Star.
London, England, 1802-09-02 00:00:00

T9_1411.8 EDITOR OF THR STAR.

• &Mot, An."3o, tgos.
Ste--Your inferting the following letter, in your
Paper, will oblige a number of Old Naval Or
ficers, who are your conflant Readers ; and we
think may contribute to the-good of the Public, as
well as the advantage of a confiderable number of.
.
deferring individuals.

To THE PUBLIC.
It is well known that the profperity of this king-
dom depends in a great mature on the prowefs of
the Briar Navy.—lt is to our unparalleled fuc4
cedes on the watery element that the late eonten:
tion for power has been fo happily terminate& It is
to the fyftens of placing experienced Officers, heed
to lea-affairs, and accuilomed toe well eftablifhed
naval ditcipline, over true-bred tritifh seamen,
that we owe our superiority : but will any one
prefume, from thence; that we are arrived at our
se Au ultra P—Will any one fay that the Brit&
Navy, with refpel to Ships, Officers, and Men,
cannot be further improved and made more be-
neficial to the State ? We believe the anfwer is
obvious. We pre advocates for riling by feniority,
becaufe it is evident, that courage without con-
due only leads to bloodfhed;without infuring
tutees : although fool-hardinefs has been known
to fucceed in many inflances, where the enemy
has been unpaired with the jdea of the unparal-
leled courage and perfeverance of Englifh Seamed,'
yet it is well known, that Bridal Seamen in the
beat of anion have held in contempt Tome young
Officers of courage and great promife, who have
been wanting in years, experience, and conic-
.gently good condua. We are well aware of the
argument made ufe of, that youths of family, for-
tune, and fuperior education, particularly the
funs ofgreat Naval Commanders, would embark
with lets alacrity in the Naval fervice, on the fup-
pofition that every perfon of moderate abilities,
and (lender education, tbould hold their rankfrom
length of Cervices : but we would afk what inry
any youth of family, &c. could fancy himfeif to
"cave only from being preVented from clitnbing
over the heads of thole whote birth, education,
itc- has not been fo propitious as his own 1 On the
contrary we a&, how any diligent, faithful, per-
dotting Officer mud feel, who has entered into
the Naval Service of his country, with a full pe!-
&afion that nothing could prevent his real merit
lasing rewarded ; but after. a number of years of
lfervices finds, from the death of his friends,
his Swims are not attended to, and from ficknefs
his illative fervice has *IR confined into neglea,
fa that he who had served under him 93 Midflup-
man, &mid in a few years be 'appointed to cont.
mead him as Poll-Captaia ? We believe we need
. mot elk which harts private feelings mod, or which
mood injures the public farviee ? , -
: The advocates for eifiale hy wit, fuperior abi-
lities, and brilliant termer', independent of ki-
*corky, fay that " extraordinary ateritorioufnets
would be 101 l to the common weal, it it had not
its immediate opportunity and reward 1" But thole
advocates do not, or. will not fee, that for one of
thofe brilliant charaders, which are put Over tile
beads of others, they deprcts end bi sk theCP irks
Of ten of Litotes who, lsough of flat loodstate
abilities, yet from being more fetXte endperfever-
s% might have aceomplillisd that ttipet.iin fer-
.vise, in which the impeto•fity and ineverrence of
the former mighs have failed. And will any one
.4y,, that if the taspetuofity of a lie•krftegenins
bad been checked, till experience lad ripened his
that the nations of that on would
awe beets in future Ws brilliant, or even lets im.
duous, than at the first impulte of youthful ar-
ur. ? On the contrary, we think that when the
judgment is .matured, it ,then knows with more
precifion what can be done; and of courfe executes
with more determined confidence and refOlution
every thing which he knows to be poffible. •
We remember when the Officersof the Marine
Corr were, by the Earl of SANDWICH, diablithed
to rife by feniority ; many of the advocates for
merit and fuperior abilities, dferted that the ruin
of that Corps would loon follow, as no perfon of.
title, family, or fortune, would fend their Cons into
*'Corps where there was no cfrance cifrifing ra-
pidly t—lt turned out, in one refpea,as they &id—
s° perfon of titlet etc. entered into it : but what'
bas been the Wok ? ootwithandiag the want of
Ca pport from the G 4 as! the VW! the _,-ga
and the Power/di that Corps has gran ,y rife
in refpia and tried fervices during two wars! and
bee stied, moll nteritorioofly, obtained from his
- )farily, the appdlatiou of Royal, for very ob:
irions reafons.
Aniongfl the numerous futons againd the fps=
teen for promotion by merit, &c. islMt of andel
perfon being pat over the head of his (color, en
account of bis (ulterior abilities, education, dtc-
teeing the advantage he has in thole refpeas is fo
apt, by ths inconfideratenefs of youth, to bold in
contempt thofe who have not enjoyed the fame
advantages as himfelf, and forms his opinion 4
thole he is appointed to command, befbrehis own
judgment is properly matured ; •and tonfequendy
from want of that due refpea for his inferiors, wleo ',
ought to.have continued his tuperiors, the public 1
fervice is frequently injured--t eh filirits of worthy
Officers deprefied—and the *lion of Govern-
ment quedioned.
Seeing the fafety, glory, welfare, and honour
of thefe Kingdoms, depends on Our NavilAtperi
otity, every thing that can be done to *referee it
opght to engage the public attention; and Teeing
Earn the above reafous.(ntanymoreequally
Wen be advanced) the neceffity. of doillreg:fl
yanks of Officers equal juftice, by giving them an'
equal chance of dillingui(hfng theanfelves, &Me
thing ought to be done to secomplifh to elefirebW
an end : but feting the poffibility 'alio of Muse,{*;
very few we hope) whore •indokoce of difpnlitian,
want of (pink and of martial• ardoor,preventatheni
from elating thesstelves in the (mice of their!,
country, it appears to be reafonable, that a difJ
cretionary power &mild be exercifed !sidle A 44
miralty, to put tlyie sillso do act thew a siipolli
doe to km, on"; (ape emoted lilt of the eitrirtd

\

regard for thofe who from age, Ramat, *tonna.'
or other infirmities, are prevented from offering
their willing fervices.
We have alto to remark, that in the late aug-
mentation of Officers on half-pay, one clafs has
been entirely negleaed, its, die fifty fuperannuated
Lieutenants with rank of Comnianders: it appears
as if We were (as a Nation) wanting in that refpea
for grey-hairs, which we' formerly poffeffed.—The
firQ hundred on the Lieutenants' lift are nearly in
the fame predicament t and if the (mall faving to
the Nation is confidertd, it looks like ingratitude !
That the above may engage the attentioti of the
Admiralty-Board, and particularly the Noble Ad-
miral who prefides there, as alto thofe Senators
who devote their time to the real fervice of their
country, and thofe independent Gentlemen who
have leifure, abilities, and inclination, to flimtilate
the fervants of the Crown to do that which is for
the real honour and welfare of the Britilh Empire,
and.the peace of the world, that under the pro-
tains arm of PROVIDISC*9 we may enjoy,our oft
rights, not walling for more ; but that we may be
always powerful and always jail, are the fincere
withes of a number of of 110Als orttczas.