A COMMUNARD'S PRAISE OF ENGLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XX, Issue 2, 3 January 1885, Page 4

A COMMUNARD'S PRAISE OF ENGLAND.

Jules Valles, a Communist of some note, who has beeu resident ior a long time in England, has published a rather remarkable article in a paper called the Martin Francaise, bidding both German and French beware " how they tread on the lion's tail." Political pariah as he is, aud exaggerated as are some of the sentences we quote below, Valles has to infuse into his article more common sense than all the Paris journalists can boast between them. He candidly admits that his countrymen do not love the EnglUh, aud proceeds : — 'The English in perfect good faith despise us for our carelessness, our keen enjoyment of ridicule, while they dread the quixotism which breaks out in heroism or in revolution. They regard us as alternately as apes and tigers. Perhaps they would fly at each other's throats if the diplomatic buffer wor« not timely iuterposed and revolution oceassioually interfered. But matters have not come to such a pass. The newspaper war that deafons us just uow does not portend the roaring of artillery. But should chance causa the mine to explode, the English would be on a war footiug quite as soon as we would.

" People say that England has «i Navy, but no Army. It is true that she does not pen in barracks half a million of idlers with nothing to do but to pipeclay their belts, whilst the taxpayers are starved to feed them. But at the first summons a huge multitude would start up calling fjr arms, and well able to wield them. The whole of the M ilitia and Volunteers would rally round the Union Jack. In that country, where no man is compelled to be a soldier, soldiers would spring out from the ground. And why ? Because, without being eaten up by the conscription, which devours five years out of his life, without being subjected to an iron discipline, every man who is able to buy a rifle has a right to have one, and because every man who has a rifle submits to be drilled, and frequents ihe ranges and learns how to manoeuvre and how to shoot. Let but the hour of danger strike, and all these peeple can be mobilised and hold their own in f.C ion. They might guard the coasts, or even incorporate with tho regulars, and, supported by the countless guus that are cast at Woolwich, they would hold their positions by the side of seasoned troops, and right well would they hold. lam not oue of those who deride the British army. We are a loog way off from the Crimean campaign, where our neigh bors showed uot only bravery, but died like flies, while the puny French weathered the climate, fever, and famine. The lesson was not thrown away upon them, and they now know how to shift for themselves. Misery would act hs recruiting sergeant at the door of every public house, and starvelings would eagerly press to take the Queen's shilling, which might expand into a guinea, or possibly into a five pound note. We have in France millions of small people who own their own house or a bit of land, or have money in the funds, whom the slightest disturbance drives wild wilh fright, aud who are quite prepared to sell to the enemy the produce of their orchard or dairy if he is prepared to pay for it — nay, who would sell their town itself to secure for their dwelling an immunity from shell, and their persons or purse from a scratch of the enemy's sword.

"In Englaad people are, as a rule, ridiculously rich or absurdly poor. The absurdly poor form the bulk of the country, and thcy will serve her well. Those barefooted vagabonds suddenly provided with shoes, those starvelings provided with regular meals, those thirsty souls whom their pay or the plunder after a victory will euable to slake their unquenchable thirst will, once they wear scarlet, form an innumerable horde, and will fight and die at the word of command like a herd of Moslems. The honor of the flag will be their fortune, will become the great aim of life for those regenerated outcasts. Out of (hat aim an ideal will fermert, and arise, and twinkle liko a star. Dumanent (the French Tommy Atkius), who, ou his hard camp bed, recollects his cosy couch at home, ancl, mindful of the future when he is an old man, will find these stout, redbearded fellow.-', who have nothing to look back to, and less to look forward to, very tough customers to deal with. For that reason alone a thinking man would view a war with England with quite as much apprehension as a renewal of a duel with Germ-iny. Behind the i'-on Chancellor there stands Socialism, ever tracked and pirrsued,but ever menacing, and at whose bidding regiments may lay down their arms. The people in the ranks may shako hands with the people out of the ranks over the corpses of slaughtered Generals. Let people at Vaizin not- laugh at thi*. It might be that Chauvinism wi 1 perish thus. But in England, where centuries must pass before thero is a prospect of expropriation, nothing of tho kind is to be feared. In England battalions will not go over and put up the butt ends of their muskets in token of surrender. Tho officers, quiet and impassive, will give tbe word of command without uttering a cry if they are wounded. Without exulting, they mingle unperceived with the crowd. In London no clatteriug of sabres is heard along the streets. In England the drum sounds only to give orders when danger is at hand. Beware of that silent race who raise their voice only above the roar of the cannon and put on their red coats only to celebrate 1 1 fete ail, sang."

Flies, and Bugs,— Beetles, insects, roaches, ants, bed-bugs, rats, mice, gophers, chipmunks cleared out by " Rough on Rats. " Kempthorne, Prosser & Co., Agents, Christchurch. Good Words — From Good Authority. — * * * We confess that we are perfectly amazed at the run of your Hop Bitters. We never had anything like it, and never heard of the like. The writer (Benton) has been selling drugs here nearly thirty years, and has seen the rise of Hostetter's Vinegar and all other bitters and patent medicines, but never did any of them, in their best days, begin to have the run that Hop Bitters have * * We can't get enough of them. We are out of them, half the time. * * Ex-