Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-09-02

impartial enforcement OF this doctrine mus, be pro
dcctive OF public benefit. While i, makes the
agents OF the people more circumspec in all their
conduct, 1t will ensure respect for the constitution
and laws of the country. We repeat, that the COM
plants OF abuses had become such, that the honor
OF the country and the character OF the Navy itself
demanded public Investigations into them. Public
and impartial enquiries in the conduct OF oic or
surely cannot be more injurious to bis reputation
than the circulation, botf. at home and abroad, of
charges deeply Preludicial TO his character. Who
reflects most credit the service the officer whose
conduct has been tested by the ordeal of public
scrutiny, or he who is suspected? How often has it
been said that the superior officers under little or
no restraint themselves, have exercised over their
suoaiteins an authority approaching to tyranny and
oppression! Do we not hear that the public ships
sent upon distant and important service have been.
to the neglect of that service, applied TO objects of
private emoluinent, such the transportation of
specie and merchandize. II these charges be true
are they not dsSraceful both to the Navy and the
country! AT any rate ought they not to be enquir-
Ell INTO! Heretofore it has been said that while the
misconduct OF Liedtenants and Midshpnen has
been promptly noticed, and frequently punished,
the higher officers, including the -Commodores OF
squadToDs, have been allow 10 do nearly as they
please, or to explain away any objection to their
conduct iftere be any truth in this, it furnishes
an additional ground for condemning the TASTY CEN
sures oil the opposite course. The trial of 1t.
kennon, must be fresh in the memory of every one;
10 say nothing OF many other trials that have taken
place The conduct OF Capt. Porter on that occa-
son. and the insinuations very broadly made, that
The Secretary was disposed improperly to shield
hun from censure, cannot 20 soon have been forgot
ten.
so lar from considering the Investigations lately
instituted injurious think they promise benefit,
to the service IL is true they expensive, but
that expense is nothing compared with the public
and private reputation involved. There is, howe
yer, danger TO be apprelended from hasty and in
ludicious measures. The feelings of high minded,
honorable men, conscious of the rec,itude of their
conduct, are sensitive in the extreme. To control
such men, a course firm, Just and impartial, can
alone succeed. Too much rigor or TOO much lenity,
or hasiy transitions from extreme 10 the other,
will produce the same disgust and dissatisfaction
Commodore Portcr.--The charge against this
officer oil neglecing his duty, and engaging in
the transportation OF specie has undergone labo-
rious inv estigaon, and an elaborate opinion of the
Court OF Inquiry has been published in the Wash
inston papers. The fame of our Naval Heroes is
public property. In this point of view the honora
bic acquttal of the Commodore must be gratifying
to the nation.
| We have not room at present for the whole of
the Report OF the Court. 1t occupies nearly five
columns OF small type in the Nat. Inteisencer.-
The Report goes into minute account of the ser
| vices required of Com. p. and of the manner in
which he performed them, both personally, and
| through the instrumcntaty Of the several vessels
| OF his squadron. From his orders, it appears that
the objects OF his command were " the suppression
of pracy-the affordng of effcc,ual protection TO
| the citizens and commerce of the u. Staies-the
suppression of the slave irae and the iransporta-
| ton of specie to the u. Saies''-
L
squadron is particularly called, is the protection of
the convoy of specie from Vera Cruz and the Bay
| OF Mexico, generally, to the United States. One
vessel least is directed to be kept on this service
to be at or near Vera Cruz, during the healthy sea-
son OF the year, and to be relieved - occasion
shall require, both for the convoy of trade and TO
bring specie to the United States, combining the
| transportation to the United States only
| After disposins of the other subjects Of enquiry
much to the credit of Com, p the Court advert to
the specie carrying charge. They say:
"The next subject TO which the attention of the
Court has been directed, is the transportation oil
specie, particularly from the Gulf of Mexico to the
| United States. From causes which have already
been referred to- it has not been practicable to pur-
sue this inquiry TO the extent desired In addition
to the general instructions, already particularly re-
lerred to, orders were issued by the Department, OF
December 22d, 1923, by which Com. Porter was
| authorized "to receive on board specie, and the
articles permitted by the act for the better govern
ment Of the Navy, belonging exclusively to our
citizens, and 10 carry them from one port or place
to another when il does not, any degree in, err
iere with your dulles, or violate the laws oil
the country where you are. You may also bring
to the United States specie belonging to own
citizens, but you are, in case, to permit any
thing in the shape character of public advertise
ments to be used for the purpose Of giving infor.
nation that you will carry them And, that
the government may know the extent to which
the commercial interests OF citizens are benefit
ted, by the assistance afforded by public YES
sells on this point, and be prepared to answer any
! complaints on the subject, which may be made by
individuals governments, you will, from tinse
to time, make reports to this Department OF all the
specie and other articles you may carry, the place.
TO and from which you carry them, and the cir
| cumstances, terms and conditions ON which YOU dc
| it,"
After the receipt of the instructions of December
I'D, 1928, circular letter addressed on the
| Both OF the same month, TO the different command
ers under his ORDERS forbidding them to take on
freight any treasure without special Instructions 10
that purpose. On the 9Th October, 1924, Com
modore Porter reported TO the Department the
amount of specie which had at that time been trans
| ported by the different vessels under his command
since the preceding December From This state
ment 1t appears, that, specie to the amount o.
| S399, 900 had been carried within that period, a,
the carriage freight Of Ia per cent One other
vessel under his command, which appears to have
carried specie, the Shark, commanded by Lieutenant
Gallagher, is not included in this report, not having
at its date arrived at the port Of destination so far
as the Court has been able TO ascertain the facts j,
Is inclined 10 believe that the amount of specie car
ried on freight, in the preceding year, did equal
in amount that which is stated in the report of Com
modofc Porter, carried in 1924
| The orders under which Lieutenant Stevens act
ed, appear to have been given by the Department,
the application Of the Bank Of the United States