The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-14

REORGANIZATION OF THE NAvY-IMPoRTANr
DoCuMENTs.-Among the most interesting mat
ter from Washington, published in this morn
ing's HERALD, are the report and bill from Com
modore Stockton, Chairman of the Naval Com
mittee Of the United States Senate, on the sub
ject of the reorganization of our dilapidated
navy. We commend this report and this bill
to the attention of our readers, but more par
ticularly to the lawmakers of both houses of
Congress, who have long required the practical
information on naval affairs which Commodore
Stockton is enabled at length to give them.
There are several radical and excellent fea-
lures Of reformation in the sailor Senator's
plan for putting the navy into shp-shape and
good fighting order. The retired list for the
WORKOUT veterans-the 'old fogies' Of the SER
vice-is, of course, the most prominent and the
most essential thing of this scheme, or Of any
scheme, for reinvigorating the right arm Of our
national defence and national glory. Let the
superannuated old commodores retire-let
them be well taken care Of for what they have
done; but get them out of the navy. They have
too long overshadowed the enterprising spirit
of the younger officers and have thus too long
kept the navy in the back ground. Let the re-
tired, also, for Gods sake embrace those good
natured old men, who hold possession and con-
troll of the various bureaus Of the Navy Depart
ment. Let those ancient and venerable men,
Full of wise saws and modern instances,
and tenacious to the last Of the superiority for
speed of the model Of Noah's Ark, and who be-
lieve steam to be a new tangled humbug in
troduced into the navy-let them abdicate, and
all of their school; and let other men, identi-
fed with the spirit Of the progress and the i'm
provements of the age, step into their places
and take the helm and the trumpet. Let the
Senator from New Jersey, who understands
his business, be heard; and let the reformation
Of the navy begin with the retired list for the
old people, who have reduced the service to
the last degree of decrepitude and imbecility.
The promotion Of worthy young officers, and
OF the worthy, honest Jack tar of the lowest
grade, upon the ground of merit, is also ahighly
commendable feature Of this practical measure
of reform 1t is the principle upon which the
Little Corporal " achieved his wonderful
tIlumpHS III aIHlS, III tHc aTJS. ana III every
department of political and social improve
ment the simple principle of advanc-
ing the best men, in whatever grade
they may be found. Let US have this
Napoleonic principle universally applied, and
we shall soon astonish even ourselves, with
our achievements in the art of war, or in the
arts Of peace on the land and on the sea, at
home and abroad. But let u.s. at all events, APP
ply this saving principle to the navy
We are upon the Threshold of great events.
The complex and weighty responsibilities which
have grown up in our foreign relations during
the last four or five years, suggest the necessity
most imperiously, of a reorganization of the
navy. 1t is the first necessity Of the day. We
want efficiency, enterprise skill, activity, and
discipline first infused into the personnel of the
service and then we want more ships-more
sailing ships. if you please, but more steamers
inevitably. Even for the peace establishment
looking to the extended and still extending
wants Of our commerce. our present steam ma
val force is wholly insufficient. What, then,
without considerable strengthening, can we ex-
pect of i, in the possible exigency of collision
with one or more of the naval powers of Europe?
But the first necessity is efficient and active
men, To secure them, the old set must give
way. and merit must be promoted We trust
that Congress will turn its attention to Commo-
dorc Stockton's report and bill. He begins at
the right end for strengthening the navy 1t
has become feeble, very feeble, when it should
be strong There are gathering specks of war
in the horizon, and they all hang over the
ocean. Our next colision-and sooner or later
it must come-will be upon the salt water; and
though we have no fear Of the result, we should
be prepared to give some protection to our com
MERGE in the outset and to prevent, by cor
don of vigilant steam cruisers, the unadvised
bombardment of our seaboard cities. Let the
navy be strengthened; but first let it be reor-
gained. Nor do we see why Congress should
not at once take up the bill reported and act
upon it. All the signs of the times around us
point to the navy, and call for action. Some
thing, and that soon, must be done.
Cry REFORM AND PsEUDo-PATRIoTs. = A