Now, a volunteer corps can only be held together by the two following principles:--first, a strong sense of public and patriotic duty; and, secondly, an acute feeling of Honour, and the Pride of belonging to a really distinguished arm of the service--a bona fide _corps d'élite_. Whenever war breaks out, we know, and we feel the most hearty satisfaction in knowing, that in every corner of the land--save, perhaps, in the murky dens of misery, discontent, and degeneracy abounding in our manufacturing towns--thousands of British hearts will beat with a tenfold warmer glow than heretofore, and will burn to give forth their best blood for the services of their country. Let but the most distant intimation of foreign invasion be given, and hundreds of thousands of brave and generous defenders of their beloved native land will instantly step forth. But we would say that, if the defence of the country from invasion be really desirable, it is not sufficient that the _will_ to defend it be forthcoming at the proper moment--the _knowledge how to do it_, the _preparatory training_, the _formation of military habits_,--always a matter of slow growth,--the _previous organisation of the defenders themselves_, is much more important. In short, to keep the country safe from foreign invasion, (we do not allude to the naval strength of the country, which, after all, may prove abundantly sufficient for the purpose,) to take away from a foreign enemy even the spirit to dare an invasion, the previous formation, the constant maintenance of an efficient volunteer force must necessarily be of great value. The expediency of this will be heightened by the consideration that it may, at any time, even of the most profound peace in Europe, be found necessary suddenly to detach a large portion of the regular army for the defence of our numerous colonial possessions, or that disturbances among our manufacturing population at home may require a sudden augmentation of the armed force of the country. In either of these emergencies, the existence of a considerable body of armed men who, though perhaps not equalling the regulars in _precision_ of discipline and evolution, might yet be in far better training than the militia, _and who should be kept so at no expense to the government_, would evidently be of great value to the whole community.