The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-20
Abolishi.s tho Grades of Admiral ssd


another by the neck upon the branches OF trees.
AboIishing tho Grades of Admiral sud
Vice Admiral-WilI the Senate Concurs
For one reason particularly we trust that
the Senate of the United States will not con-
cur in the resolution Of the House OF Repre-
sentatives to abolish the grades OF admiral
and vice admiral in the navy. We csntend
that the commanders of our squadrons on
foreign service should be Of rank
equal to the commanders OF the squad
rons of other nations. II we wish our
naval representatives to command the respect
and attention of foreign officers we must give
them rank equal to those with whom they
are thrown in contact IF the English and
French squadrons in the Mediterranean, in the
China seas, or in the Pacific Ocean, are CON-
manded by vice admiral, the squadron of
the United States should be commanded by an
officer Of equal grade, or else we shall suffer
materially both in our intercourse and by CON-
parison. Our fleet may be superior in number
and class its commander-in- older in
years and in service, yet, if not equal in rank,
he receives less honors and less attention than
the officer of superior grade whose flag may
lily over a smaller vessel and whose entire
command may number only half the ships and
gums of our own. If any Of our home ports
ARE visited by foreign officer Of high rank
I'VE should have at home an officer Of equal
rank to receive and entertain him. Indeed,
every consideration demands that the ranks
we have created no sooner than they were re-
quired should be retained.
In former years. when captain was the high
est grade in our naval service, and when the
commander-in-chief of our squadrons was
aermed commodore by courtesy alone, our
naval authorities abroad were on several oc-
,casions treated with marked indignity, which
nearly led to serious consequences, owing en-
trely to the inferior rank of our commanding
officer A British or French or any other
vice or rear admiral would not recognize one
of our commodores as his equal merely be-
cause he commanded q squadron. No; the
flag was not the shape or in the place it should
be to grant the required honors the rank
*vas wanting, and without this our commo-
flores had to submit to indgnity that it was not
bin their power to resent. They felt the hui
Initiation, but were obliged to submit to it and
ipocket the affront, which would not have been
Offered had our government seen fit to place
them on an equality with the officers they were
compelled to meet on foreign stations.
/ 1t is now known by all maritime Powers
that we have the three grades of admiral in
our naval service, and to them it will appear
most singular that wealthy and powerful
nation that claims to be inferior to none
should, on the score of economy, abolish the
two highest grades. Already the rumor of
our government intending to do SO has gone
abroad, and it has caused comment not the
most favorable to u.s.. and if the measure is
carried out it viii not benefit us in our inter-
course with foreign naval officers indeed, it
high estate and reduce us in the opinion of
other nations to an inferior naval Power, and
not without some show of reason. We trust
that our Senators will view the subject calmly
and in its proper light. The United States
tcannot afford to make impolitic moves on the
ecore of economy, nor will it be prudent to
allow our naval service to fall to the position
1t occupied before the rebellion. If admiral
and vice admiral ape done away with the next
move will be to abolish the grades of rear
admiral and commodore, and who knows
where it will stop? "Let well enough alone"
Abolishing the two ranks will not reduce taxa
tion, but it will injure our naval service, and
This is wrong. Everything should be done to
retain the high name and fame it has most
worthily obtained. Let every officer feel that
fhere is possibility Of his obtaining the
highest rank known in any naval service.
This will tend to improve the morale of the
navy, while an opposite course would only
tend to injure it. We trust the Senate will
view the subject in this light and refuse to
abolish the grades Of admiral and vice
admiral.