SOLDIEH. 



309 



only to those employed in carrying on the negro 

 slave-trade. If to these we add the violation of all 

 constitutional and legal barriers, in the conduct of 

 the governments towards the people, we shall have 

 enumerated but a part of the evil consequences of 

 these machines of tyranny. The invention of gun- 

 powder, in the fourteenth century, producing a 

 total change in the military art, had accelerated the 

 arrival of this state of things. The long practice 

 required to attain skill in the service of artillery, 

 and the complicated system of tactics which had 

 come into use since the introduction of fire-arms, 

 seemed to make standing armies indispensable. 

 The expensive equipment of armies demanded high 

 taxes, and the armies compelled the nations to bow 

 to the yoke of the Philips and Louises, to a Lou- 

 vois, and even to a Pompadour. The monarch dis- 

 posed of the property, and even of the children, of 

 his subjects. Heavily did this burden press upon 

 the continent of Europe when the French revolu- 

 tion began. In the wars which ensued, we all know 

 what the national armies of France achieved against 

 the numberless mercenaries of the other powers. 

 The conscription being introduced, made every 

 citizen liable to be drawn as a soldier. The estab- 

 lishment of the modern militia (of which we have 

 spoken under the article Militia) is one of the most 

 important changes in the history of national liberty, 

 as no means so effectually oblige a monarchical 

 government to yield to public opinion as an army 

 of citizens. A brilliant illustration of this truth 

 has been afforded, of late years, when some of the 

 most powerful governments of Europe, evidently 

 eager to make war against liberal principles, have 

 been, hitherto at least, prevented by the well- 

 known disinclination of their subjects. The idea 

 of maintaining a balance of power, wLich has cost 

 Europe rivers of blood, and has been made the pre- 

 text for every disturbance of peace and of the poli- 

 tical balance, must be considered as mainly a con- 

 sequence of the numerous standing armies ; and if 

 there existed no armies except those of a truly na- 

 tional character, men would think as little of mak- 

 ing war upon another state to diminish its dispro- 

 portioned power, as of compelling an equal division 

 of property among individuals. It had been the 

 policy of governments to render armies mere ma- 

 chines ; but they found, in the wars growing out 

 of the French revolution, that discipline and tactics 

 are by no means the only things which ensure vic- 

 tory. The morale, that is, spirit, moral *feeling, 

 enthusiasm, fanaticism, are even more important 

 than the physical power of an army and military 

 skill in those who conduct it. History affords 

 numerous instances of victories, won by troops ani- 

 mated by patriotism or religion, over much better 

 -organized and better commanded armies composed 

 of mercenaries. 



The class of soldiers is interesting, not only in a 

 historical and political, but also in a legal view. 

 Soldiers enjoy certain privileges in regard to the ; 

 making of wills (see Will), and the acquisition of 

 property during war (peculium castrense) ; for j 

 though the soldier may be yet under paternal power, } 

 he has the right of a pater families ; i. e. he may ' 

 dispose of his property in any way which he may j 

 choose. In some countries, he is not allowed to 

 be prejudiced by ignorance of law. J*n many coun- 

 tries, he is entitled to a trial on criminal charges 

 before a particular court; in England and United 

 States, however, only for military offences. What 

 Boldiers obtain by conquest is not theirs, but belongs j 



to their government, excepting a part of the mov- 

 able property, which is left to them. Public money 

 or military stores which are taken must be given up 

 to the public authorities. The laws of the differ- 

 ent armies, as to military offences, are too various 

 to be stated here, particularly as they vary much 

 with the degree of civilization, and the character or 

 the troops. 



We shall now speak of the history of tactics. 

 Whether an army is actuated by an enthusiastic 

 patriotism, or any other noble feeling, or by a mere 

 thirst for booty, it remains, to a certain degree, a 

 machine, of which the parts must move in obe- 

 dience to a directing intelligence ; and in proportion 

 as this understanding exerts a more complete sway 

 over the great machine, composed of so many in- 

 dividuals, all differing morally and physically, the 

 organization of the army approaches perfection. 

 What we have said of the great importance of the 

 moral character of an army, will show that we do 

 not consider modern wars as merely the operation 

 of two machines set against each other, and as de- 

 cided simply by the skill of the commanders a 

 common mistake among persons ignorant of the na- 

 ture of warfare. In the history of European armies 

 and tactics we may distinguish five periods : viz. of 

 the Roman legions, of the Teutonic feudal armies, 

 of the invention of gunpowder, of the school of 

 generals in the time of Louis XIV., and of the 

 school of the French revolution. 



I. The Romans were but very imperfectly ac- 

 quainted with the modern system of deciding the 

 fate of battles by preparatory movements, in which 

 the hostile forces are sometimes occupied for months 

 before meeting. They used neither magazines nor 

 arsenals, nor artfully concealed their plans of ope- 

 ration. Caesar, while in Gaul, made marches of 

 thirty-seven miles in twenty-four hours. In the 

 battles, the struggle of the line decided the victory. 

 Till the time of Scipio Africanus, who first used 

 foreign mercenaries as auxiliary cavalry (Numidians, 

 Spaniards, &c.), the Roman armies consisted of 

 Roman citizens or allies. On the Campus Martins 

 the legions were formed of men both married and 

 unmarried, from seventeen to forty-six and fifty 

 years of age : no one was exempted except those 

 who had made twenty campaigns. Before every 

 war, as no standing arjny existed, the new legions 

 were arranged according to their physical and moral 

 qualities by the military tribunes. The younger 

 and poorer were taken for velites, a kind of light 

 troops (the archers and slingers were foreigners). 

 Then the hastati were selected : these corresponded 

 to the companies in the centre of our regiments of 

 the line. Then followed the principes ; then the 

 triarii; and last the equites. The strength and 

 composition of the various species of troops in the 

 legions varied. Each legion constituted a small 

 army of from 4000 to 6000 men, including all kinds 

 of troops, workmen, utensils and ammunition. The 

 cavalry constituted but the twentieth part of the 

 legion, comprising only two or three hundred horse- 

 men, who also fought on foot. The strength of 

 armies consisted of infantry. A consular army 

 never included more than 18,600 men, of which 

 number 1800 were cavalry. In times of danger, 

 several armies were united. The Roman forces at 

 Cannae included four such bodies as above described, 

 since it amounted to about 80,000 men. A cohort 

 was a company of from 400 to 600 men. The 

 arms, defensive and offensive, differed according to 

 the kinds of the soldiers. A Roman warrior on t'i 



