The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-12-07
The Navy.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 30, 1872
JAMES GORDON BENNETT ESQ. =


/ noticed in your paper some days past an art,cl
rejecting on the Secretary of the Navy for confer
ring the command of the sloop Vencennes on Com
mander Franklin Buchanan. The person who fur
nlshed the suggestion upon which that article
written, certainly laboTs under an error as TO the
number above Commander Buchanan who have
not had commands. There seventy-nine Com
manders above him, and out OF that number forty
three have had commands-forty-two OF the seven
ty-nine above Mr. Buchanan, have been promoted
since the LIST OF January lS4l. There sixteen
below him, and out of that number four have had
or now have commands. Is 1t fair or Just 10 i'm
pugn the motives of the Secretary for giving Mr..
Buchanan d commands man who is ack nowledged
by all Chat have heard speak Of him) as one of
the first officers of his gradel Mr. B is certainly
young commander, but under all the circumstances,
he is fairly entitled 10 the command conferred upon
him. The department never has rgidly adhered to
seniority In making selections for the commands,
but IN this instance, upon that score Mr. b. is fairly
enled, as will appear from the above abstract from
the Navy Register. The fact IL, however, that let
an apponmentbe ever so udiclous, there will never
be wanting those TO complain and find fault.
. IL is rumored that the Vincennes is going TO the
Coast OF Africa. II so, do you want an old COM
mander to go there, who. being satisfied with him.
SELL and knowing in The course Of things he must be
Post Captain. and having no moIves for exertop,
and not being willing TO hisdaIly looke Tor Cap
| ain's commission into jeopardy by constant cruz-
| ing along that sickly coaster do you want a man
who will be active and wachful, and DESTROYS show
that although young, he can carry out the inst uc-
But after all, Commander b. is only finishing a
cruise. The limited appropriations made at the last
session OF Congress, made IL necessary, ar under
stand, to lay up the steamer Mississippi, and the Vim
cennes being ready for sea, transfer OF officers
was, think, the most economical 10 the govern
ment, and just to Commander b as well as TO the
other officers
In the article the Secretary is charged with
Partially In giving the command Of a ten gun brig
to his brother, Lieut. Geo. p. Upshur, man who
has been fifteen years a lieutenant. and has seen
much hard service any officer of his date, and
acknowledged by all, may say, to be qualified for
command Now, let us see whether he was not
entitled TO II. He is twenty nine from the head Of
the list of eutenanfs-the four first that list, il
is more than likely will never have command
they have long since been over-saughed-the next
four entitled 10 promotions TO fill vacancies-of
the balance, seven have commands afioat six
attached TO navy yards, stations, &c.-one Sick one
in the East Indies, and the remaining three waiting
orders, and as understand, have never applied for
command. There are below HIM twelve, that
know (trom looking the Navy Reglsier) who
have, and part OF them now hold commands afoat
Is Lieut.. Upshur. because he happens to be the bro
ther of the Secretary of the Navy, to be kept out of
what he is Justly entitled fo--or is the Secretary,
because his brother is entitled to a command, 10
overlook him for fear Of being accused of pariaty'
Certainly no man can wish that II he is TO be in
fuenced by such petty considerations, he is not tn
man the country takes him Ia be. JUSTICE