Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-27
,fron the New York Courier and Enquirer

.So hoard Of officers however pune. Ia competent to
.nsss upon the professional and mora" qualifications OF
"uv officer whether for prUmilOn OF amy u'hi IiA'-'
ucs, under all the solemn obligations ni oati 10 40 as
,.tfc.-n close and steady Investigation into whatever de
merits muy be alleged aided u all ne 4hts T "slo
nv in his behalf well rs a-nHst him. and r"irHt
"hCdring OF whatever nc Inn! h.'e l" ""' Va t''
zion or defence
Thus said Commodore STEWART in protest, which
y. publish i'm another Nplunn, against the acton ot
Naval Bnardi in 1916, Involving principles IKE those
ON which the recent Retiring Board proceeded itls
nuruare which glad To learn wa ut thnt time
mn, Firth in such quarter ur il urcibiy confirms the
view we have taken Of the present nafter from the
outset Commodore STEWART IS the senior "l!icer oi
the Navy, aud the presiding officer o' the very
Board whose course he condemned. NO nihh c"'hd
BIZ supposed to be better acquainted with The real ne
ressjtes of the service, with the principles which
ought to regulate It's treatment and with the actual
coiuct of the board i'll all its particulars lis opn
ion iusIly carries with if great weight nt autlori-
~ We have every Ia believe that II remains
unchanged and that while he himself has personally
suffered from the action Of the present Board, lie Is
still as decidedly opposed to its Pr'"ctt1i Us ever.
The action of the Board has u! course been deieii'
ed ny the Washington EH,Oh, the Richmond Eh9h'-
,rr md other newspapers bound to follow tho Album
is,ration through thick and thin We expected this'
and had right to expect It; but we also ad !EH'
TO expect that they would conhne themselves 10 re-
sp.ctable means ni defence. The arguments ih'y
,nnst rely u,nn arc Of the llm-i'St material. IL II
anil ,hat c,rd officers are removed summary, with
ant any assignment of rrisunS, and without Any "p
portunitv TO be- hcari in their own behalf. Inc iar'
~ even So but the argument Is worthless, tr ihice
r,suus. EyN this mode of removing civil officers Is
nm admitted abuse the working of wrccEed system
nj rurty prescription, aud II agrant departure from
the original points Of inquiry laid down Tor sncli chSe
by Jefferson SIS he honest il nc capable, ~ he iat
tu To- the CONSTITUTIONS SrC0Hd, eva "lhccrs nave
no pr,fr$<ionai character. They are SIMPLY Puulc
servants for the time being, taken from the common
business walks of lto without prev ious preparation,
and paid with certain monthly stipend without m
engagement on the part of government, either express
or implied to raise them after Il term OF service To
b;rber office; whereas, naval officers, by lifelong ed
ucntion and practice. are in every sense az strictly
professional any class III human society, nrc
ncculiarly untitled for any pursuit OIL from their own
element have pride in their profession ai, sensl-
bility to its honor such fund among few other
professional classes, and both by INV aud by estab-
ished usage rewarded for their nfhiul service by
promotion from rank {" rank. Ih"h, There Il no law
restraining the President in any way whatever, in his
nower of removal, while the act constituting tins
hoard expressly sayS that " shall make c0r6iM or
animation into the efficiency oil the hirers. care
ful examination implies huroulncss aud importantly,
and it is impossible TO secure these without either a
nersonal examination of the party himself whose
character is broug question: or nj least
without apprsing him u the inpulntions made up
ON him. and allowing him by lctter or through friends
IN yindcate himself explain 10 style M or p0r'e
examination a careful examination Ii a peryersun
90 tar,ns fur there can be no judicial care without
fairness, and no fairness without nm admission OF evil
dpnc. on both sides. The Naval officers, then, who
hnyc suffered nv the action OF the Board have not
lad the benefit of the right secured TO them by the
law and therein they sustain grievance which civil
officers who have no such right secured them, cannot
| complain of as IN injury =.
Ii is also maintained by the defenders at me Board
that was not bound Ia observe Juci" i"Tiiis be-
cause it was not invested with Judicial pow"r-, lis
province being Ia recommend. not 10 pass definite
| Judgment. These men appear I" have never heard
| OF such thing as n0i1r"i justice. lhey imagine
| Justice 10 be mere creation OF legal tribunal Be-
cause oorsooth the retiring Board was not Court,
therefore it free from all obligations to seek Jus
| tce BY observing rules of conduct whereby aionc
| Justice can be secured We are not so uncbar!taOe
as to believe that these editors would practice in
private life the dogma they here advance, Tor any oi
| them, doubt not, when Investigating any matter,
even in private int, iduai capacity affecting the
character and interests of another, would feel bound
| to make up his Judgment from all sides OF the case
! How then can they pretend that n Board Of men.
whatever be their capacity, private or Official should
not be subject to the same obligations! Legal t"rms
and judicial powers doubtless couduce the dscor-
cry OF the truth, but the absence OF them is no
reason for giving up all idea of fair nvestiGatlon-no
reason for throwing, rs was publicly done by this
Board the doors wide open on one side Of the case
| for the admission of all sorts of charges md herme-
| tcally sealing them the other The unavoidable
result of such course of action was Injustice. Many
instances Of this injustice are notorious and undena-
ble. Officers have been visited by the proscrpve
hand of the Board against whom there Iot slnee