The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-22


powders, is so great o man as himself, or en-
titled to so much emoluments or so much
titular and other distinction. But plain men
who bring little plain wisdom to bear upon
the subject don't think that the Brigadier is
greater than the bishop, or the professor, or
the artist, and they consider that the natural
and the acquired qualifications of the surgeon
entitle him to as much distinction as that
which is given to the commander. To be
able to tie q femoral artery, or reduce an
aneurism, implies as exact and labonous IN
tellectual discipline as it does to perform the
more dashing and dconspicuous functions wnlcn
devolve upon the sailing master OF the nag
officer.
In respect to the disbursing officer, who IS
included in the scheme of tltular exaltatlon,
it is not necessary to say much except tnaC
it is impossible to honor too highly the man
who paws out money. The business does not
rank among the liberal or learned profess
sions, though it is certainly liberal, and its
practitioners are not necessarily unlearned.
The purser who pays may be as intellectual a
person as the poet who does not pay or the
philosopher who would pay If he had got 1t;
in which case shoulder-straps and ceremo-
MES of salutation would seem to befit him
who hands over the money as well as the
lieutenant or other officer who merely
spends it.
According to the averment of the line, GER
tain practical difficulties attend the giving of
high official titles to the staff. 1t may even
happen, for example, that a surgeon of long
standing may sometimes technically outrank
his commanding officer. II is true that this
might lead to embarrassment The doctor
might, on q critical occasion, emerge from
the cockpit, dubious and drowsy with the
odor of drugs, and enfeebled by prolonged
diagnostics, and command the ship to strike
its colors in the face of the enemy. Civilians
are timorous, doctors notably so. He that
purges and runs away may live to purge an
other day. SO would our doctor possibly
reason, and discredit would thereupon fall
upon the service which admitted him to so
lofty place upon its rolls.
Moreover, if the doctor outranlls nearly
every person on shipboard, his prescriptions
are in the nature of commands and any pa
tient except the admiral, who omitted to bolt
a bolus or swallow powder, would be guilty
of mutiny 1t is rather pathetic alternative
to place before marine and mldshlpman to
lose either his stomach in consequence of the
pill, or his life in consequence of not taking
it. Yet this the line can, with some show of
candor, advance as one of the consequences
of yielding to the ambitious aspirations of the
staff We do not attach much weight to OBJ
iections of this sort, nor indeed do we at
present undertake serious discussion of the
subject at large, but we merely throw out q
few hints which have bearing upon the sub
iect, and which serve to show the complication
in which it is involved. IT will be matter
of general felicitation if the questions under
discussion are settled to the satisfaction of all
concerned and without absolutely distracting
consequences to the peace of our peaceful
Congress at the approaching session. We
don't like to have our naval service swarmin g
wi th discontented doctors and unduly subor-
dinated priests, and imperfectly appreciated
paymasters-so we hope that staff and line
will settle their differences upon some basis
of gentleness and generosity, and hencefor-
ward pray, pay, fight, and physic in affec-
| tionate and fraternal union, without making
| naval campaign the whole winter through
on the dreadfully dry land of Washington.
| THE NAVY DEPARTMENT AT WAR
WITH THE RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT
/ OF THE COUNTRY.
From the N. Y Sun.
The compulsory order of the Navy Depart
ment, which requires the students of the
Naval Academy to pursue their ordinary
secular studies on Sunday, without any re
| gard to the feelings of the midshipmen OF the
needs of the public service, is arresting the
attention and invoking the condemnation OF
religious journals of various communions
AS proof and specimen of the tone Of
sentiment which prevails on this subject
we recently printedan article from the
Neac York Observer, staid, conservative
journal, the organ of one of the largest de
nominations in the country, and commend il
to the consideration of our readers.
To learn the art of war, with the intent to
follow it as q life profession, is doubtless
necessary even in the midst of profound
peace. But, in such an epoch, to compe
our youth, who have resolved to devote them
selves to this vocation from patriotic motives
to stife their conscientious scruples, an(
pursue the routine of secular studies on
day when they all need rest, and which the
most of them regard as sacred, shocks the
moral convictions of the entire community.
All the young men at the Academy, whe
ther Protestants Catholics, or of no religion!
creed whatever, had been trained ere the,
went thither to treat Sunday as day o
abstinence from ordinary pursuits; while th
great majority of them had been taught t.
regard it as a season which should be de
voted with more or less strictness to mora
and religious reflection and instruction IL
obedience to this universally prevailing
sentiment, there is not an institution for TIN
education of youth in the whole land, excep
the Naval Academy, that requires its pupil
to prosecute their usual studies on that day
However liberal or latitudinarian may bt
the views of any portion of the American
people as to the peculiar sanctity of Sunday
there are no two opinions on the point tina
on that day no one should be compelled
whether he will or no, to spend its hours II
prosecuting ordinary business, and especial
where there is no necessity for violating tn
well-established rule that it is to be treate
as day of rest. If one voluntarily choose
r. l. I, l. -, l. =, hat