The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-21
".

For his part in the battle of Cape st. Vincent
Nelson had been simply made a Knight of the
Bath. His next opportunity for distinction was
to come at the battle OF the Nile. This mo-
mentous engagement Is discussed by Capt. Ma
han in great detail, and he does not hesitate to
pronounce 1t the most nearly complete and tho
most decisive ever gained by a British fleet.
Nevertheless. 1t was rewarded in the person of
the commanding officer with honors less than
those bestowed for st. Vincent and Camper
down. Nelson was merely advanced to the low
est rank of the peerage, as Baron Nelson of the
Nile. I'm congratulating your Lordship on this
high distinction" wrote tho First Lord of the
Admiralty, 81 have particular pleasure in
remarking that 1t is the highest honor that has
ever been conferred upon an officer of your stand
ing in the service, and who was not a commander
in-chief and the addition [of the Nilcl to the
title is meant more especially to mark tho oo-
casion on which it Is granted. which. however,
without any such precaution, is certainly of a
nature never to BIO forgotten" To the sharp
criticism made in the House of Commons on the
smallness of the recognition, the Prime Minister
replied that Nelson's glory did not depend upon
the rank to which he might be raised In the peer
age, a truism too palpable and inapplicable for
serious utterance. the question before the House
being not the measure OF Nelson's glory, but that
OF the national acknowledgment. As Hood
Justly said: All remuneration should be pro.
portionate to the service done to the public -
and. IL that proportion cannot always
be attained absolutely, without exhausting
the powers Of the State, there should, at
least. be some proportion between the re-
wards extended to individuals and the par
ticular services. Nelson made, We are told, to
the First Lords letter a reply that was digni-
fed, and yet measured. to u degree unusual for
him contrasting ainpular1V with hta yahap,onk
reclamation for others after Copenhagen. With
out, however,. the semblance Of complaint, no
allowed plainly to appear between the lines his
own sense that the reward was not proportion
ate to the service done. Whatever, ncverthe-
less, was defective in the formal recognition of
his own Government was abundantly supplied
by the tributes which flowed from other quar-
tiers, so various that his own phrase, 1.-THE
whole world" is scarcely an exaggeration TO
apply to them. The Car, the Sultan, the kings
of Sardinia and of the two Sicilies sent
messages OF congratulation and rich pres
ents, the Car accompanying his with an
autograph letter. Tho houses of Parlia-
ment voted their thanks and a pension of
$4,000 a year. The East India Company &C.
knowledged the security gained for their Indian
possessions by a gift of 10000. one-1fth of
which Nelson. with his wonted generosity, d.
vided at once among his father and family, most
OF whom we're not In prosperous circumstances
Other corporations took appropriate notice of
the great event, instances SO far apart as the
cities OF London and Palermo and the island of
Zante showing how widespread WAS the sense of
relief. Not least gratifying to him must have
been the numerous letters OF congratulation he
received from friends in and out of the service.
Tho three great Admirals. Lord Howe, Lord
Hood, and Lord IT, Vincent. the leaders OF the
navy In rank and distinction, wrote to him in
tho strongest terms of admiration. The two
last styled the battle of the Nile the
greatest achievement that history could pro-