The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-25

ng ohcer surgeon and purser OF the vessel from which
the discharges occur
oth' As a further nducement for good men TO remain
IN Inc service every person having received honora-
Die discharge. aud reenlering within two months from
Tue date OF such discharge should receive pay from the
date OF his discharge
IN 10 entie person TO the increased compensation
upon ieshipmen.. or pay for two months leave" he
ough' 10 produce his last discharge or il lost duplicate
from proper authority
oih complete mertorlous and descriptive lists OF all the
men discharged, signed by the requisite officers shoald be
made out and deposited at The Navy Department and all
lne rendezvous and to prevent fraud no duplicate TO
discharge should be furnished but upon sufficient evidence
by the applicant
YIN As an incentive TO praisewortby duty, lei all
Tue pay aud effects of deseers all loss OF pay by sen
fence OF coutts-mala, aud all fines for offences com
m''ea on board ship (f such mode OF punishment
should be adoped) go 10 the support of the navy pen
sion fund for the benefit of those sailors who have stuck
TO their ag noby performed their duty. and merted the
gratitude OF their country. Thus much for "Jack :"
ne olcally comes naturally after the personnel proper.
but Is conesseily first in point OF effectiveness and is
The grand cause OF naval delinquency. il is true that
me same formative process obtains now as in 1912
Why' 'hen has not the navy that world wide renown,
that proudly cherished among the people, it once
had The answer is, apprehend, that, although il was
then comparatively new in its institution, ships and
squadons were commanded by young, energetic, and eI
peieneed officers But highly Objectionable mode OF pro-
motion prevailed, which only required time, in the inverse
ratio OF the error involved, to develop such state of
things as to destroy the usefulness of the SERVICE and
render nj Tor little other purpose than through
obscury TO enhance by contrast its pristine brilliaacy
Forty years exhibit in the command of our vessels Of
war not men IN the gorgeous Of their mental and
physical greatness. but fast sinking TO the horizon
beset with mist and clouds, Gillette. and
With failing nerves and WORKOUT brain,
Circling into infancy again" ....
But the question OF military capability in so far it
depends upon the age of comma ndipg officer.
upon two principles universally admitted true: one
OF physiological nature-that men arrive at their MAXI
mum physical condition at about twenty eight years Of
age the other OF mental charac,erthat the mind finds
its maximum strength somewhere between twenty five
and fifty. Hence it follows that the most available Pc
riod for vigorous and successful action comprised be-
tween twenty-five and fifty. All history attess this.
Alexander, Cesar, Washington Napoleon, Nelson, Wei
ngton Jackson, Decatur, and Perry. evidences in
favor OF the position AT the present day the extreme
age at which an officer must arrive before getting a
command seferrible to the seniority mode OF promotion
Another evil, of almost equal weight, arising from the
same source, is that officers OF inferior capacyofcers
broken down by the accidents Of the service but more fire.
quenty by their vices-are not by consequence
tared in their promotion, but ntrused with respon-
sble commands for which they could have no claim on
the ground Of capacity But the seniority system says
iue till you hundred years old, and in all probabl-
ity you will be The highest officer in the navy only ivs
long enough, and the frs, position in the service, with
accompanying endowments, shall be yours. The effect
OF this u.s. that most of the large commands conhded
to officers who have passed period in age for brilliant
achievements and second rate results follow conse.
quence 1t says, Pass examination as boy, have
just enough 10 squeeze through and Colling-
wood and Stewart, just below you at the time, can
never be advanced above you, but you will command
them in every instance in which you placed on duty
with them for the term of your natural life. What
humliaiing fact-that man OF undoubted genius must
in many cases. remain during his whole subordi
nate to men who almost imbeciie Again the Sc
niory system says youmay be broken down physically
mentally. and morally. after you have passed your
animation yet, provided you not totally unfit for
kind OF naval duty go those die IN advance OF YOU
until you arrive at the top; for since you fairly in the
navy you shall not be turned of il, except by
,ence of couu'mar'la for some offence involving the
graves, turpitude
For these reasons think the seniority system may b
fairly charged with being The main OF the inef
cheney OF the navy Retiring officers from active service
would remedy most OF its defects, but nothing like all o.
them. Meat would be trammeled, and stimulus Of
fered to arouse the dormant fire OF latent genius.
Promotion by merit naturally presents itself the
feasible means OF insuring an economical and usefu
navy 50 far the officially is concerned.
merit the various grades should be constituted boards t.
make nominations the Senate for promotion, and lhcs
boards should also recommend officers for the retire,
list This is the most unexceptionabe way OF arrivin
| a, an estimate OF an officers character and abilities.
simply airms tina, mans reputation is best known
appreciated by the community in which he lives II hi
position is untrue, we must abandon repubicanism.
Before going into the general detail respecting the OF
hciaiy will slightly discuss the principle OF promoto
laid down the preceding paragraph, Tor the express
benefit OF consevatists men who in age OF prog
ress, esteem il the best philosophy 10 stand still The
do so only because they never have opinion base
upon the solid foundations OF positive philosophy an
are therefore incapable OF discriminating between leg
mate logical deduction, warranted by well Loco ordinate
science, and solitary disconnected experiment
The able and truly patriotic statesman is always on III
alert upon the introduction OF new measures, TO dscove
If they have anything in them that initiates against tn
genus and sprit of the general government; II so,
attacks and demolishes with bis whole strength On III
| other hand If the measures have upward tendency
and are in unison with the broad basis OF commo
Liberties and equal rights, he supports them with III
same spirit, The dominant characteristic Of the Unite
States is progtcss and he erponeni OF progress is
elevation of ~ good" His exoelleney President Fill
more in his last message Congress. takes ground tina
covers the whole subject, and remarks with peculiar az
propra,eness upon the navy as follows;
81 earnestly recommend TO your attention the neces
sy of recognizing the naval establishment, apporon
ing and fixing the number OF officers 10 each grade, pro
yidpg some mode of promotion TO the higher grades Q
the navy. having reference to merit and capacity, ralhe
than seniority date OF entry into the service, and 10
retiring from the effective list upon reduced pay tbos
who may be incompetent 10 the performance OF acuv
duty"
| IT, with tho democraev of The nee