The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-12-08


aspiring may advance TO fame and ior,unewhst 70 there
in the above outline oil the picture which our naval sys-
tenn exhibits TO attract the accomplished young men OF
the day! The tmid and The laggard are promoted as
rapidly the brave and the active The officer who has
borne himself we'll 10 twenty years service amidst Inc
and the dangers Of the beneath tropical sun
and uniendy coasts, obtaining his few months
leave OF absence finds himself only receiving the same
pay with those OF his grade who hsve fingered
amid the comforts OF home, and rarely ever touch
should be increased with rank. and that the officer
OF the lower grade should BE- content until he alans
a higher rank This reasoning. however. Is met oy con
cedng the correctness OF he principle, but protesting
against the system which blocks up the path TO rank BY
unhealthy incompeency, aud thus deprives merit and
lard service both OF rank aos pay am aware that
10 easier task TO point out defects than to prescribe
remedies Blu, the evils OF our system hardly be d.
mnished by me and no reform can be expesled without
effort.
for the faithful t0ao haus become tnfrm Tie discharge 81
The inefficient iOho haue claim on The bounty Of their
for servee rendered. promotion regulated BY
pay some extent controlled BY reforms
mol only demanded BY the condition OF the services by
considerations Of justice, but absolutely necessary to the
preservation of efficiency and usefulness There are Of
icers whom the nrmes OF age, or the ravages Of dis
incident to the exposures o rough seaiaring le
have rendered UNFIT for duty They have been faithful
vocation improvden for the future. On retiring such
men the aid OF thu vigorous and active,
grateful country well deal generously and ihas, al
~.
justice the deserving. believe this plan OF retired
list be arranged TO protect the treasury IRON the
heavy drains OF an odious pension system. They are
now all pay Reduce The pay OF the retired stop the
pay OF the discharged organize thus corps Of cfhcent
officers, and question Of economy this system With
proper guards and restrictions, may be one rather Of re-
pies, and reduce them 10 practical opeaiion may at hrst
seem announcement and embarrassing. But, IN common
with many who have bestowed much consideration on
this subject pursunded that the difficulties are lar
from being iISurmOunabIe.
board OF officers OF various grades, carefully seleci-
ed by the President can be convened periodically to re
port to him the OF those who their ment
should be made subjects OF the rules prescribed Their
report may be subject 10 the apova or reversal OF mod
ica'on, Of he President 10 enable them 10 act INTEL
genty aud mpaal'y in this delicate task, the SecIe
ary Of the Navy can lay before them not merely the
Navy Register and the records OF tine department, but
may materially contribute TO their enlightenment by IN
viing the least offensive and most delicate mode, the
opinions OF the officers themselves touching the Illness
OF those Of their own grade and those below whom as
ISOLATION and opportunity have enabled them 10 know.
But forbear enlarge upon the details necessary 10
give shape and effectiveness to the proposed reform
In the present system OF pay, experience and obser-
vaton convince me that there is radical error Al
though pay should be- and is not the chief incentive
activity, yet every consideration JusiIhes the policy
and proprey Of, to some extent regulating pay by ser
vice The difference between leave OF absence and duty
pay very small that practically invites the ofcef
10 avoid service and really makes more profitable
be idle than 10 labor Ii ssrucs gave certain per
ceat increased pay under proper limitations and restfc
be but Just reward to diligence, and would stimulate
officers go as 10 swell their income for them
selves aud families. recommend, therefore, mod'fcs.
ton oil present pay system accordance with these
views and satisfied il will promote desire Tor sea
service, instead OF reluctant obedience to orders The
pay of the forward warrant officers also needs regulating
They useful officers,
The specifications, however, Of the various changes
which appear to a-importan. in regard TO rank pro-
notion and pay, would unnecessarily extend this report
and. with the expression OF hearty Willingness TO co.
operate with Congress 10 arranging the details OF meas
ures to accomplish what may to it seem neediu pro.
coed 10 throw out lew suggestions touching the
MODIFICATION sYsTEM IN REGARD TO sEAnEs,
WITH VIEW TO ENCOURAGE MORE PERMANENT EN-
LIsTMrsTs, IDENTIFY THEM MORE THOROUGHLY
WITH THE NAVY, AND ELEVATE THEIR CHARACTER ~
PLAN OF REWARDS As WELL AZ PrsIsHAEsrs.
While the vgor and reform incident to our happy
American institutions have been successfully Infused
into almost every department OF government and psne
trated almost every fibre OF the body polite, the
elected sailor If excep, the geEefous munincence OF
asylum and hospital, has too rarely felt the friendly
touch OF the legislative hand, and has continued TO toll
under code OF discipline and laws but little modified
since the days when the press-gang dragged the unw
ling victim from the howell 10 the man-of-war
With population approaching 30 900 900, full OF
terpsc and adventure, the dculty OF procuring sailors
to our ships I-war-mofe particularly the Difficult
~ OF enlsiDg the young men OF our own couny-s not
only attracting The attention OF the public, but seriously
embarrassing the efforts OF the department to maintain
even tie small naval force now allowed BY law. Hun
rcds OF merchant vessels almost daily darling forth
from busy mars, readily filled with cheerful sea-
men, counting danger upoa the element on which they
love to live, while ships of-wsr lingering in port
until the recruiting officers, BY hard effort can manage,
by the aid Of the exacting landlord OF the salor tavern
and small bounty. to procure tardy enlisiments.
Our cities, town. and villages are thronged With ath
etc young men, struggling anxousv Tor employment 10
petty Officers and in every department oil labor and when
and dleness begef dissipation, and diss
patton rednces degradation, aud friends regard them
burdens to family and nusances to society, then, and Of
ten no, till them do we hear the remark that they are
now only fit TO become sailors in the navy
Why the laborng young OF our country % re.
lucant sail and under their coun,rys flag lst
disf1onorabe calling Why do our merchant marine
find comparatively little difficulty in procuring
men, Is 1t because they care for them-encour-
age them more pay them beterl
While am far. very far, from proposing to relax dis.
cpne, to tolerate naabordnaon 10 hesitate at admlnis-
terng punishmentsure punishment to correct the Of
fender and to deter the nnocen,I do propose some
form OF system TO ssUsrd the merIiorious. 10
elevate the character oil aeamen. 10 give more
spectaby TO their pursuit, TO them 10 become
Identified with, incorporated into ald part OF the navy
itself 10 pay them beet 10 encourage them 10 love the
flag under which they SAIL and when they walk the deck
OF the man war IN foreign port and compare their
condition with the sailors OF other governments TO feel
some pride in being American sailors under American
colors
There IL much in the character OF the sailor 10 excite
our admlralion-much to enlist our sympathy He 10
brave, generous self sacrificing and when after long
cruise FAR from home and friends, tempest tossed and
weather beaten, he eads upon the soil of his country
again. discharged from the service. improvdens and
waseful, unit for land SERVICE the victim OF the
cunning. bers of his hard earnngs, surely 10 but
natural that this wanderer should look bis government
to care for him, and invite him service for
which alone he 10 fitted and in which he u muah
lied upon 10 protect the commerce, the rghta the hoos