Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-07-29
Have we a NAVY!


of all modern naval classes, as efficient in
their construction as any others in the
known world. Yet, for want of thorough
reorganization of the Navy, their superior
ity of construction, in case of actual war,
would avail us little. As for steamers of
war, ours are, in truth, little more than
apologies for them; though this is the
arm of navies which all the other mari
time nations are striving most earnestly
to render most efficient. Three or four
causes have conspired to produce the
state of things which have, together,
stripped our Navy of effectiveness. First,
and most potent, has been the blind de-
termination evinced by Congress of late
years, to legislate for the Navy under the
advice of persons interested in naval con-
tracts, patent rights used in the service,
&C., and not unfrequcntly of officers
striving to obtain legislative action de-
signed to benefit themselves personally,
or their class or grade in the service.
Next in mischievOus effects, come the
prejudice filling the minds of members of
Congress, from the interior generally, lin
most cases Democrats, too,) who have
never yet been able to understand how it
is that the Government of the United
States requires any Navy. We may
truthfully declare that there arc always
scores of gentlemen of late years in Con-
gress, whose every vote in connection
with appropriations for the Navy, lead to
the conclusion that thny mnSt no i'm.
pressed with that idea.
1t requires no argument from US to sat-
isfy any man possessing the slightest &C
quaintancewith thehistory of the national
and commercial progress of the world,
that gentlemen entertaining such views
are wholly untitled for seats in our Ma
tional Legislature. They should be kept
at least seven years at school some where,
before being entrusted with share in
welding the destinits of nation of the
promise of ours. The third disastrous
element has been, the want of firmness in
the civilians at the head of the Navy De-
partment, in the matter of refusing to en-
trust officers who should be on a retired
list, with duties they are untitled to dis
charge, from different causes. We know
that we have few more nominal naval Of
ficers than are absolutely required for the
demands of the service, yet quite mum,
Der of them are entirely incapacitated from
properly discharging the duties to which
they are liable to be called at any mo-
ment. A Secretary of the Navy, however,
may, at his option, impose increased du-
ties on the efficient, placing no trusts of
responsibility in inefficient or incompe-
tent hands which has not been the rigil
policy of the Department heretofore, as it
should have been.
Had this step been resorted to, we
would have had ''retired list" long
since; for the members of Congress most
opposed to voting appropriations for the
Navy, would in such case have embraced
the opportunity to make the pay of those
officers who had worn themselves out in
their country's service, less than that of
those who are men of the times. Con-
gress has improperly authorized the en-
ployment of naval officers on vessels (mail
steamers) other than regular ships-of-
war, and in the prosecution of the Coast
Survey; thus withdrawing them from the
jurisdiction of the Department, destroy
ing its discipline, producing discomfort,
and, really, disqualifying the young Of
6cers so employed from after satisfactory
service in legitimate duties of their pro-
fession.
Thelast great cause ofthe present condi-
ton of the Navy has beenthe want of nerve
on the part of the Heads of the Depart
ment in the matter of insisting on lit
eral compliance with naval contracts; it
being notorious that heretofore, the last
resort-the Secretary-nearly always for
gave shortcomings, upon the rendition of
some pitiable plea, of mishaps from causes
beyond the control of the contractor. The