SOME OF THE CEREMONIES IN A MAN-OF-WAR UNNECESSARY AND INJURIOUS.
The ceremonials of a man-of-war, some of which have been described in
the preceding chapter, may merit a reflection or two.
The general usages of the American Navy are founded upon the usages
that prevailed in the navy of monarchical England more than a century
ago; nor have they been materially altered since. And while both
England and America have become greatly liberalised in the interval;
while shore pomp in high places has come to be regarded by the more
intelligent masses of men as belonging to the absurd, ridiculous, and
mock-heroic; while that most truly august of all the majesties of
earth, the President of the United States, may be seen entering his
residence with his umbrella under his arm, and no brass band or
military guard at his heels, and unostentatiously taking his seat by
the side of the meanest citizen in a public conveyance; while this is
the case, there still lingers in American men-of-war all the stilted
etiquette and childish parade of the old-fashioned Spanish court of
Madrid. Indeed, so far as the things that meet the eye are concerned,
an American Commodore is by far a greater man than the President of
twenty millions of freemen.
But we plain people ashore might very willingly be content to leave
these commodores in the unmolested possession of their gilded penny
whistles, rattles, and gewgaws, since they seem to take so much
pleasure in them, were it not that all this is attended by consequences
to their subordinates in the last degree to be deplored.
While hardly any one will question that a naval officer should be
surrounded by circumstances calculated to impart a requisite dignity to
his position, it is not the less certain that, by the excessive pomp he
at present maintains, there is naturally and unavoidably generated a
feeling of servility and debasement in the hearts of most of the seamen
who continually behold a fellow-mortal flourishing over their heads
like the archangel Michael with a thousand wings. And as, in degree,
this same pomp is observed toward their inferiors by all the grades of
commissioned officers, even down to a midshipman, the evil is
proportionately multiplied.
It would not at all diminish a proper respect for the officers, and
subordination to their authority among the seamen, were all this idle
parade—only ministering to the arrogance of the officers, without at
all benefiting the state—completely done away. But to do so, we voters
and lawgivers ourselves must be no respecters of persons.
That saying about _levelling upward, and not downward_, may seem very
fine to those who cannot see its self-involved absurdity. But the truth
is, that, to gain the true level, in some things, we _must_ cut
downward; for how can you make every sailor a commodore? or how raise
the valleys, without filling them up with the superfluous tops of the
hills?
Some discreet, but democratic, legislation in this matter is much to be
desired. And by bringing down naval officers, in these things at least,
without affecting their legitimate dignity and authority, we shall
correspondingly elevate the common sailor, without relaxing the
subordination, in which he should by all means be retained.