Washington sentinel., 1853-10-23
Communicated
TO he Editors ofhe Sentinel:


dertaken to demonstrate the necessity of sub
stituting at the head of our army and navy
bureaux younger officers for the present in,
cumbents, and il strikes me as maniiestly right
and proper that this change should be made
1t is called for by public opinion, and demanded
by the true interests of the army and navy.
In the latter branch of the public service, am
quite sure of its urgent necessity, unless the
Secretary of the Navy should think, as his
predecessors seem to have done, that these
Offices belong to their present incumbents,
either from right derived from possession, or
from their old age and imbecility; and that,
being unfit for sea service, but covetous of full
pay, they are to be kept in the bureaux as sine
cures to squander the public treasure.
lfthese old tars cannot be got to take their
trick at the helm, put them on retired list or
on tarlongh, where they will be out of harms
way and out of the way of active and energetic
officers. 1t is preposterous to say that these
superanuated tars are as competent to admin
lister the important duties devolving upon them
as the head of a bureau as a majority of their
juniors now in the service.
These time-honored fogies have been for a
long series Of years basking in the gayeties of
the metropolis, dancing attendance upon the
several administrations through which they
have passed, until they have become rusty in
nautical affairs, whilst host of their juniors
in the service are trayersing the different seas,
observing the daily improvements that are
being made III other countries, In their respec-
tive nayies, and particularly in that branch of
them relating to steamers, that it appears too
palpably manifest that we are long way be-
hind any other nation that pretends to have a
navy. Look, for instance, at the state of our
naval steamers at this time. / do not think we
have more than one effective, available first
class steamer in our navy, fthe Mississippi,)
whilst we have expended money sufficient to
have had, at a low estimate, at least ten. Look,
for instance, at the Union, the Allegheny, the
Saranac, and the Princeton. What service
have they performed? And what amount of
money have they cost?
| have no doubt it will now cost as much to
make them available, (if it is possible to do it
at all, as it would to bnild new ships of equal
tonnage The enquiry then properly comes up,
who is to blame? Where and with whom is
the fault? Many, no doubt, will answer that
the fault is with the Secretary of the Navy
then what becomes of your old tars, your old
heroes, at the heads of your Rvy bureaux?
They are presumed to be his advisers; at all
events the head of the construction bureau,
whose especial duty it is to attend to and order
the construction, equipment, and repair of the
navy. These worthy tars who have held on
with such pertinacity, for SO many years, CON
trary to law, resisting every effort to fill the
bureau in obedience to the law creating it, with
a naval constructor; these, l contend, are the
ones responsible for all these failings this
enormous amount Of money which has been
squandered upon these steamers, and in many
other kindred projects and fooleries.
1t is high time and | most earnestly hope
the present able and efficient secretary viii see
the necessity O. looking into this matter and
reforming it, by placing younger and more ef.
fcient officers in their places. There is no
good reason why these gentlemen should have
a life estate in these comfortable places. We
have other officers equally if not more meri-
torious, than they, and whose services will
compare with theirs without disparagement in
any way.
now propose to look a little into the duty
performed by this aristocraey Of the navy. At
the head Of one of the bureaus stands a gentle
man who has been in service fifty-two years,
during which time he has been unemployed, or,
in other words, upon leace pay. only two years.
Since he was promoted to captain, he has
been at sea nine years and two months--total
sea service, twenty-one years and two months
shore duty, thirty years and four months! His
has been quite downy time. At the head Of
another bureau, stands gentleman who has
been forty-six years in the navy. He has been
on shore duty t,centy-taco years! Sea duty,
seventeen years and seven months sea service,
as captain, four years and ten months. An
easy time this.
| now come to the third member of this aris-
tocracy, who, for long time, has been chief of
another bureau. This gentleman has been in
our navy forty-three years and ten months; un-
employed, twelve years and four months shore
duty, seventeen years and two months sea SER
vice, fourteen years and seven months; sea SER
vice since promoted to captain, two years and
three months 1t would really appear that
these worthless seem to think that from their
gallantry and services to the country, which
raised them to the digni6ed rank of captains,
they are to retire from ship board and alternate
from the command Of a navy-yard to that OF
chief of bureau.
That there are many very many abuses ex-
from the want of Judgment and bad counsel
lors of the two Secretaries preceding the pre-,
sent one, the public mind is directed with much
anxiety to the present able and accomplished
Secretary of the Navy, under a firm and full
conviction that he will interpose his authority,
and at once reform these abuses by bringing
around him new counsellors, composed Of ju-
NOR officers, in the vigor of manhood, and
thereby have healthy state of affairs, and re-
instate the navy to the rank she formerly held
among other nations, and which the gallantry
and nautical skill of her officers and men so
justly entitle her to hold at the present mo-
ment.
The subject to which these remarks are di-
rected, being one Of such interest to the coun-
try, and involving SO large an amount of in
quiry and time, that will, at future time,
(not far distant,) again refer to it, mentioning
the merits and services Of the incumbents Of
the bureau, specifying how they have been en-
ployed, with many topics Of public interest
which will be brought to notice.
AN OLD TAR.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1s, 1853.
GOLD BuLL's CoNcERTr' said Mrs. Parting