JB/109/280/001

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1829 Jan 31.
Constitutional Code Collectanea
Ch. X — Defensive Force
4

so much more powerful than herself, we doubt if she could
adopt a better military system. It is forced upon her, but
its defects are obvious. If you drill the whole population
sufficiently to make them efficient soldiers, you abstract
more from the productive industry than any country can
bear. If you do not drill them to this extent, you abstract
less but to no purpose. In Prussia, as in all Europe, population
presses on supply, and the poor must work hard for support.
If they are taken from work a month in twelve for
drill, they must make up for the loss of time by
excessive labour, or else they must throw
the robust employments on the women and children.
Moreover, success in war depends not upon the
drilling of the soldiers, so much as upon the +
science and talents of the officers. All depends upon
the integrity and judgement with which these
are selected. Although the Prussian soldiers are
instructed and civilised, yet, on their return
to the farm and manufactory, they must introduce
some of the profligacy and dissipation inseparable from
a cramp life. Thus the whole community is tainted,
if not demoralized; and the amount of productive industry
being diminished, there are less means of supporting a
war. Where there is wealth there will be always soldiers, and
a very little time renders them sufficient. But the author
says, "to create an army of a sudden may not be difficult;
to create, however, a military disposition in

Identifier: | JB/109/280/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 109.
Date_1	1829-01-31	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	109	Main Headings	Constitutional Code
Folio number	280	Info in main headings field	Constitutional Code Collectanea
Image	001	Titles
Category	Collectanea	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	E4
Penner		Watermarks	1828
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1828
Notes public		ID Number	35935
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