This Is
The True Light In Which A Sailor's Life Is To Be Viewed; And If
In Our Books, And
Anniversary speeches, we would leave out much
that is said about "blue water," "blue jackets," "open hearts,"
"seeing God's hand
On the deep," and so forth, and take this up
like any other practical subject, I am quite sure we should do full
as much for those we wish to benefit. The question is, what can
be done for sailors, as they are, - men to be fed, and clothed,
and lodged, for whom laws must be made and executed, and who are
to be instructed in useful knowledge, and, above all, to be brought
under religious influence and restraint? It is upon these topics
that I wish to make a few observations.
In the first place, I have no fancies about equality on board ship,
It is a thing out of the question, and certainly, in the present
state of mankind, not to be desired. I never knew a sailor who
found fault with the orders and ranks of the service; and if I
expected to pass the rest of my life before the mast, I would not
wish to have the power of the captain diminished an iota. It is
absolutely necessary that there should be one head and one voice,
to control everything, and be responsible for everything. There are
emergencies which require the instant exercise of extreme power.
These emergencies do not allow of consultation; and they who would
be the captain's constituted advisers might be the very men over
whom he would be called upon to exert his authority.
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