Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

SYDNEY, WEDNESDAY, APRTL 8, 1808.
A GREAT day in Sydney was the nineteenth of
January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty
one. Some twenty-five thousand of the in-
habitants had assembled in the Doma'tD, to
witness the first general review of the Kew
South Wales Volunteers. Nearly fourteen
hundred men, of all arms, mustered on the
occasion-"nfanlry, cavalry, and artillery.
Those who witnessed the spectacle cannot yet
have forgotten the enthusiasm that prevailed.
It extended to all classes of society, and the
ridicule tbat had attached, to the previous
abortive attempt to form a Volunteer Corps, was
: absolutely killed out by the brilliant success of
that day.- Volunteering assumed a new ch iritc
ter. It was not now regarded as a means of
display, a thing of mere show and glitter; but
it WQB looked upon as a practical step towards
a general system of defenoe against foreign
invasion. Whatever may be thought . of ¿he
motives of some who enrolled themselves then,
viewing those motives by tho . light of subse-
quent events, it ought never to be forgotten, that
at that time there were strong reasons for fear-
ing the outbreak of war, and that hundreds of
spirited young men offered to bear arms, and
subject themselves, if need be, to martial law,
for the defence of their homes and country.
Loud-and hearty were the congratulations on al]
sides when Sir WILLIAM DENISON had compli.
monted the citizen troops and concluded the
review. Friends of the Volunteers were proud
of their acquaintance, and many a warm grasp
and kindly greeting passed between them.
Barely has suoh a scene been witnessed in the
Domain. Penrith and the Hunter distriot had
seat their levies to swell the ranks, and the
Sydney Volunteers vied with eaoh other in
expressions and acts of hospitality
towards their visitors. Not a doubt
was whispered of the absolute success of
the movement, and it was confidently
predicted that in two years the Volunteer force
¡would master an army of five thousand men.
j Alas for human predictions ! . But little more
iban two years have passed, and tbe Volunteers
appear to be as thoroughly beaten as if they had
engaged a French division in the field. The
cavalry is annihilated. The mounted
rifles no longer, obey the sound of the
trumpet, and the Sydney Light Horse
never got further than a pattern uniform, which
WBB exhibited in the streets by ono solitary
hussar, who appears to have either deserted or
been taken prisoner. . The artillery after attain-
ing very, considerable proficiency, seem to have
grown tired of the labour of hauling about
"those vile guns." The rifles, like a few
I earnest spirits in the artillery, are making spas-
modic attempts to exist, but conld not master
tour, hundred men, to form nn encampment.
The latest exhibitions in the Domain, on field
days, have been moot melancholy. If e stranger
who had witnessed the martial and enthusiastic
display of January, 1801, were to. return and
attend an inspection now-a-days, he would come
to the conclusion that the-country bad been
invaded by an overwhelming force, and
that . be saw before him the mourn-
ful relias of devastating war. The
fact is, howevor, that peace, combined
with other causes, is killing the Volunteers. It
is because wo regret this rapid decay of a move-
ment we had done so much to promote, that we
I desire'now to call prominent attention to the
subj cot, in the hope that something may yet be
done to save the Volunteers, and to perpetuate:
the martial spirit and generous impulses which
called the force into existence.
Many reasons may be assigned for the falling
off that is too painfully apparent. No doubt
sharp war, and the continuous tidings of valiant
deeds by British fleets and armieB, would have
done much towards keeping up the Volunteering
spirit, even if our citizen soldiers had not been
called upon to resist an enemy. Happily, we
have BB yet been spared this calamity ; but there
are' strong indications. of i'.s ultimate arrival.
The more need, then, is there to seok
oat and endeavour to eradicate those evils,
abuses, or defects ol any k'nr?, which ore militat-
ing against the success ot the Volunteer force
There oan bo no question that the mode of select-
ing office» bas caused considerable jealousy.
The h fluence of scclal position, and even of
money, is said to have been allowed far more
weight than military efficiency. Tho very
etaence of 'Volunteering is perfect fraternity)
without; however, forgetting discipline. The
freemason knows hoir to draw a
distinction between.' the brotherhood of the
craft and the respect due to officers in lodgo. We
fear that the Volunteers have not all done this,
and that many who have shouldered their rifles
in the ranks, have felt it a hardship to rub shoul-
ders with their right hand or left hand mon.
