The Siege of London (Posteritas)/Chapter 5
ENGLAND PREPARES FOR WAR.—GREAT ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.—A RISING PLANNED IN IRELAND.—DESPATCH OF TROOPS THERE.—WEAKNESS OF THE BRITISH ARMY.—GREAT NAVAL BATTLE OFF THE BRISTOL CHANNEL.—VICTORY FOR THE ENGLISH FLEET.—NEWS ARRIVES THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE MARCHING ON INDIA.—OUTBREAK OF POPULAR FURY.—REVOLT IN IRELAND.—LANDING OF FRENCH TROOPS IN SUTHERLAND-SHIRE.
ENGLAND received France's declaration of war without manifesting any great signs of excitement at first. Men went about rather with an air of stern determination. But, nevertheless, there was some anxiety, and perhaps, in certain quarters, fears expressed; and the question was asked. Was the country in a condition to fight France? Every one felt that the quarrel must be fought out upon the high seas, where England had for so long claimed the supremacy. It would be a naval war. A deadly one, certainly, but there were no doubts as to the ultimate issues. Copenhagen, Villafranca, Aboukir, the Nile, Trafalgar, were a few of the many names which recalled to Englishmen glorious deeds, and made their blood thrill. Did not the old spirit still live, and would not the "hearts of oak" be found as tough then as in those grand old days when the might and power of the White-cliffed Island was irresistible?
Twenty-four hours later, however, a feeling of growing uneasiness made itself manifest, for the papers published reports of the remarkable preparedness of France, and that French cruisers were already skimming the seas to destroy British commerce.
All round the British coast tremendous activity prevailed. The din of rivet and hammer sounded in the dockyards. Portsmouth and Sheerness were a scene of wild excitement and bustle. At every naval station preparations were being pushed forward under extraordinary pressure. At Woolwich thousands of extra hands were instantly taken on; and the coast-defences were garrisoned. The naval reserves were called up. The Channel Squadron was strengthened, and formed a formidable fleet, and a powerful torpedo fleet was ready in an incredibly short space of time. In addition to this, fifty magnificent steamers belonging to private companies were taken in hand by thousands of workmen, to be converted for the nonce into fighting ships. The din and roar and bustle of these tremendous war preparations sounded from end to end of the land; and the people, without being boastful, were confident and self-possessed. On the other hand, the effect of the declaration was to almost bring business to a standstill. The funds went down, and the price of bread went up nearly a hundred and fifty per cent. The departure of merchant shipping nearly ceased, and ships could not be insured excepting at war risks, which meant enormous premiums. Before a shot had been fired people began to realise the horrors of war. There had been fearful distress in different parts of the country for some time, and that distress was now greatly increased. But wealthy people came forward in a noble manner and established relief centres all over the land; while Parliament instantly voted a large sum to be appropriated to the same purpose. For the time, party feeling ceased, and all classes were united in face of the common enemy.
Before the week was out, however, the uneasiness increased still more, and the suspense became almost unbearable. No reliable news was forthcoming. The newspapers experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining information, as all telegraphic communication with France had ceased. The air was filled with all sorts of alarming rumours, and not the least alarming of these was the report of a probable rising in Ireland. For years it had been said that England's dilemma would be Ireland's opportunity. And now it was seen that the followers of Mr. Gladstone's friends, the men whom he had described as being "steeped to the lips in treason," and yet had made a compact with, were going to give practical effect to the words. There had for some time been a strong military force in Ireland, and, when it was known that the Government were despatching more troops there as fast as the trains could carry them, the public uneasiness increased, for it became obvious that there was a traitorous section of the community which was resolved to harass the Government in presence of the foreign enemy. But soon some relief was felt on this point when the news came that in the North of Ireland men were enrolling themselves by thousands as Volunteers, and were pledged to keep the South in subjection should it show any revolutionary spirit. In the meantime, where were the French? That was a question that was in everybody's mouth. The utmost mystery seemed to prevail, and, whatever information the Government had, the public were kept in the dark as to the movements of the enemy. All the railway companies were engaged in moving troops about. The Militia were called up, together with the reserves, and there was hardly a district where Volunteers were not at drill. The "Citizen Army" were fired by a spirit of the greatest enthusiasm, and hopes were expressed that they might have a chance of showing the metal they were made of. Their ranks could have been doubled within a week, had it not been for a Government order—why it was issued, and at whose instigation has never been known,—that an increase of the Volunteer strength was not necessary. The Regulars and the Militia, however, were far below their normal strength, due to the cheese-paring policy of the Liberals, and recruits were called for. But the call was not answered in the manner that the Government expected it would have been. The military weakness of the country was now painfully felt, for an enormous number of men was required for the garrisons and fortifications of the coast, while Ireland alone had-absorbed 50,000, for the revolutionists had to be overawed, and the Atlantic sea-board watched.
