The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-07

VI MS term, Mr.. Adams nominated but one Off.
Ger Tor promotion 10 the rank Of Captain, and
NOT single one 70 the rank of Commander
whereas, in his last year, he recommended 10
the Senate the appointment Of five to the former
and ten TO the latter. During the first and second
years OIL the administration Of General jackson,
only three, but in the last, ZEN Captains were ad-
ded 10 the service; during his first year he ad-
yocated the appointment of but one officer TO
the rank OF Commander, and not one to that OF
Lieutenant; whereas, during the last, he nomi-
mated and promoted twenty to the former, and
my to the latter rank. Indeed, Mr. Monroe,
The year before he retired from Office, urged up
on The consideration of Congress- by message,
the necessity of creating higher grades in the
Navy. and recommended that the minimum
number OF officers in the different grades should
be so fixed by law as TO allow every vessel then
IN the Navy her due quota. General Jackson,
not long before he retired from the Presidential
chalr, advocated similar measures, and so also,
believe, did Mr. Adams.
:, 30 lar then from having any system in the
Navy, with regard to appointments and promo
tlons-or any established and determinate rules,
with regard 10 the number of officers, il appears
that all IS arbitrary. II is entirely subject TO the
/ control OF Executive discretion, which, though
| dependent TO some extent on the will of the Sc
nate, may be exercised for good or for evil.
Its TO the practical effects OF this discretionary
stTFlCe owes us TellTeu lISt oil Oh
tcers called Passed Midshipmen and Passed
Assistant Surgeons. In consequence of ap-
pointing more Midshipmen than il was after
wards Judged expedent to promote, a list of up
wards OF two hundred officers has accumulated
IN the service who, while they spend years 10
the prime of life, waiting for their turn in the
hayward round of promotion, receive half the
pay OF Lieutenant, and are at an annual charge
OF $3.50 600 upon the Treasury. SO long as the
President may appoint any number of Midship
men, or nominate to the Senate any number of
officers Tor commissions in the Navy or at will re
fuse all such appointments, aud withhold all
such nominations; so long, it appears to me,
Mr.. Editor, will the Navy be unstable, and liable
to have its proportion of officers sometimes far
beyond, and at other times as far below, the true
wants and necessities of the service. And for
the same reasons, the service itself will fuctuate
One President giving il motion of increase that
will carry It as far above the mark of true econo-
my, as, in the returning vibration, under another
President, il will descend below the proper mark
OF true policy and wisdom. If, without any law
on the subject. the Navy may be doubled in the
course OF three administrations, it may, by the
same rule, go on to increase in geometrical pro-
gressonunder the next three, and at the end of the
last OF their terms, be again double its nresent
size. Or II may decrease; and the decrease being
IN the ratio of the increase the last Of the next
NHIee IItsIueutS may leaVe the NAVY Wnere MT.
Monroe found it in 1917. To 20 or building
and launching men of-war, when guns could not
be procured to compose a battery for them,
would, every one will admit, be an extreme of
national folly and improvidence Officers are
quite as important and necessary as guns, to our
men ofwar Equally unwise and iniudicious
is it them TO go on building ships without regard
TO the one, as TO the other Nay, more unwise
is il TO neglect the officer, than the gun for
Il ,s I'll, Lu.. Al. II
may be cast and bored in day whereas, under
| the present system, years of previous training
are required to make the former. If we suppose,
that a law We're passed to fix in each grade the
number OF officers at their present rate--having
| no regard to the number of ships in the Navy,
and that the country were TO find itself involved
in war at any time thereafter many of the best
ships that we now have would be laid up for the
want of officers. Nor could the number Of Pass
ed Mldshlpmen, OF Lieutenants, Commanders
or Captains, be increased with properly trained
officers in a shorter period than six years; for
six years, as you have seen, is The time required
properly to train and prepare Midshipman for
the duties of a Lieutenant.
There is but one rule by which the proper num-
Der of officers for the Navy can be determined
and that rule is afforded by the number and size
of the ships There are sixty odd Of these in
the Navy, which require many guns, so many
IlCus anu 81 many OlUCtIS. mere Is UOt0lU0
arbitrary in the proportion of these The num-
Der and size Of the vessels TO be equipped being
known, the ratio Of officers is as determinate as
the ratio OF guns or OF men. If there be but three
ships in the Navy,t would be mark of folly
and extravaganza TO maintain more officers in
the employ of the government, than are required
TO perform the service connected with these three
ships. But if, instead Of three, there be hun
bred vessels equally short-sighted and reprehen-
10 WonId he the nolicv IF m
of officers, barely sufficient to perform the duties
connected with one half such number Of ships.
According TO the Register of 1910, there are in
the Navy sixty-five vessels of all classes, and
seven Navy Yards, besides Hospitals, Shipping
Rendezvous, and other stations. The number
and grades Of the officers required to perform
the duties of each ship, yard and station, are fix
ed BY regulation land it should be enioined
upon the Executive as duty, to regulate, con
formally with this rule, the number of officers of
each grade in the service.
Independent of giving TO the Navy its proper |
proportions, the advantages of an arrangement
to such an effect would be manifold and obvious
There could not then, as there may be now, an
increase of the Navy, without the consent of
Congress. Congress would first have to pass
appropriations and authorize the building of
more ships before any increase could take place
among the officers. Thus, the Legislative De-
partment would exercise more wholesome and |
direct control over the Navy than it now does
The building of more ships, would by conse
quence involve the appointment of more young
officers, and the promotion of old ones. The |
expenses, incident TO such appointment and pro-
motion, would of course constitute an item in
the estimates submitted for new ships and as
part of the cost involved in an appropriation, |
they would have to be authorized BY both houses
of Congress, before the President could appear
before the Senate with new batch of nominal
tons, asking the consent ofthat body to increase
promotions in the Navy. 1t is admitted, that
under the regulations of such law there would
be more officers in the Navy than are requisite