New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-15
THE NAVY.
Abuses In the service-Lonsevity.

e
First, Flogging in the Navy must be
abolished, and kept abolished, and next, Longsr'fy
must be attended to. A few score Of old gentlemen
ayeleadily at work, night and day. at the task Of
OUTLYING, not merely their usefulness, bat that
of the American Navy also.
This " arm of our defense" costs US nine millions
Of dollars per annum il 10 too large sum to pay
to sustain hotel of invalids, or rather "a hospta
OF incuraoles," as some one terms she House OF
Lords At least the founders of the institution should
occasionally exercise the vistorial power vested
in them. II II il worth fourth part Of our NATIONAL
expenditure, 1t Is worth portion Of our attention
and fraction Of the time OF Congress.
In seeking TO avoid the obvious evils which would
result were the President 10 exercise his strict right
OF comforting naval promotions according 10 his own
discretion, which would render them IN effect the
prize OF political and personal intrigue, the plan has
been adopted OF making appointments In sne order
of senioryShat is, not according to merit or aoi,y,
but simply according to age. However intelligent,
industrious or faithful the aspfant may be, ne can
not attain to promotion, but must wait for 1t TO come
In regular turn and 1t viii come TO him not day
sooner than 10 the most lazy and stupid cumbsrer OF
the deck. And In imposing duties, or confcrng rc'
wards not the least discrimination is made between
ayouthnl Nelson or fat boy of Dickens. Al thas
is required Of the latter in order to gain the highest
position, is to wait long enough, and hve long
enough
Every safe criterion by which men should be Sc
lected for important trustss here disregarded !ime
and Death choose our Lieutenanu, Commanoefs'
Post Captains, and Commodores. succeeding 70
their offices By inheritance, they become virtual
arisoracy an aristocracy OF birth, but OF death
| 1t il system which ignores every ordinary incen.
tive By which men are stimulated TO exertion, and
tends to cultivate only the doubtul virtues OF an ao-
iect humbleness to bare authority, haotuat pru
dence in the preservation OF life thai 10 hardly con-
nstent with courage, and patient waiting for the
turn to 1t has flled the service with dissf'
pated MidshpmaD, reckless OF character and waste
| full Of the golden opportunities for improvement
which youth afords-with gray-headed discouraged,
| Sinking Lieutensnts-with arbitrary and
caprcious Captains, growing more go every year OF
their lives, and becoming less competent for duty
the more important their duties become. And abody
of de- AmericanlIed aristscrass are heavily paid to
| misrepresent US Throughout. the world, receiving
| their travelling expenses into the bargain. The
younger officers, and thoss least vltlased by the sys-
| ten, must waste the PRIME OF their usefulness In
| waiting fos commands which are new nearly monop-
| ohzed by the supeTannuated and the imbecile and
these las. are the ones who surround our civilian
Secretaries and to whom they must look for advice,
the Navy 10 virtually in the hands OF the class least
of ell disposed to favor reforms, or competent 10
carry them out-least OF all calculated to set ahoas
| steamers like the Paci6c, clippers like the Flying
| Cloud, or yacht America.
Suppose an ambitious and talented young officer,
such as we have an abundance Of 10 aspire TO she
highest distinction In the service, what must he do
Must he be energetic. prompt and faithful In every
| duty labo,ious IN study and thought applying his
| leisure TO naval science and the art OF war; No,
his only way il to have cautious OF his health,
| tWskulk from exposure and avoid sckly cruizes--
| the best mode to accomplish this being TO gain the
reputation OF gO0d-for as tnat no com
mander will have him in the ship. Ii behooves him
10 live As tmuch as possible Of duty and on pay TO
take regular exercise and adopt Judlcous Diet to
be careful of his lungs, attend well to his liver and
dis emily consider his digestion to keep his feet
dry and carefully change MS flannel but above all
| things. If be would be crowned with honors in his
latter days and die Commodore If he would leave
name OF dignity to his children and be buried with
the thunder OF many cannon, let him avoid eating
| oysters IN August ard make Jueicicus use Of the
flesh brush and of moderate cashartics,
IN fnaFA off nj oh nix
native energies and good qualities have uumphed
| over the palsying and corrupting influences which
surround them, yet the truth remains that this sys'
TEN, reversing the ordinary rule OF progress terds
10 render those under officers for every year
they live and consequently that ths worst Of al,
both in character and ability are the Captains and Com
nodOr,s that despite the inpediments m NJ sne way
OF these old gentlemen being arraigned and brought
| 70 such slim eed OF justice partial Courts Mar.
tal be driven to grant not for oensss against dis
| eipne, but for embeZ2ement fraud, lying, drunk
enness gambling per- nIy deadly assaults on drunken
prisoners and cruising through the Mediterranean
with the cat O. mr. tail, lying a, the ms'nmass inss
ignorance OF commanders OF our ships OF war who
can neither enter nor leave foreign port without
betrayrng their Incompetence and oisgracing their
flag. And q Navy that has hundreds Of Mdshipmen
qualified to take command Of Its ships and navigate
them ably or fight them CALAMITY, is in the despotic
control Of those, the major part of whom, can do
neither the one the other. And what Is more
melancholy to think Of, these Midshipmen must be-
come equally disqualified for usefulness before they
| can hope to become Captains
The imbecile timidity and aristocratlc predilec-
tors of these people must be knO wn in order to CON-
| prehend the late extraordinary conduct Of Com
modore and Captain, who sremoled In concert lest
the exile his hejira" should too loudly whisper
the word Liberty to the shores OF the Mediterranean,
and who the real authors Of the Marseilles dis
| grace.
For plan in substitution of the one l have been
considering. am indebted TO an able pamphlet on
Naval Organization, by Surgeon William Maxwell
Wood. 1t IL briefly THIS
From time to time, and sufficiently in advance OF
occurring vacancies to obtain the votes OF all ofi
GERS, whether at home or abroad let those OF each
| grade nominate certain number rom among
themselves, and from these les the President,
| need occurs, make promotions 20 the grade
neIt higher; thus, let the Passed Midship-
| men nominate ion Licutenants, the Lteutea-
| ants for Commanders, the, Commanders Tor Post
Captains, and these for Commodores. Other
| things being equal, the order OF seniority would
| be duly regarded, ard the President need not
be deprived OF the power he now has OF making
appointments according TO his own discretion. The
came mode would answer we'll for filing out ere
firing list,r such as is now proposed.
Against so simple and feasible plan it is difficult
to imagine any objections, while the considerations
IN It's favor are as obvious as they are convincing.
Among them are these: The appointing power would
be aided by the opinions OF those posse the best
means OF information healthy public opinion would
be created, bearing upon moral character and social
department, as well as on professional improvement.
Through the various grades and branches OF service
those would be employed who were the most fitted
for the particular duty to be performed and the fault
would be avoided, OF spelling good Lieutenant to
make poor Captain IL would develop tolits fullest
extent the talents and good qualities which now lie
mostly latent and crushed. IL would infuse new life
into the Navy, AmericanIZe and moderpize IL, and
put il IN the line of march Of improvement filing i,
with good officers, and handsomely clearing Is Of bad
ones Finally, II would fasify the old and true max
i'm, that lone cruise at Washington is worth two
roaId Cape HoTDr and instead Of the barber.shop
motto at present prevailing" Each man in his
tum'-we should have that which Nelson gave
" Let every man do bis duty"
Yours, very respectfully,
WILLIAM }. FLAGG.
Cincinnati, Monday, Feb. %, 1852.
~ The Constitution of New Hampshire