Eight days had parsed since the declaration of war. A marvellous amount of work was done in those eight days, and Englishmen began to taunt the French on their supineness, and it was jocularly said that Johnny Crapaud, having thrown down the gauntlet, was now afraid to come on. But suddenly the silence was broken, and the suspense ended, for the startling news was received of—
GREAT NAVAL BATTLE AT THE MOUTH OF THE BRISTOL CHANNEL.
TWO FRENCH MEN-OF-WAR RAMMED AND SUNK.
A FRENCH IRONCLAD BLOWN UP BY TORPEDOES.
MAGNIFICENT VICTORY FOR THE ENGLISH FLEET.
This news was received with the wildest manifestations of delight, which was mingled with exasperation, when a few hours later it was announced that several homeward-bound British merchantmen had been captured in the chops of the Channel by the French, in spite of the fact that four English men-of-war were cruising about at the entrance to the Channel to protect in-coming ships. Later information confirmed the English victory in the Bristol Channel; a French fleet having attempted to force its way up to Bristol, but was overtaken and beaten by the Channel Squadron. Later still it was announced that an engagement had been fought between a French and English ironclad off the Land's End, and that the English vessel had been very seriously damaged, but had succeeded in withdrawing under the shelter of the guns of the Plymouth fortifications. The newspaper offices were now besieged with anxious, excited, and clamouring mobs. All the London daily papers issued editions as fast as news was sent in, and very soon it became evident the French were displaying remarkable activity all round the coast. Rumours also reached the country that a flotilla of torpedo vessels was lying in Boulogne and Calais harbours, waiting for an opportunity to issue forth and to attack any English vessels in the Channel. An extraordinarily audacious attempt was also made by two heavily-armed gunboats, which, steaming out of Boulogne Harbour, crossed the Channel until they were within range of Dover, when they attempted to bombard the town, and actually succeeded in doing, considerable mischief. But one of them was sunk by the eighty-ton casemated gun on the Admiralty Pier, and the other effected her escape. Public excitement was next raised to a pitch of fury by the announcement of fighting in Ireland between the people and the troops. The populace had risen in the South, and there had been tremendous slaughter. It was said that French agents were scattered through that unhappy country inciting the people to throw off the British yoke.
It became perfectly obvious that England was now entering on a struggle in which her national life was at stake; and when it became equally evident that the long-talked-of weakness of the British navy was a glaring fact, and that the vessels in the Channel were unequal to the work they were called upon to do, there was an outburst of popular wrath against the Government, and an angry mob rushed to the Houses of Parliament while the House was sitting; and there is little doubt that, had the mob not been hurled back by a strong body of Volunteer troops, the members of the Government would have fallen a prey to the fury of the people. As it was, the massive railings surrounding the entrance to the House were torn up and scattered about the road, and thousands of windows were smashed. For the moment the public anger seemed to subside, but it burst out again with tenfold fury when the news reached the country that a powerful Russian force had entered Afghanistan; that the Ameer's troops had made common cause with them, and the Allied Army was marching on India.
This information seemed to make the people mad, and a tremendous and excited mob made their way to Downing Street, where a Cabinet Council was sitting. The official residence of the Prime Minister was attacked and wrecked, and several members of the Government were almost torn to pieces. Over and over again the Horse Guards and the Volunteers charged the unfortunate people, and it was only after immense slaughter that they succeeded in driving the excited crowds back. The scene was awful. London had never witnessed anything like it before. Thousands of men and women were slain, and the streets ran red with blood. Many of the houses in the neighbourhood were completely wrecked, and there was not one that did not bear evidence of the storm of bullets that had been rained on the wretched people.
No longer could the fact be disguised that the power of England would be strained to such an extent that it was doubtful whether the strain could be resisted. It was hardly possible that the handful of British in India could hold that country against the hordes of Russia. Everywhere now was seen the awful effects of that fatal policy that had been preached and practiced for years by the Radicals. The British flag was in danger everywhere where it floated. The British statesmen who had placed faith in Russian promises were now proving their value. Russian soldiers were swarming at the door of India, and there, was not a garrison or a fort to keep them back. At home Ireland was in revolt, and the English people, exasperated and embittered by those who, unmindful of her honour, had dragged England into a vortex of ruin, were displaying dangerous ebullition; while surrounding the sea-girt island was a powerful, wary foe, who, impelled by inveterate and hereditary hatred, was watching with tigerish fierceness for a vulnerable point in England's armour. That vulnerable point was found at last, for the news ran like wildfire through the land that—
10,000 FRENCH TROOPS HAD LANDED IN SUTHERLANDSHIRE.