes backed up by ponderous cannon -people who would admit of no law but that of Thrasymachus (Republic of Plato) namely that Thrasymachus. The just is nothing else but what is expedient for the strongest'? We have no right to suppose that one nation is so much superior to another that 1,000 of its soldiers could defeat 100,000 others— real soldiers, be it understood, not wild savages or an undisciplined mob. God helps those who help themselves,' said the magnanimous Sir Henry Lawrence, and there is sound truth in that good man's words. It is all very well for those who People who live at home in safety surrounded by millions of strong men, to counsel the reduction of the army; but have they for a moment considered what could be done if we found ourselves suddenly dragged into war? Again, those who have to guard our foreign foreign possessions must not be exposed to unnecessary live at ease. Troops for possessions. Cause of the rebellion of the dangers. The smallness of the force of Europeans in India, before the mutiny of 1857, was the 1857. T Sepoys in Sepoys' ideas! Massacre the result. good argu ments. real reason why the Sepoys rose against us. Their priests excited them on matters of religion, and persuaded them they could easily master us and get the country to themselves. They said, There is no reason to fight these Europeans: if each one of you just take a mere handful of earth and throw it down, we can bury their small numbers under the heap.' Our wives and little children were butchered, and are we to be so mad, so utterly insane, as to tempt these fanatics again to rise and destroy us? ‘Israel,' or not Israel,' we should not then save our beloved ones by accepting Mr. Hine's views; we The only real should want cannons, men, and rifles,-the only arguments that can be used when war or rebellion breaks out. What said Napoleon? Master of the Channel for a few days, 150,000 men will embark in the 10,000 vessels which are there (at Boulogne) assembled, and the expedition is concluded.'1 All hope of this, however, was lost by the action off Cape Finisterre, when Napoleon said to his private secretary, Dara, Villeneuve, instead of entering the Channel, has taken refuge in Ferrol.' Knowing the vast preparations made for the invasion of England by Napoleon we may well ask where we should have been if we had not gained that victory. The instant he heard of the loss off Finisterre, Napoleon (without Napoleon on the invasion of England. What an escape! Napoleon's wonderful Alison, vol. vi. pp. 36, 37. for Austerlitz a moment's hesitation, or even stopping to con- preparations sider) 'dictated at once the plan of the cam- at once. paign of Austerlitz; and for the simultaneous departure of all the corps from Hanover and Holland to the south and west of France.'1 While we have neighbours who are so powerful, we should Powerful neighbours. be careful to avoid anything like an invitation to attack us; the temptation would be great if they saw us with reduced forces and unable to defend ourselves. What we have is ours only so long as our army and navy are strong. Let these be cut down and the enormous wealth of Great Britain would be but poorly defended, for the chief safeguard would be withdrawn-the fear of the consequences of a defeat. 2 Indigo We remember how a poor Indigo planter was The poor told, by some agent in Calcutta, in 1857, that 'it planter. was his duty to have remained at his factory.' Now this was after the magistrate of the district had told all the planters to take refuge in the stations held by British troops, because the Government could not spare troops for the protection of factories. It was very easy for the agent in Calcutta, in his office chair, and with his feeling of security, to dictate such an opinion to a poor fellow who was hardly out of the factory a few minutes, before a troop of rebel cavalry 1 Alison, vol. vi. p. 40. 2 The Author's own brother. Wonderful escape. Miseries of war not known. Money for troops is not lost. galloped in and asked for the master. This master and mistress, gentleman and his wife drove off by a country The speech of for the shadow.' to Alexander. said to Alexander, The words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thou art the robber in the world,' and a pirate said, 'But |