The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-02-01

10 prevent any legislation which may reflect or react in
Iurously upon the dignity OF The general profession
La January, 1851, the President oil the United States
submitted 10 Congress reports on the subject OF rank
made by board OF officers OF The army and by board
OF officers OF the navy The report OF the army board is
accompanied BY protest from Surgeon i. q. Mower,
who was one OF the members OF the board. The army
board proposes that medical officers now in the army
shall ENJOY the rank assigned them by existing laws, but
that those who may enter the army hereafter shall not
hold any definite rank. No reasons are assigned for
this most unjust proposition. Ii is altogether nconceiy
able why those TO be appointed should not possess rank
II those already appointed may continue TO benefit BY lis
protective influence, without dement 10 the discipline
and efficiency OF the army. The proposition is jeune
and absurd.
The navy board convened 10 consider and report on
rank, constituted exclusively OF officers OF the line
and the selection fell upon several whose opinions
There was no member OF the medical other staff corps
OF the navy present in the board to influence the caste
feelings and prcjudlces OF its members. They recon-
mend the creation OF new grades of commanding officers
in the line and then suggest that hospital surgeons
" shall have precedence with but after lieutenant com
mandants"-a grade OF officers employed TO command
dence" with euenants passed assistant surgeons pre-
cedence " after masters, and assistant surgeons prece
dence g after passed mdshipmen," who, though they
have been found qualified for promotion, and have,
therefore, an augmented pay, official level with
mldshpmen. According 10 the naval regulations, they
discharge the same duties
Under existing laws surgeon OF the army ranks as
major, and consequently with naval commanders passed
assistant surgeons captains, and therefore with naval
heuenants and assistant surgeons first lieulenans,
and therefore with masters in the navy
No reasons submitted by the naval board rank
for placing medical officers of the navy below the official
level OF corresponding grades in the army The medical
officers OF the navy justly claim position in all respects
analogous 10 that held by their professional brothers
the army
1t has been recently remarked by an eloquent member
oil the Senate that "words things" Whether the
navy board believed the remark to be true is not stated
but il seems 10 have entertained vague appehen-
sons on the subject and, to avoid all danger ngeniousy
suggest that the military relations of medical officers in
the navy shall be designated under the term "pece-
dence; and hence we have the seemingly homogeneous
expression OF "precedence after"
This report applies the ephet civil" 10 all officers
who do not belong to grades OF the line, overlooking the
obvious fact that civil officers" constitute part
OF military organization and in defiance of good
taste and literary proprey, applies to officers of the
line OF the navy the epthet /" sea officers" which
may be legitimatey applied TO all officers who dis
charge duty at According to this loose phraseoogy
or slang, the engineers who in steamship of
at " civil ofhcers;'' and lieutenant OF the line
employed 10 inspect provisions and clothing in navy
yard, "seaoficer" 1t will not be denied that any
meaning; but is better that words should be employed
in accordance with their and obvious signfca
ton. The officers who manage merchant shp "
officers" and, they possess military attribute might
be termed also civil officers" But all officers of the
navy military, because they belong to military
ganiZation, and subject to the provisions of military
laws and military tribunals
In legislatng this subject il is OF the first import
ance that Congress should employ only such terms as
strictly consistent with purity OF language, and which
can be readily understood by all.