Naval War of 1812 



may, it is possible, be fairly put down to the differ- 

 ence in race. (It seems certain that, when serving 

 in a neutral vessel, for example, the Englishmen 

 aboard are apt to make better sailors than the 

 Frenchmen.) In 1799 the Revolution had deprived 

 the French of all their best officers, had let the char- 

 acter of the marine run down, and the discipline 

 of the service become utterly disorganized ; this ex- 

 posed them to frightful reverses, and these in turn 

 prevented the character of the service from recover- 

 ing its former tone. Meanwhile the Americans had 

 established for the first time a regular navy, and, 

 as there was excellent material to work with, it at 

 once came up close to- the English; constant and 

 arduous service, fine discipline, promotion for merit, 

 and the most unflagging attention to practical sea- 

 manship and gunnery had in 1812 raised it far 

 above even the high English standard. During all 

 these three periods the English marine, it must be 

 remembered, did not fall off, but at least kept its 

 position; the French, on the contrary, did fall off, 

 while the American navy advanced by great strides 

 to the first place. 



