New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-29
THE AMERICAN NAVY IT'S CONDITION.
AND ITS NEEDS.

CANTON. China, Tuesday, 5

| reached here this mornia-. after rightvoy5gs
frcm Macao ha-ing yesterday tsSsn The sochor from
~ cap and bsde adeu perhaps forever to tbs servce
with which hsvo been denti6ed for tie psss four
mortIs.
shall always look back upon my short exPcTi-.ce
Of naval life as one Of The most agreeable ani in,are
ing epcdes Of my travels Apart from the rare oPpor-
tunty which it afforded ne Of visiting and exPosag
remote and snfequented portions of the earth has
enabled NE . gain some insight into the nature and
sperttious Of service which, to commercial uasoa
Ike orr own must ever be the most important arm OF
projection and defense. ! an The more DESTROYS OF
uak,nS few remarks at tits time and place as orr
Government after long and capable neglect OF the
NAVY Sem 70 be ST Fast slowly swakiog TO the neces
sitv of resrsanzng it. What have TO ssy, uisy ander
tie circuu ances be considered little weight but
consider t ,one the less my duty 70 add this test
mony 30 what Aas already been gathered satisfied 1t
should call tle JeTous stteuOn of few 10 the needs
and exgencies OF sic service
LIS serious fret. felt more keenly By thos,
in the service than ty the publ, at large, that the eth
cheney of our Navy kss been Of ATE years greatly m-
paired ard Il at it is 10 longer animated BY the same
prompt active, energetic spirit, which drew into its
ranks some Of the bodsst aud braves characters that
sdorn our history The nature OF the service is such
as to stimulate and keep alive the ambition OF those
enlisted in il; ana We msst therefore look TO the leg
isaton which controls tor the causes OF this change
The two prominent evils under which the Navy n)g
labors are. relaxation Of discipline among the men,
and system which, among the officers makes Pro"o-
ton dependent entirely seniority sni by rendering
anil any amount Of brilliant service, discourages All
manly emulation.
\, there is 10 retired list the officers who are IN
capacitated ty age disease any other cause from
setve service harg as dead weight upon the chances
81 al those whose term of service is less than theirs
In time Of peace their ranks are continually accu-
nulatpc. 20 that the number allotted 70 each grade
having once been filed up promotions after that can
only take place to I'll tie vacancies causedD o. DEAN
Tie Younger officer therefore grows old in an nieror
rsnl. and by the time he is invested with conTAni'
having nsssed the hest years Of hise in subordinate
rosition is naturally tImid and disIrustul OIL hnseu
nr9er responsibilities which he would nave oofne
l,hty if bestowed before his youthful energy ana am,
b.tion We're wholly deadened ih's yer! eHc's! al
am biton of youth constitutes the stamina OF naval and
military life and that service VIII inevitably decay,
which does mol extend TO il at least partial en-
coursceuCnt
Under the sysiem at present pursued by our Govern,
meut our Navy is gradually filling up with Passed
Aidshipmen of thirty and Lieutenan's OF iorI-hge'
lile an officer whose hair is not entirely gray ar IN
deeJ he has any lett TO show,) before attaining the
rank of Post-C0ptan, may consider hnseh especlaly
fortunate There is weight OF myallded ludolent or
superannuated material above him, when nothing ous
lie slow process Of death can remove. No deei Of
daring ID bold achievement. no amount OF hazardous
ard arduous dSty involving years Of absence IRON all
tie amenities Of civilized life viii advance nun one
ST pearcr tic post which terminates the VISTA Oh MS
fr hilton 10 complained OF the eihciency OF our
Navy when Perry, Decatur aud Lawrence were zap
aims at IN ace when no Passed hiitshiPman Is now
rorb eucuoL 10 dream OF Liautenants commission
Heroes are made early and the English ana frehch
Governments acknowledge the fact by promoting l9r
ne-oricus conduct well as for length oil days In
the FreUch Navy believe, 0nethifd Oh tue Piouo'h'
ere based On this ground.
Tho NAVY hill which was discussed at the last SOS.
i al Corcress acknowledged the necessity OF reform,
by providing Tor retired list. This would partly rem
cav the evil but il is not sufficient man VINO hia
servss A. be rewarded This claim, which Is partially
recoonzed ia our Army ought to have equal weight 10
No Novv Not that believe that in cases where the
honor of our country was at STAKE our havai onoei
vould be found wanting in courage ana spirit Ous tne
nr,erect If reward would keep alive an active prlde
P in ,lation which would manifest itself at oil times
ard On all occasions. Our most promising ohcefs
would not then be driven "a resign as they are now
b. the disieartcnng prospect Of twenty or thirty years
Of subordinate rank, which 10 exerton Oh tneifs can
render more bref o.,
L IL ropossibIe that such state Of things should
rot TON upon tie discipline of the ship, even where
tbere are no more direct influences at work Inc re-
letious in bch all, officers and men, stand 70 each
other Oh board man ofwar, are so intricate ana 80
nicely adjusted that arrangement IN any quarter
felt throue kOut the whole machine men II oPeia'e'
in ne,fect harmony no pyramid could be more sym
netrieal But if the Captain, or cap-stoue press IN
con bIy hard on the lay beneath him. the pressure
males it,elf felt through ell the courses that loow
down TO the seamen-the broad base on Wmch al
,est A weappointed frigate, where discipline Is EN-
cour,oed nv duty. and authority tempered By justice
IL 10 ne the GROWING miracle Of social government
M own observations of naval life have led me 70
conclusion at variance with my former (and more Y
rorant) views Of the subject VIZ mat the aD9i1.Ol
OF corporal punishment has NOT Deeh a,'euue@ W." ~
The beneficial results which were anticipated On the
contrary am convinced that il has seriously lnJurel
the discipline of the Navy, under It's present regua
tieDs and tlat even on the ground oil hHmGH.y' IL
restoration under certain restrictions, Wod DC wei
coined no less heartily by large majority Of tne sea
- e,nsalves than by the officers In fact this ha
been tested by polls taken board several OF eur M
tionsl vessels and at the Offices for the enlistment
seanen.
Tlereis at present no effective system OF punish
reut fer minor ofenses on board our heh-OFWar
Concress By taking away the only recognized penalty
,,,Lout fixing any legal substitute, has thrown uPO
,leofeers the responsibility of nyenting ne" i1rm
az punishment which shall correct the iauits oI tA
odender, without Withdrawing him from ac.lse uul!
or rendering the officer himself liable to censure, OF
~ arnupd of inhuman or extraordinary measure
No such punishment has yet been discovered i Ina,
which was recommended at the time logging was aoo.
i'll solitary confinement on bread ana "seer-ls
npn.iueut az al to the vicious or refractory seaman
RLo sees in it an excellent opportunity of skulkng rer
work; while the other plans IN foree-sqah as cifsi.
ssixt.eiabt pound shot, standing lashsd fsss IN on
position for certain number Of hears, a % n -,a
looked upon hind Of slow torture ana ID n.a