UNKNOWN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 148, 8 December 1870, Page 7

UNKNOWN.

In replying to the loSlof his health at a bauquet given to hggby l;ue p01'"p 01 '" poration of Elgin, Mo||y.s:iire, Scotland, on the lOfcli St;||bmber, Mr. Low made the follovvinglggnarks :—: — " Aud now, trentleinenaMM^ll venture to take a little uSjpflheerfiil view of the subject, and- pSSt out one or two matters in whicUß think we may see that tliis Avar ra& been of service to us. There isHSfthing so evil but what good can WBfcpected from it. One lesson to^^Bgaiiibd^ which I. think comes home|||||e;u > l;"*of every Scotchman, is the tMiorraous ad-vaiu-e of popular education^ I will not g go into this subject, it would. bo ' IU^P vidious at this time if 1 were to do S( e|j but only see what Prussia has r( - a J^fe done. Ido nut speak of her militi|||i! achievements, but look at the intefl^geuce, the organization, the docilityVLook, for iikstineo, at the cr.ivful way in which the service of scouting, of ascertaining the presence of i ho enemy, is performed. Look at t!ie extraordinary knowledge which lias been obtained of the movements uf the enemy, such as has never been done in any former war. Look at the fore-\' cast, look at the diligence which lias been displayed. It is said that education tends to make people soft ami effeminate, and less fit for the rough business of war, but see how those men have been borne down by regiments, by the most terrible instruments of war, without flinching or going back an inch. So far Prussia has succeeded, I think, in showing the value of a superior system of popular education; the same thing applies to the superior ranks, officers and generals, of the Prussian army ; therefore this is so far satisfactory, because it shows that it is not true, as has often been said, that war is a trade in which those shine most who are the most brutalised and the least cultivated meu. It appears to me when civilised men do take up this dreadful business from adequate motives they can conduct it as well as the fiercest savages, if not better. There is another lesson or consequence still more agreeable. What we have been witnessing is the destruction of a most gallant standiug army by what is not a standing army, but an armed nation, and that not altogether by the superior qualities of men, but by the enormous preponderance of numbers which the fact of their being an armed- nation has given them. I think I hear in that the knell of standing armies, many of the large standing armies of the Continent. If they cannot protect the nation against war with such a country as Prussia, whose troops have to be called from the counter, the loom, and the plough, of what use are they ? It seems to me that any nation that wishes to be protected against invasion and against destruction must not only rely on a standing army, if for no other reason than because its numbers are necessarily limited, but ifc must put arms in the hands of the people and trust to them as Prussia trusts for the defence of their own laud. If that be so, see the blessed results which will follow from it. One is freedom. A nation which is armed, and on whose auswer to the call depends the safety of the country, must necessarily be a nation of free men. They will be armed, and their Sovereign must govern in accordance with their wishes, or he will not get their support when he gets involved in difficulty. It seems to me that, this is a return to the sorb of rude liberty enjoyed in the Middle Ages, when the King was kept in order by the fact that all his subjects had arms in their hands and would not suffer themselves to be oppressed beyond a certain limit. Then there is another good effect, and that is that such an organisation is mainly useful for defensive war. Had not bhe heart of the Prussian nation been in this war it would have been vain to expect from it the extraordinary efforts it has made, and it would have been impossible for the pooplo to assemble in so wonderfully short a time. If the people are to bo consulted, the people will only fight when they see it to be their interest, and I think they will only see it Lo be for their interest when it is for the sacred idea of protecting their common country. Whatever may be the end of this contest, it must be evident to all that Prussia entered upon it with no desire to acquire territory, but merely to defend herself from invasion. These tilings seem full of promiso for the future, they seem to promise more enlarged freedom in the future than exists at present, they seem to hold out fair promise, if not for universal peace, at least for the prevention of such wars as this we are now witnessing. If Kings must rest upon their people, if they must depend upon them and not upon hired soldiers they must govern according to the will of their people. If that be so, these things may compensate for a- great deal of the bloodshed and horror we have seen. Now, gentleman, I havo to apologise for trespassing at too great a length on your time (applause); but I have endeavoured to the best of my ability to Jay before you the present state of affairs. I think it ought to be satisfactory to yqu to learn that there is no reason to doubt that we entertain no apprehension of beiundrawn into this struggle, and, as far as we are concerned, no effort shall be wanting on our part to keep you clear of ife. (Applause)