The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-04

From The N. Y. Express
THE NAVY.


There Is general expression Of dsapProba1ion and
regret at the which the House has seen III ~
adopt in reference to the Army and Navy apPropria
tons. This regret il felt the deeply respects
the Nave-a branch Of The service which every one
regards with deep and lively Interest," and which under
the auspices of the able and Sec
rotary, We had hoped to placed upon that high
footing which the interests and honor Of the country
imperatively demand. There was hardly paper in
the Union but applauded the able suggestions aud
larged views o. Judge Upshur at the opening of Con-
grss and the prospect Of necessary reforms and more
liberal policy advocated In Tint admirable report,
hailed every where and by all parties with sasfac-
ton The interests Of the navy were there presented
IN their true light and the Importance of extending to
the service the fostering hand Of government with a
iberaliy commensurate with the demands and growth
oil the country, were fOrclby argued, that II was
hardly TO be supposed Cong would be wanting IN
disposition afford the necessary means TO carry
out their views We believe in all sincerity, that the
House has grossly misrepresented public opinion In
striking out the million of do lars from The navy bil
They ha thus given a blow to the prosperity of the
service which if concured in by the Senate, will be
productive of much evil, and that OF no temporary
character II is not merely the temporary inconvenl-
Of inadequate provision for the ear, OF wi CHI we
complaint not merely that by this withholding of
supplies the workshops closed, and the timbeis
left TO rot upon the stocks, which consists all the
evil All this may be remedied in future by more
liberal appropriations But this is service which pc
tnht there 6nOQlu INSTABILITY
inconsistency olegisation step like this touches the
feelings and interests of the whole corps of officers at
tached to the navy, the effects Of which extend far
forward, and the consequences Of mistake here 1t
will be found difficult remedy. The course taken
by the House is peculiarly unfortunate at the
present moment All the officers recently appointed
and in fact all the junior officers. wi thus find them
selves virtually cut off fiom any prospect of promo
ton for many years. the expectations and hopes with
which they entered the service will undergo cruel
Ia. a.
with which they will have been treated by their
try 1t will be difficult for them to infuse into their &C
tive duties that ardent buoyant spirit which animaes
the bosoms OF men who feel that they serving a
country that will not be unmndful of them. This is
fact hich should not be lightly regarded by those
who desire to gallant navy what it ought to
be, and what it most assuredly would be, under
policy of legislation and control liberal and just
to all
Our growing commerce, too requires GROWING
navy. Into whatever seas enterprsing MER-
cHANrMEN carry the name and the flag of our coun-
try, there, too, MEN-oF-wAR should occasionally
be But il is needless to multiply arguments on
the Importance, the necessity, indeed, of efficient
navy to this country There thousands of unan-
swerable arguments, and they are too obvious to
need repetition.
1t will readily be admitted by all that in the pre-
sent condition of national finances economy should
be studied in all the departments of government but
we can hardly suppose that the necessities of the
treasury SUCH aS 10 demand the large TeuucIlOn
contended for in the army and navy estimates 1t is
urged, indeed, for the proposed re-
trenchment," that abuse, improvidence, and waste,
have characterized the expenditures in the naval
service for many years But surely these abuses may
be corrected without diminishing the strength inn
pairing the efficiency of the navy
While we thus very much doubt the wisdom of
the House in the course it has taken in this matter
and which we hope and trust will be met with a more
enlightened view in the Senate it may be matter of
question whether the House were altogether actua-
ted by wrong view of the wants Of the navy alone
Upon this point we quote the Baltimore Ameri-
can:
C If the honorable members of the House who vo-
ted for the extraordinary curtaiment have been in
fiuenced thereto by conscientious motives of duty,
they will be inwardly fortified against any express
sion of disapprobation which their unexpected
course may call forth. Nor, in such case, would we
be disposed to give utterance to any The right of
such independent action, upon such principle, we
would award to Others promptly as we would
claim it for ourselves. If, however, the action OF
the House has proceeded from desire to embarrass
the Administration, from an unwillingness to CO
operate with the Executive in measures suggested
byt without regard to the real utility Of such sugge
toEs the disapprobation which such wanton pertina
city must provoke will fall with emphatic weight
upon the heads of those who most deserve itn