Thus the rank of officer became subject to the
most keen and eager competition, the longest
purse often winning the day. Captains were ex-
pected to give picnics and other entertainments j
and lieutenants were not much respected if they
did not follow suit. Very early the influences of
jealousy on one hand, and a domineering spirit
on the other, gave rise to ill blood. Resigna
[ tions began to pour in. The assumption of the
general command by a military officer of ex-
tremely despotic bearing, by no means tended
to heal the ' sores that were breaking
out in the system.' Remembering that,
in the event of hostilities with a foreign j
, power, they were Hablo to be virtually' ;
incorporated into the regular army, the Volun- {
Steers shrank from the prospect of submiting to
the absolute control of their Inspecting Field
Officer. They had had some experience of courts
¡of inquiry presided over by their" own magnates/
and had no desire to become acquainted with the
proceedings of oourts ' martiaV A commander
Tiding amongst the crowd and on the outskirts
of the field on an inspection . day, and
only ' sending his lordly ' commands by
attendant aides-de-camp, until it should please
himself to prance before the line after the
manner of a Field Marshal at ASTLEÏ'S amphi-
theatre, was not exactly agreeable (o tha feelings
of educeted, well-bred, and spirited young man.
They felt that, however ridiculous might be the"
exhibition they witnetsed, they became them-
selves more jidioulous by submitting to it. All'
these things have had their effects, and tho con-
sequence' is, that many regard tho Volunteer
movement as nearly at its last gasp. - :
It might indeed be so if the evils of which
tVe Volunteers do not scruple to complain in
private, were still allowed to be smothered np."
That is not the way to effect a cure, whioh 'can
only be brought about by a candid exposure of
the case, and an earnest desire to ¡overeóme the
obstaclés tb success. ' We should assuredly
regard the''extinction of the Volunteers - SB a
public misfortune, and we hold that, with a little
energy, self-command, and forbearance amongst
themselves, such an evil may be averted. As to
the selection of officers, it is perhaps too la'e to
remedy that now. If in the outset, it had been
resolved that the-rank of officer should be con-
ceded by general consent only to meritorious
non commissioned officers of the army
who wëro allowed to < join ? the
corps, and that the civilians' would
be proud to consider" a private station" in the
ranks' as " the post of honour/' much bitter-
ness would have beta avoided. Tho principal
command might a'so, in time of peace,'have
been most fittingly conferred upon a Volunteer.
We trust that officers and'men will take these
remarks in good parr, and consult with eaah
other rpeodily us to the best means of reviving
the ardour that has now sunk to so low en ebb.
The Queen's1 birthday is approaching. A good
understanding in the meantime, an intelligent'
programme of reform, and the mo3t strenuous'
efforts to collect a large:'force of . Volunteers '
from all parts td attend a general review on that
day, rmy do much to further the cause we"
advocate.. No one knows how: soon we . may
have reason for regret, if we lose the aid of the
thousand bayonets that glittered in the-sun but
two years ago. r. . . '
THKRE can be no doubt a« to' the" practical utllf y':
of a Meehan cs' Institute/and the success'¿f such:
institutions must be regarded as a matter of
considerable moment. The necessities .of the
present day rcqnire them, and in fact no town
can be considered oomph ti without one. We are
glad to see that these humble universities are
growing up in the various town shipB of the in-
terior, for it is a sure sign of social well-being and
prosperity. There are many questions which invite
discussion in connection with this subject, but
the most ... important is undoubtedly
the question of management. Ought ' the
management to be plaeed wholly or partially in
the hands of mechanics, or should they be
altogether excluded from the management ? We
believe that the way in which this question is
answered has more to do with the success of
these institutes than anything else whatever.
The point ls argued at some length in the last
number of the Quarterly Beview, and the con-
clusions to which the writer has come are favour-
able to (he present system. The, history1 of all
these institutes is the same. They all begin
in professed zeal for the welfare of a special class,
and they : all end in leaving the. special
class entirely out of their calculations. The
reBult is, we suppose, unavoidable. A
Mechanics' Institute requires considerable funds
to start.it ¿nd support it; and the funds re-
quired are beyond the abilities of meohanics.
The wealthy classes step into their relief, but il
they come es friends, they end as conquerors.
They save the inhabitants from , the incursions
ot barbarian creditors, and then settle down in
lasting possession of the soil. They either take
the, management into their own hands, ortho
mechanics reluctantly, retire from fields they
can no longer call their own. A.great deal is
said about the blessing of unitiug the various
classes and reconciling the inhabitants of social
antipodes. No one can deny that it is a
very grand moral spectacle to see a
mechanic and a millionaire sitting on the same
hard bench, ; and listening t to the same dry
lecture. But it .is questionable whether this
social amalgamation 'zeally does take place, even
in the halls of. Mechanics' Institutes. It is
questionable whether the two classes are evor1
found in free and easy communion, forgetting
sooial distinctions in the ardour of intellectual:
pursuits. For while the artisan class may learn'
muoh from tho lectures and libraries prepared'
for them, the'better educated have passed
beyond the pointât which such instruction can
be useful or desirable. It conies to this-that
the one class attends to learn, while the. other
clasB attends to patronise. The theory of social
amalgamation: is a delusive ons. It mistakes
patronage for.fraternity. And the result of this
patronage is invariably to keep at a distance, if
not to repel, those whom it is intended to benefit.
