Slamecksan

The Slamecksan, or Low-Heels, constitute one of the two violently opposed political factions in the empire of Lilliput. They are distinguished from their rivals, the Tramecksan or High-Heels, by the low heels of their shoes. The Emperor of Lilliput has determined to make use only of low heels in the administration of the government and in all offices in the gift of the crown; his own imperial heels are lower, by at least a drurr (about the fourteenth part of an inch), than any of his court. This royal preference has placed the Slamecksan in a position of power, despite the fact that the Tramecksan are computed to exceed them in number.

Factional Conflict and Court Politics

The animosities between the two parties run so high that they will neither eat, drink, nor talk with each other. The political situation is further complicated by the heir to the crown, who is suspected of having some tendency towards the High-Heels; it is plainly discovered that one of his heels is higher than the other, which gives him a hobble in his gait. This internal division weakens the empire from within, even as it faces the threat of invasion from the island of Blefuscu. The Slamecksan, as the ruling faction, are thus engaged in a constant struggle to maintain their dominance against a numerically superior opposition that enjoys the sympathy of the crown prince.

Connection to the Big-Endian Controversy

The factional strife between the Slamecksan and the Tramecksan is intertwined with the empire's other great conflict, the religious and political schism over the proper way to break eggs. The Big-endian exiles, who refuse to break their eggs at the smaller end as required by law, have found refuge and encouragement at the court of Blefuscu. This external support has fueled a bloody war that has lasted for six-and-thirty moons, during which Lilliput has lost forty capital ships and thirty thousand of its best seamen and soldiers. The Slamecksan administration, therefore, must contend not only with internal political enemies but also with a foreign war that is itself a continuation of a domestic religious dispute.

The Slamecksan in the Conspiracy Against Gulliver

The Slamecksan faction's dominance is evident in the conspiracy that forms against Lemuel Gulliver. The key figures who prepare articles of impeachment against him for high treason are all members of the ruling party: Skyrris Bolgolam, the high admiral; Flimnap, the lord high treasurer; Limtoc, the general; Lalcon, the chamberlain; and Balmuff, the grand justiciary. During the debates on Gulliver's punishment, Bolgolam, a creature of the empress, insists on a painful and ignominious death, accusing Gulliver of being a Big-endian in his heart. The treasurer Flimnap supports this view, arguing that the expense of maintaining Gulliver is ruining the treasury. The Slamecksan ministers thus demonstrate the same capacity for ruthless political intrigue and personal vendetta that characterizes the faction's rule.

Narrative and Thematic Significance

The Slamecksan faction serves as a satirical vehicle for Jonathan Swift's critique of English party politics under Queen Anne and George I. The absurd distinction between high and low heels mirrors the trivial differences that divided the Whigs and Tories, while the violent animosity between the factions reflects the bitter partisanship of early 18th-century British politics. The fact that the crown prince's uneven heels betray his political leanings underscores Swift's cynical view of hereditary monarchy and the arbitrary nature of political allegiance. The Slamecksan, despite being the party in power, are shown to be as corrupt, vengeful, and self-interested as their opponents, suggesting that the struggle for power is ultimately a contest between equally flawed factions.