The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-04-03
The Naval Apprenticeship systenl.

We thought that no one at the present day could
De iound SO ignorant or 80 preudced as 10 h'tep'
20 oppose the admirable system OF naval appreh.
ices introduced into our service WITHIN the last
few years under the sanction of an act OF Con-
gress. But as such attempt has recently been
made; we must show It's absurdlty. writer ID
apprenticeship System" The folly OF this is too
apparent to need contradiction. The system has
aot been exploded, but is still in operation. All
that We complain oil Is that II Is not carried out
FULLY and extensively as the real friends OF the ma
Wy desire as fully Congress intended by the
law passed, that it should be. Already under this
system some 2000 boys have been shipped into the
service, and there are still In the service some 300
or 4OO excellent boys who are an ornament to the
navy, and OF whom their commanders are justly
proud. Many boys have been discharged from the
service on account OF the expiration OF their term,
and have reentered the service of their ocn accord
a. boys, Many others have been discharged by
the Secreiar OF the Navy, from requests made to
him by relatives through letters, and of these many
have requested to be allowed to return the service
and have acuallyrc-entered the service also boys
1t is true that few-a very, very lew of the OIL
Gers in the navy are opposed-not to the system
but to the little extra trouble which it takes them
to teach these boys-and still fewer number we
are happy to say are found who oppose the system
because it brings few poor ragged boys int the
service "betwixt the wind and their nobility"
But the bulk of the gallant officers in the navy
including moot or all of our noble commod0res and
captains-are decidedly and warmly in favor Of
Ihis system, including as gallant an officer and
skilful sailor as the world can produce the brave
Elliott. The writer says, he has had enough of
hardy ragged little boys in the navy we would in
all Kindness ask this vSlter whether he was born
with a pair of silk stockings or breeches on, or
with marling spike in his hands, or otherwise
But we are sick OF this ridiculous abuse and sneers
1t the poor-what does the general government do
for the poor boy at all! We know it supports
West Point arstocratical institution at an enor-
nous expense; and also institution at the naval
asylum, Philadelphia, for the rich mans sons TO
teach them to become midshipmen; but it does
nothing whatever for the poor. Is this fart IL
this republican, Shall this state of things be re-
NEEDED; or shall we appeal to the ballot box tor
remedy that shall be lasting and efficient
ship system works we'll. This we contradict. Look
at the case OF the Ohio, "A; her last cruise-ths
noble ship took cut sixty boys, out OF whom her
Commander made 10 of them Masters mates; and
this ID but one instance out OF number OF slmllar
ones that could be quoted. The fact il, that the
smartssr petty officers in the service have been ap
prentice boys In our Navy; who can take ship
from the keel to the truck and rig her; and no man
IN the Navy can teach them their duty A. to the
ask this writer whose fault that 10, and where we
get our sailors from to man our vessels of war;
Ii they are not raised in the American Navy, they
must be raised cupboard British, Dutch, or French
or Russian men. of war, or the men-of-war of some
other forrig nations; unless the writer in the Til
bwre, to keep pace with his ignorance or his preu-
dice, should undertake to assert that they were all
born with taTry. breeches on, or marin-spike in
their hands, ready made sailors The truth 10, that
tenn that has ever been introduced into this coun.
try and when 1t shall have fair trial, which it has
not had yet, the most splenddy advantageous re-
suits will flow from its full exercise.