Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1853-05-24
NATIONAL ARaIoRIEss..
Reportlof Military com.tee, Aug. rs. /,

lfaaei5 NATIONAL ARMoRIE5.
Reporter Military comstee,. Aug. 1s, 1852.
Mr.. GShMAs, from the c, mmittse on Military
Affairs, made the following Report:
The Committee o., MaaarE Afars, 70 ,rhonn 4, re re-
Je'Tea me petitions Of sltldry HiE iitia
praying for tie dissontiiuanee of the I...ta = and
national aymOries Of e Uaited Ssaies, haze, accord
ing 70 gaer, had de same under consideration aud
submit the oLtotciHg report: 4 ,.--.-I 49,
There are now in the United States two national
armories for the manufacture of small arms one stu
ated at Springfield in the State of Massachusetts, the
other ut HarpersFerry, in the State Jof Virginia.
These manufactures have been from their first eStai
lishment at a very early period of our government
until the first day of April 1884, under the manage
ment and control of superintendent selected from the
civil pursuits Of life and distinguished for their ener-
gy capacity and peculiar fitness for the duties of their
station reference to theconsecutive annual renorts
made to Congress for many years. will show that dur
ing period that these manufactures were u-
der the management of persons selected the high
est testimony is uniformly borne by the departments
to which they responsible to the yi.or and eff
cheney system then existing, the general ecno-
my of their TO the order and subordina-
ton prevalent in them, and to the gratifying and in
creaslng Improvement in the machinery used and in
the excellence of the firearms fabricated there Con-
tentment and order prevailed among the operatives
permanent residences acquired by the Intelligent
mechanics there employed; and active zeal was mani
tested for hepublicintcrcsts and mechanical and
ingenuity stimulated to its highest point from which
the government has derived inapprecable Benefits
These manufactures have been, since 1915 under the
supervision and control of the ordnance department
In 1889 changewas made in the head of the Ord
nance Department and Lieutenant Colonel Talcott
was transferred to the place for many wears before fill
ed by Colonel George Bomford. By referring to the
official reports of that and the subsequent year it will
be seen that Colonel TacOtt who afterwards took n
conspicuous part in accomplishing change in the adj
minisrativc policy OF those armories was forced to
bear his testimony to the results of the system there
in operation. s.
In his report of the Doth of Novon,ber 1870 10 so
The superiority of the small recently fabricat-
ed over those formerly made evnces the utility of pub
lie establishments for improving this branch of manu-
1acture." And in his report of the 30th November,
1910, he says: THE manufacture ofmuskets accord
ing to the new model has been successfully establish
cd at both of the national armorcs The substitution
hereafter OF percussion in place of flint locks which
IS becoming general i'll Europe, will render the arms
as nearly perfect be attained; and Judging from
the specimen foreign arms of the most approved pat
terms recently imported, decidedly superior TO anu
arms Of foreign manufacture"
short time subsequent to the transfer of Colonel
Talcott four officers of the board of Ordnance were
Geslgnated by the Secretary of War to proceed to
Europe and visit the most important arsenas cannon
toundries, and manufactures of small arms And
having spent few months in the discharge of the du-
ties assigned to them they returned and made their
report in November lS40 From the period of the re-
turn of this commission from Europe, the purpose
seems to have been Systematically and pcrtinaciosly
pursued by the head of that department to place the
national armorcS of the United States under the same
administrative system which was found to prevail in
somewhat similar establishments in some of the most
desPohc monarchies of Europe. If any effort was
made, as doubtless it was to influence the then Sccre
tary of War, the Hon. Joel r. Poinsctt to favor this
change, that effort proved wholly unsuccessful.
Oh tne 4tn OF March, lS4l, new administration
came INTO power when Mr. Bell, yelnidg too ready
an ear to the suggestions and Recommendation of the
ordnance officers, on the 1st of April, lS4l within
lew weeks after his appointment rs Secretary of War
dismissed the civil superintendent from Office and
appointed military officers take the charge of these
establishments How far this step was in accordance
with, or IN violation of law, the committee will not
stop here to inquire They have no hesitation how
ever expressing their opinion that was harsh and
iJudged-unlust to and oppressive upon the mechan-
les employed in the public serviceand in no respect
promotive of the interests of the government.
In the session of 1912 the attention of CONGRESS
was invited to the subject and it is much to be regret
ted that 1t was not brought forward as an indepen
dent measure OF policy instead of being blended as it
was with the provisions of bill for the general re-
organization ofthe army. And yet even in that form
when hrst submitted to the Senate, that BODY by a
vote OF near two to one after debate struck out the
sectlon IegaIlzng the military superintendencies
change ofopiniOn subsequently, produced in that
body by manuscript statement of important facts
prepared and signed by the head of the Ordnance De-
partment, and placed upon the desk of each Senator
on the morning of the day upon which the bill was
acted upon and which statement it is confidently he
ileved ana asserted could not then and cannot now
be sustained by impartial evidence In the House of
Representatives the opposition to the introduction of
the military system into our national armories was
decided firm and unyielding until the differences be-
hP-
came necessary to yield to this feature of the Senates
bill or lose altogether important measure of genc-
raj policy.
1t was under these circumstances that this system
OF which presidents only be found among the
most despotlc monarchies of Europe was carried-a
measure which resulted in driving from employment
hundreds OF the most intelligent and valuable me-
chancs which this government ever had in its employ
ment, and which now operates with crushing and
deadenlng influence upon the spirits and enterprise
OF those whose necessities still force them into the
Of hiS hiram Chnft I,a
The committee after the most careful examination
have not been able to perceive one beneficial result
which has been derived to the government from the
substitution of the military for the civil Supcrinten-
dency.
1t has not reduced the price of the muskct but on
the contrary when the large outlay for machine
ry Is estimated when the price of labor and matcr-
ais unoer the two systems-the substitution of the
percussion for the flint lock-Ire consdcLed the price
must be regarded under the present system as greater
than it was under the former.
1t has not promoted economy in the general cxper,-
dlture oil these establishments. the contrary
dency to waste and has been manifested
IN tearing down buildings before deemed ample and
commodous, and in the erection Of dwellings OF
necessary size and ma@nfcence. and other cxpcndi-
lures made there of which will appear in the large
appropriations asked from Congress and made Gor such
purposes.
The principal argument relied upon for the change
OF system was, that it item of plan for gen
eral reduction OF expenses 1t was said that the ord
nance officers were already in the employment Of the
government at fixed pay without sufficient duties to
perform that they could be conveniently spared as
substitutes for he civil superinten6cnts and that thHs
the government could saved the salary of two e
less officers. The expense argued the chairman of
the Committee on Military Affairs in the Senate SAVED
by the transfer of military to these places it was
true would not be much yet the change would effect
the abolition of two useless officers The utter fulfill
ty of this ground of economy for the proposed change
is manifest not only nthc fact that the ordnance cor9s
has been since largely increased in the in
creased outlay of money upon those establishments
since the introduction of the military system.
Not only has the existing system been without any
beneficial results to the government but its operation
has been injurious in the adoption and extension of
principle hostile to the character and genius of our
and in the shirt deem scaled dis.ott