This feeling amongst the vulgar has been, to a
certain extent, the bane of two services, naval and military. The
writer does not make this assertion rashly; he observed this
feeling at work in the army when a child, and he has good reason
for believing that it was as strongly at work in the navy at the
same time, and is still as prevalent in both. Why are not brave
men raised from the ranks? is frequently the cry; why are not brave
sailors promoted? The Lord help brave soldiers and sailors who are
promoted; they have less to undergo from the high airs of their
brother officers, and those are hard enough to endure, than from
the insolence of the men. Soldiers and sailors promoted to command
are said to be in general tyrants; in nine cases out of ten, when
they are tyrants, they have been obliged to have recourse to
extreme severity in order to protect themselves from the insolence
and mutinous spirit of the men,--"He is no better than ourselves:
shoot him, bayonet him, or fling him overboard!" they say of some
obnoxious individual raised above them by his merit. Soldiers and
sailors, in general, will bear any amount of tyranny from a lordly
sot, or the son of a man who has "plenty of brass"--their own term-
-but will mutiny against the just orders of a skilful and brave
officer who "is no better than themselves.
Pages:
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548