SUNDAY ON BOARD A UNITED STATES MAN-OF-WAR.
By Editor
THE following description is from the Union Signal. If it is not Church and State, what is it? In lieu of comments, we italicize the phrases that show the mingling of the Church and the State functions to a degree which marks the practise as far removed from the fundamental principles of the United States Government:— 'Sunday on board a United States man-of-war is in many respects similar to any other day in the week, save that the men are more quiet, the occasional games and recreations are suspended, there are no drills, and the morning 'church' is the feature of the day. 'On board the New York, the flag-ship of the North Atlantic Squadron, the Rev. A. L. Royce is chaplain. The services on this ship last about an hour, and a deep interest is taken in the responses from the book of prayer, as well as in the sermon and singing, music for which is furnished by the Admiral's band. 'This quarter of the gun deck during religious services presents an interesting scene. At one end the chaplain stands at his pulpit—a solid oak piece of furniture draped with the Stars and Stripes—on which rests the open Bible. To the right the officers of the ship are seated, and facing the chaplain are the marines, in uniforms of white duck, with blue sailor collars. To the left the rear of a powerful gun is visible, the muzzle projecting through a porthole, while to the right, and back of the officers, a rack of rifles may be seen. Here, amid the deadly weapons of modern warfare, this body of men assemble to lift up their hearts and voices to their Maker. 'Sunday on board ship is resting-day for nearly all hands, and those who are inclined to attend divine worship do so of their own free-will. It is to the credit of our seamen that very few of them neglect this privilege. The government provides a chaplain, and designates the hour for service, but does not compel the men to attend, so that it is very encouraging to find a large proportion of the ship's men at the Sunday-morning service. 'A beautiful custom in the navy in this connection is that when the ship's bell tolls for church, the national colors are hauled down from the peak, and the church pennant, consisting of a blue cross on a white field, is displayed instead. The colors are then hauled back to a position immediately underneath the pennant. Thus the sacred symbol of Christianity alone is permitted to take precedence of the Stars and Stripes; and this, the only flag that is ever hoisted above the national colors, remains flying during the hour of Sunday worship, from half past ten until half past eleven. It is then hauled down and the Stars and Stripes are again hoisted. Every flag-ship in the navy carries a chaplain, and most of the first-raters, such as the Columbia and Minneapolis. Some of the second-raters, like the Texas and Maine, also have chaplains. Every prominent naval station and navy-yard are also provided with chaplains, so that in the navy the government provides in all for twenty-four chaplains, who at the time of their appointment must not be over thirty-five nor less than twenty-one years of age. 'To those chaplains on the active list, the moral and religious work of our churches in the navy is intrusted, and each is required to do the work of his church without a shadow of sectarianism. Christian unity is aimed at and largely realized in the navy, and to the building up of character the chaplains are at work with might and main. They are appointed and commissioned, like any other naval officer, by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate. As in the case of other staff officers, they hold relative rank with the line, their rank terminating with that of captain, so that theirs is the privilege of the ship. Their uniform is not military, neither is it unmilitary, since it consists of the ordinary clerical dress, which is especially becoming on board ship.'