The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-09

able to judge to which side the Balance OF reason In
clines.
In addition to some fourteen columns of advertise
ments relating to business of every description, our
inside pages contain an additional list Of the names
of those spoken of for Offices in the gift of President
Pierce; Description of the new steam yacht North
Star; Report of the action against the Art Union in
the Marine Court; Commercial Review; Mscellape-
GUS items, &c.
The New Secretary OF the Navy and his Re
sponslbilities-His Duty to the Country.
If the new Secretary of the Navy has the dis
advantage of being lawyer, he has the merit
of being under forty years of age. As rule,
we are not partial to lawyers out Of the courts.
They talk too much and have fatal facility
for seeming to understand what they are pro-
foundly ignorant Of Habits of hasty examining
early predispose them to be content with su-
perfcial view of question the time which
another would devote to reflection, they spend
in clamorous debate, Hair-splitting. tco-a
common fault with the fraternity-is very detr-
mental to mans reasoning faculties general
principles are too frequently forgotten when I'M
due attention is bestowed on trivial details
These and other similar defects, are sad draw
backs to the quickened perception, forensic
ability, and general information which have in
this country rendered the chief officers of State
the natural monopoly of members Of the bar.
Still, while thus expressing our general opin-
ion of lawyers as candidates for Office. we are
bound to admit that there is no department in
which the drawbacks we have noticed would
be less likely to cause complaint than that OF
the navy. In the Office on which a Graham,
Paulding and Bancroft have brought we'll
deserved rdicule, energy is more needed than
observation-disclosures than measured habits of
thought. Hitherto the department has been a
sort of easy sinecure, in which the President Of
the day ensconced his literary or political
friends, utterly regardless Of their fitness fer
the post or the fatal power thus placed in the
hands Of his subordinates. Most of these gen.
tlemen and their predecessors, we doubt
not, theorized very ably and ingeniously
on the improvement of the navy; hut
to expect practical reform from them
was quite unreasonable. Mr.. Graham was
able. we dare say, to deliver an excellent
speech on navies in general, and the United
States navy in particular. Mr.. Bancroft may
have enriched the records Of the department
with documents displaying equal scope of
intellect and vigor of style Mr.. Paulding
will have learnt enough during his tenure Of
Office to abuse Englands navy in octosyllabic
verse. But FOR any practical benefit which
their administration conferred on the country,
we may look in vain. The cause was not only
the uncongeniality Of the pursuits in which
they had previously been engaged, but in an
equal degree, perhaps, their natural want of
energy and their conservative turn of mind
They were afraid % tread beyond the beaten
track OF the old fogies of the bureaus. They
dared not differ in opinion from the old com
mcdores whose nominal chief but whose real
tool they had consented to become. They were
shocked at notions Of radical reform and looked
with terror on the schemes Of men Of talent,
whose advice might have raised our navy to a
par with that Of foreign powers.
OF the truth of this statement. we have ample
evidence in the administration Of the last in
cumhen Mt, Mr. Kennedy. He. too. had an ina
ginative turn o, mind and literary propensities
TO contend against. But. on the other hand, he
WA q man oi cAiSISy uilu uDilutcs
his management the navy has made very credit
able advances. He has actually departed so far
from the rule of ''old fogyism." as to recommend
the application Of caloric to new frigate, and
to advocate the establishment ola line of steam
ers to China For these and other ereditable
propositions, which our space will not permit us
to enumerate, Mr.. Kennedy is entitled to the
gratitude OF his country.
1t will be for Mr.. Dobb;n to follow In his
steps, and carry out the projects Of naval enter
prise which he has foreshadowed. The present
Secretary has, az we stated above. the advan-
tage OF age over bis predecessor With an equal
share Of mental capacity he possesses the vigor
Of youth and habits Of untiring industry. 1t
will be an abiding shame if at the close of his
official career, we are unable to congratulate
the United States on having redeemed the char
acter Of their marine.
We shall not lay ourselves open to the charge
of exaggeration If wa say that we consider Mr..
Dobbin responsibility equal to il not greater.
than that Of any of the new cabinet On the
efficiency of our navy will depend the solution
Of oil the new questions OF international policy
which are engaging public attention. 1t il
absurd 20 talk Of enforcing the Monroe doctrine
+ q third rate power like Spain can hold all