No man, and no class of men, can fail to be
conscious of social inequality.: No man who is
b'eued with any share of self-respeot can ever
forget it. The class of mechanics is pre-
eminently distinguished by the self respect of its
members, and their instinctive repugnance to the
charity of patronage. It is solely from motives
of this kind that they withdraw from a society
which they would otherwise zealously support.
They find themselves shut out from aDy. share
in tho management, and they have no relish for
! singing a perpetual chorusI to other people's
? songs. This has been found to be an almoBt
invariable result. It must bo considered a
most deplorable evil, when wo consider that it
is precisely these men for whom the institute
is founded. Is it not possible to. mitigate, if not
to abolish the evil? If it is not de-
sirable that the management should
be entirely entrusted to .mechanics, can
it not be partially entrusted to them? Are
none of them worthy to share in the delibera-
tions of the committee? Must they be regarded
simply as boys in a school, whose welfare must
be looked after by a schoolmaster, and who have
no voice in any regulations be may see fit to
provide ?. Short as thé history , of the recently
founded institute at Newtown is, we believe it
has already 'shown¡ the evil effects that may
ensue' from' injudicious pá'ronage. It must be
admitted - that the assistance of tho upperten
dom is necessary tb the success of these
institutions But (Surely this assistance can
be granted on moderate conditions. It
is not necessary to exact in return the whole and
undivided control of the affair; Yet experience do
moúBtratesthat assistance is never granted on any
otherterms. The wealthy will notgivetheir money
without getting something for it, and as they,
cannot'get interest, they take power.'. This can-
not be regarded as entirely in accordance with
the fitness of things, however natural it may ap-
pear. If those who come forward in the causa,
of Mechanics' Institutes could be induced
to content themselves with doing good,
they would double the value of ,he
ibenefits they cDDfer. They might exhibit
the Barrie unselfish benevolence that was shown
by the ' philanthropists who formed themselves;
into a society for the purpose of obtaining public
play-grounds for the poor children in London.
'These gentlemen satisfied themselves with pro-
curing the ploy-grounds, and looking over the
fence at the enjoyments of the boys. They did
not insist on setting up their own stumps, and
taking by far the largest share of tho ground to
themselves.- Yet this is what takes place in the
mechanics' play-ground ; and it is a poor solace
to talk about the moral beauty of social
fraternity. '
: ? Wé believe that statistical returns are not very
favourable with regard to the proportion of aclu il
mechanics in attendan t at Mechanics'Insti-
tutes. Mt must be borne in mind that it was for
the especial benefit of this class that these un-
dertakings were intended.- There is no other
claiawhich so urgently require?, or which can
dérive greater benefit from such institutions.
If, then, we wish tb ascertain trie real amount of
success which any institute bas achieved, we
must 'look, , not at the total ' number in
attendance, . but at the total humber of
mechanics in attendance. This is the test
and token of legitimate' success.1 While it may
be. easy to point out: institutes whose halls are
crowded with eager students, it may be difficult
to point out one whose halla can boast or any
number, of mechanics.1; What becomes of this
class, if they aro not attracted to the reading
room or the lecture hall? ' They retire to scenes
where,' if they- do not get instruction, they at
least obtain pleasure : scenes which, it is. the
main object: of the institute to deprive of their
injurious attractions. The reviewer - we have
quoted- suggests that the genera', if not
universal,. : , habit of smoking should be
recognised,- ip these societies, and that a room
should be provided m which: men who wish to
smoke may do so without annoying others.
Such a suggestion seems rather below the gravity
o(, the occasion, but; no one can doubt-that mat-
tera pf this kind, have a very serious influenoe.
and that they ought not to be altogether ignored
The\proBperity of an institute depends largely/
in our ¡opinion» on the existence of its Discus,
sion class.. , -There-certainly could not be a
greater folly; than to êxclud a suoh an element of
success. ; It Js ur. necessary to dilate on the
exceUeat results which flow from the intellectual
'tournament.! On all-sides it is admitted that
there can be no better training for undeveloped
intellects than that of the debating room, and it
is also admitted that a far more lively interest is
shown in debates, than io lectures. There is
nothing to which the management of an insti-
tute could better devote its attention that) to the
fostering and encouragement of Debate.
$