Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-09-04
ABUSES OF MILITARY AND CIVIL
my


titles indscriminately to the names of individuals.
This Is done, too, in most cases, without the
slightest likeness Of the qualities or profession Of
the individual to the title he assumes, that may
be kindly assumed for him by his friends.
This is all wrong, we think can show,
though in making our comments we do SO in no
unamiable spirit, and without the least desire to
give them any particular personal direction. In
deed, this would be unnecessary, for there is
scarcely village or neighborhood that does not
furnish one or more striking instances of the abb
surdity, and hence the application will be made
wherever these remarks may be read
Title-is appeation or badge Of honor. 1t
is conferred a mark Of distinction for service
rendered Military titles eininently Of this
character, and held in the most rigid and
jealous regard. They are us much the property
of the officer as the coat he wears, or the sword
that glitters BY his side. The last, indeed has
won it for him. lie is prond Of it, for it is the in
sigma Of his well-earned prowess. A true soldier
values his title even higher than his pay Now,
we hold it to be unjust to fch from this class the
titles they have acquired by careers of gallantry
and usefulness. Nor is il less a wrong to Them
" feel in their titles, by permitting all classes Of
men, the rich and the poor, the high and the low,
the man of honor and the man of dishonor, to
wear them too. The military title a-days
| seems simply to signify SUCCESS Ii matters not
III what department of life or in what vocation
or trade this success may be achieved-the mill
tary title follows naturally, and often more
surely, than the brevet, the successful gallantry
Of vertabe officer In the military organiza-
ton, lieutenant's commission forms the thrcsIi-
hold or stepping stone Of military advancement.
tie must work up, either through the paths of
science or by the more exciting participation in
the battle-feds, to the next grade. True, he
may sometimes reach his promotion by the va
cancies occasioned by the death or resignation of
those above him: but these are rare, and consti-
tute only the exception to the rule. Not SO in
what is termed GIRL lifo-a major, here, is the
lOrcest grade. And, indeed, il is bat brieftarry
| ing place, and more to rest the weared hero,
after his arduous military eiiorts-for presto and
our major stands forth before US, in the full stature
of gallant colonell Is he a Faro Bank dealer,
who has lined his pockets, filed his Golfers, and
adorned his gaming palaces witi the per diem of
members, the pay Of officers, the salaries Of clerks
or the means dedicated to the education of the
| youths Of our country; Then, he is COLONEL
and ranks, perhaps in pay and title every officer
who has helped 10 enrich him.
| Is he a Thimblc Bigger, who, abandoning
the slower, but more respectable trade TO which
| honest parents had reared him, has ''made his
| pile" out Of the innocent and foolish crowd who
4 ,rili thn;r
that they can tell which thimble the little iokers
under:' ESQ, he is a COLONEL, and, in fancy,
groans under the weight of his clanking sword
and massive epaulettes. Both Of these oa rank
in tile, many Of our army officers, with the dar-
ing deeds and splendid gallantry Of two wars to
brighten their fair fame
Is he 4 racer, whose skilful strategy has often
borne from the superior horse the weighty purses
Of hundred fields He, too, rs COLONEL, and
no less a colonel because he may never have
smelled gunpowder An officer, who may be
the hero Of score Of battles, is lower in title
| than Of these.
| 1t is poor encouragement TO our gallant officers
Of either service, 10 find themselves robbed of the
presige'of their noble titles, given them as marks
Of distinction for their heroic services in the battle
fields Of their country's rights and countrys
honor II is, as we have said, part Of their re-
,rard, and should no more be prostituted to such
base uses, than their pay should be fched or
their emoluments infringed
But we find the same evil ia civil titles, and
the encroachment i scarcely less unjust and i'm
proper.
4 Quack is dubbed a Doctor. A Pedagoguc,
Master or Bachelor Of Arts. 4 stupid Convey
ANGER al a county court, is a Barrster or Attor-
ney, while (and the most iarcical Of alb Num-
skull Magistrate, is dignifed by the appcllation
Of Judge or Justice: God help the patients Of
the Quacks, the scholars Of the Pedagogue, the
clients Of such Lawyer, and the unhappy par
ties whose property hangs upon the judgment Of
the present-day Magistrates!
But there is ono other, and, We think, the most
Objectionable application Of civil title. Il il the
indiscriminate and often laughable application Of
the term statesman. Why, there are more states
men in this country to-day, according 10 the news
papers and letter-writers, than ever have lived
and died in all the world, from the meridian
splendor Of Athenian greatness TO the present
| time We would by no means dampen the ardor
Of our young orators, who have done such good
service in our late political contess-they are
worthy Of all praise; but really, for their own
good, protest against their being called statesmen
just yet. statesman is rare thing in any coun-
try; and that country is fortunate, indeed, who
can boast, in half century, Of first-class
statesmen. The standard Of craftsmanship may
be found in the History Of France-in a Sully, a
| Richelieu, Mazarn. IN England Chatham,
Pitt, Canning; while Austria scarcely points
| to another, than Metternich; and Russia, than
Nesselrode. Our own country has been perhaps
more prolific in statesmen She has had in her
half century, Madison, Calhoun, Webster
Clay, and many others nearly their equals
But still, even in this country, they are not as
thick as the sands by the sea shore Statesman
ship is, perhaps, the most elevated Of all sciences
The qualities Of craftsmanship arc Of no ordi-
nary characters they may not always be gathered