The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-02-06

TO The EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

The brevets bestowed upon our gallant officers,
during the late war with Mexico, have led to MANY
difficulties, chickering's, jealousies, and misunder
standings. Is not officer with brevet rank
clearly entitled to all the consideration all the
emoluments OF rank, command, and all the courte-
sizes and military salutes, when he is assigned to his
brevet command, as when he holds that position in
the line! An officer is assigned to command
equivalent to that rank-his orders clearly express
that ne is TO his position in accordance with
his brevet, not his lneal rank; with these orders
brevet major of marines was ordered, by the
Navy Department. TO take passage in the cabin OF
the U. 5 ship Vince nnes, to assume the command
OF the marines Of the Pacific squad ron.
He was assigned his brevet rank by the Navy
Department, aud accommodations ordered for him
In this ship. With these orders he repaired on
board, was recognized by the captain in his capa.
city, and all the attentions and coureses due that
rank extended to him.
first lieutenant declined his attendance at the
gangway, and ordered the officer OF the deck to
extend 10 hum such courtesy only as were due
b'm, in his official capacity, as captain in the line
the authority Of the Navy Department? How had
he the presumption 10 throw aside the express or.
ders Of the department, to question its authority,
and substitute his opinions and his own powers,
10 invalidate The orders Of the Secretary of the
Navy, is certainly more Than can imagine or con-
ceive.
A letter was addressed to Capt. Hudson asking
him If he did, or did not, recognise him in his oi
cal capacity of brevet major, under an assignment
of The Navy Department In reply, Capt Hudson
says:-"l recognized you in capacity OF breyet
major, under an assignment of the Navy Depart
ment, and ordered all the salutes, attentions, and
courtesies extended 10 yon, which are given TO my
self on going from or returning to the ship, except
the attendance OF the first lieutenant at the gang
way; he being older as a lieutenant than yourself
as captain, II would be manifest injustice to that
officer 10 require his attendance" II Is unneces-
sary to examine this deep, logical reasoning. If
Capt. Hudson recognized him IN his capacity of
major, by what parity of reasoning could he exact
the attendance of his hrst lieutenant at the side,
and refuse the same courtesy 10 brevet major,
whose rank he had thus officially recognized as
equal to his own.
Ii is certainly exceedingly difficult to understand
explain such reasoning, except to call II purely
naval, for no construction known to the English
language can satisfactorily explain the manifest
absurdity Of each peculiar mode of drawing naval
conclusions.
The first lieutenant says, - it is manifestly I'M
just that brevet rank should be recognized afioat,
because there is no such grade recognized 10 that
pc culiar branch OF the service" lie Calls the at
tention 10 the brave and gallant defence Of San
Jose by Lieut.. Haywood, of the navy, add adds,
" if there was such grade known TO the navy,
Lieut. Haywood would have had at least two bre-
vets"
There can be no doubt of the high deserts of
Lieut. Haywood 10 that most successful and brill
liant defence. | know of nothing superior to 1t
during the war. Most richly, most deservedly, did
that gallant officer earn his proud reputation, by
that splendid and glorious defence ana it will GER
tainly not detract from his well earned merits, tn
his garrison was composed nne- nths OF marines.
Ii is their mlstortune-not their fault, that they
have received no hrevets; but why should ma
rne officer, who has CALAMITY won his brevet AMID
the iron hail OF Chep,titepec, and The stormng OF
the Belm Gate and The national palace, suffer by
the cold neglect, the miserable jeaouses and ridi
culous absurdites ofthe navy
On The arrival of the Vmcennes at her station, he
tnld nv he q ln-(S AZ ~
cannot be recognized i'll his capacity OF brevet
ma Tor, because II would establish precedent, Of
which he did not desire the responsibility oftaking
What terrible responsibility would rest on his
shoulders for simply obeying orders from the Sec
retary OF the Navy which orders were IN simple
compliance with law and regulation. The follow
ing is the law in question -" BE II enacted, &c,
" hat the officers Of the army who have breyet
commissions, shall be entitled to, and receive the
pay and emoluments of, brevet rank, when on
duty, and having command according to their
breyet runk and al no other tlme;" And II 10 here
by further enacted, THAT The officers of the marine
corps shall he, in relation 10 rank, on the same
iootng as officers II the same grade in the army,
provided that no officer of the marine corps shall
exercise command over any vessel or navy yard OF
the United States" in the face OF this plain and
speeifc law, IN the fsce of the direct and positive
Assignment ~ the officer to IA command equal to
his brevet rank, the Commander in. Chief shrinks
from the responsibility OF obeying the orders OF the
Navy Department, and commits palpable inj justice
TO q gallant officer, wbose hair has been banched
The hctlNe service OF nearly years, only 10
crafty the idle and causeless ealousies of navy.
This fear Of responsibility, too, from one OF those
officers, who proudly boast that they are the law,
that they are The Judge, when, where, and under
what circumstances, they are TO condescend 10
crafty the express wishes of the Secretary of the
Navy. They will recognise no breveis in the
navy; they will have no marine officers in their
ships, whose rank is superior to their own selfish
heutenanis. No; but they will have, when II
please9 them, junior leuIenent, Junior by fifty
eight numbers, In command Of d sloop- Of war, to
the exclusion OF an old heuenan; sent out by the
Navy Department specifically, for the squadron IN
the Pacific, thus creating, and actually acknow.
tdging brevet rank in the navy, when it suits their
own puTpose-thus d,siegarding the claims and
tights Of marine officer, the orders and assign
ments Of he Navy Department, 10 please the sci.
jealousy.
What right has the Commander-in.C Chief to 60
behind the Secretary Of the Nays orders, aud
decide against an assignment OF the department To
an officer 81 breyet rank 10 say he shall or shall
not have all The talutes, all the attentions, aud
all the couitesies OF that rank IL he TO say, that
the department is incapable OF deciding, what,
when, and under what circumstances, brevet
rank is TO take effect Is he to let the small and
contemplate jealousies Of tine navy influence
him, which is 10 DO so much and so palpable in
justice TO a gallant and meritorlous officer, who
has won his bTevet IN one OF the most fierce aud
gallant struggles, ia the most splendid campaign
IN military record II does no, IL cannot, make
the slightest difference, what the rank may be Of
brewer major, whether That rdnh Is second
lieutenant or captain. II is with the brevet rank,
ard the breyet rank alone, with which he has
anything 20 do, and with his lineal rank, what
ever IL may be, he has nothing to do, and he has
not he slightest, or TIE most remote right, to re-
fuse any, or all the attentions and all the military
courtesies due their rank. he has no right 10 in
quiFe what position he occupies in the line,
whether he does or does not, even have com
mission; as far as breyet rank s concerned II is OF
no earthly consequence.
What IS breyst rank I II mus, mean something
or nothing. IL must be Of some cOnsequence-of
some Importance; must give some priyIle ses-
some rank 70 him who holds it, orit is Of no con-
sequence, AMI, therefore, would not be conferred.
IL most certainly entities linn, who holds that
renk a. wear the Uniform OF that prUde, Of prece.
deace an courts martial, or visiis OF ceremony,
&c. What possible right, then, had the com.
mander in Chief ~ sqadron, or OF a military d-
vision, 10 refuse all The military attentions due
that rank il il the individual or the rank which
Is salued when an officer yists ship Of war, or
military post Was il i. +. Smith, Esq or the
al % afgvr a nh a. L..I