There are men at the head of our cavalry
forces who can scarcely hold themselves on horseback; there are others
commanding divisions and even corps-d'armee who know all about bridges,
pontoons, artillery, and so forth, but who could no more execute a
regularly organized retreat or advance than a child. The theory is that
their dash and courage, their reckless, happy-go-lucky, but frequently
successful African system, will make up for their ignorance of tactics
and strategy. Naturally this is an implied rather than an expressed
opinion, for many of those favourites believe themselves to be the
equals in these latter sciences of Jomini and Napoleon, perhaps of
Moltke also. Do not misunderstand me; there are a number of officers in
the French army who have made a careful study of the science of war, and
who, in that respect, would favourably compare with an equal number of
the best instructed German officers, but they have by this time resigned
themselves to keep in the background, because any attempt on their part
to raise the standard of military knowledge has for years been
systematically discountenanced by those nearest to the throne. On the
other hand, the men thus kept at arm's length have not been altogether
satisfied to suffer in silence. I do not mean to say that they have
given vent to their grievances openly; they have done worse, perhaps,
from the point of view of maintaining the discipline of the army. They
have adopted a semi-critical, semi-hostile attitude towards their
superiors. The officers' mess, such as it exists in England, is
virtually unknown on the Continent, and least of all in France. The
unmarried officer takes his daily meals at the table d'hote of an hotel,
and he does talk 'shop' now and then in the presence of civilians. The
criticisms he utters do find their way to the barrack-room, so that by
now the private has become sceptical with regard to the capabilities of
the generals and marshals. The soldier who begins to question the
fitness of his chiefs is like the priest who begins to question the
infallibility of the pope; he is a danger to the institution to which he
belongs."

In reality, my informant told me little that was new, though he perhaps
did not suspect that I was so well informed. I had heard most of all
this, and a great deal besides, from a connection of mine by marriage,
whose strictures in the same direction came with additional force,
seeing that he was a frequent and welcom