American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-07
From the Charlestown (ya) Free Press, july 3D.
THE NAVY YARD AT GOSPORT.

Some evil influence was at work about te
days since, at the navy yard, Gosport, Virginia
just at the moment the President Of the Unite
States and the Secretary of the Interior wer
making visit in that quarter. The Command
! ant of the yard was induced to issue an orde
on the 23d of June, closing the gates Of tn
navy yard against the workmen until the hou
for ringing the bell, keeping some ten twelve
| hundred persons in waiting, like flock of sheer
near their pen, and then requiring them all to
be present at roll-call, or be docked half DAVIS
| wages.
And what do you suppose, reader, was the
cause of this outrage upon the feelings of q
large body of respectable mechanics? Why,
simply, that somebody about the premises had
been guilty of petty larceny, and had distracted
few pieces of copper or some scraps Of old
iron AS well might the head of family turn
out his whole household because a rat had got
into one of his old cheeses, or an urchin had
stolen sugar plum.
The workmen were very naturally indignant
at an imputaton which embraced their whole
number, confounding the innocent with the
guilty, and bringing reproach upon heads of
families who had labored twenty or thirty years
in the public service without stain. They in
| dignantly left the premises, repaired TO the
town of Portsmouth, and resolved, calmly but
firmly, that they would never raise a hammer
or an axe till the order was revoked. They
committed no excess of any kind, but counseed
| to moderation and patience by some of their
most experienced heads, they submitted the
case to the Navy Department through a com
mittee of two persons-Mr. Cowper a lawyer
and Mr.. Culpeper, the foreman of one of the
shops. .......
Most judiciously did these gentlemen perform
their task, as we learn from a person who was
present. They submitted to Secretary Graham
nla atr bal III
intention of insubordination or disrespect to
those in authority, but vindicating all who were
engaged in resistance to an ill Judged order from
the stain about to be inflicted upon a body of
! good citizens. And this gentleman, with pro-
per appreciation of the manly pride which had
caused the outbreak, scanned patiently the state
ments of his officers and those of the remon-
strants, and promptly resolved to set matters
right. This he did, without infringing upon the
proper authority of those in command lie ad-
vised reconsideration, not doubling that Com.
Stringham would act upon suggestion MS
promptly as upon command. The offensive
order was accordingly modified, and the work
men on Monday last resumed their labors, with
the consciousness that in maintaining proper
self-respect they had but acted up TO the char
acter of American freemen.
Secretary Graham now occupies proud po-
| sition in their esteem. Nay, more-he has
their affection and regard because he has felt
and acted like man with heart and soul
worthy of son of the Old North State.
We took more than ordinary interest in this
affair; because we had, some years since, felt
no small degree of indignation at the conduct
of certain public functionaries who treated with
contempt the complaints Of the workmen at
Harpers Ferry, when the civil power was SUBJ
stituted by military rule, and the insolencc
of office" was displayed in its most odious
| FORM