Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. 3 (of 4).—1874-1892Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)
History
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. 3 (of 4).—1874-1892
Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)
Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901 -- Humor
2. If any regulation exists preventing soldiers in uniform from
appearing in the better seats of places of entertainment, the rule in
question must be immediately abolished.
In conclusion, Field-Marshal _Punch_ is strongly of opinion that
recruiting will continue to remain slack until the difference existing
between the social conditions of the British Soldier in the present,
and the Negro Slave in the past, is thoroughly understood and admitted
by the public in general, and the people to whom this circular is
addressed in particular. It must be remembered in future that the
Livery of Her Majesty is worn by warriors, and not by flunkeys.
[Sidenote: _Mismanagement at Reviews_]
The remonstrance was well needed, though many years were to elapse
before the second of these orders was acted on. Yet if _Punch_ had
little mercy on those who imagined that _all_ soldiers were "brutal
and licentious," he had no compassion on those who disgraced their
uniform. In the controversy which arose in 1880 between Dr. W. H.
Russell and Sir Garnet Wolseley over alleged breaches of discipline
among our troops during the Zulu campaign, _Punch_ held that the
war correspondent's was a "true bill," and actually advocated the
reintroduction of flogging in the Army for "exceptional cases of
brutality which degrade the soldier to the level of the garrotter or
the wife-beater."
The allusions to the Volunteer Review in the Great Park at Windsor
in July, 1881, dwell chiefly on the habitual neglect and lack of
consideration meted out to the Army on these occasions:--
HOW TO TREAT THE ARMY
Select the hottest day you can possibly find for a perfectly useless
sham fight and send the men out with the heaviest, clumsiest, most
antiquated, and unseasonable headgear. When a few of them perish, as
a matter of course, of sunstroke, express the utmost astonishment
that anybody can die from such a cause in such perfect uniform in a
temperate climate.
HOW TO TREAT THE VOLUNTEERS
Encourage fifty thousand men to attend a Review, and then tell them
coolly that your military organization is quite unequal to the task
of giving them a day's food.... As they are nearly all respectable
middle-class members of Society, give them a shilling apiece to take
care of themselves, and trust to their decency not to abuse such
extraordinary liberality.
_Punch_ gave credit to the Duke of Cambridge for his efforts to improve
the amenities of barrack life, but came down heavily on him for
opposing the introduction, when the late Duke of Devonshire was at the
War Office, of neutral-tinted uniforms on active service. The Duke of
Cambridge thought it a good thing for a soldier that, when in action,
he should be visible, and _Punch_ dealt faithfully with this ducal
ineptitude:--
"THE THIN RED LINE"
(Horse Guards Duo.)
Pro.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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