The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-10-03
From The RiehmoDd Enquirer
NAVAL REFORM.

& From the Richmond Enquirer.
NAVAL REFORM.
yseyen years ago Congress founded present navy
by building four gates The navy Of the revolution hay
ing long before passed away il was necessary to officer
these ships from the merchant marine After time, how
ever vacancies were filled exclusively from inferior grades
and the navy became the school Of its officers The
provision for instruction FIRST absolutely nothing.
The young officers left to pick up their professional
education they best could and were promoted without
examination other test qualification In the course OF
time examinations required before promotion and
sehoolmasters appointed to teach navigation These
teachers were for the most incompetent and did little or
no good Less than twenty years ago the commodore OF
squadron appointed ehoomaser for his flagship who was
ignorant OF the rudimen OF mathematics. This circum
coming TO The of the Secretary OF the Navy lea
order requiring schoomaserst to be examined before
entrance into the service Still however the instruction
afforded the midshpmen mere farce. Small vessels
carried no teachers and on board of such ships had
them there were regular Schools but the midshpmen
were Obliged to learn they could in the intervals OF
duty All they learned acquired during the few months
preceding their examination in the schools maintained al
the principal dockyards. The extent of the obstruction
may be inferred from the fact that Observation-Disclosures
was the only book used Stewardship art so difficult to
learn that Commodore Porter himselfs thorough sailor
used to say "a lifetime too short to acquire IT, IVES
never taught and had be learned from tho discharge
midshpmans duty.
This state of things continued until few years ago.
when the Naval Academy at Annapolis was established
institution worthy Of the country aud OF tne service
and one which will do for the navy what West Point has
done for the army
AS might have been expected from such system OF ed
ucaon as prevailed before the establishment OF the Naval
Academy the service became crowded with incompetent
members The honor Of the country and the splendid re-
nown of gallant corps often trusted TO most I'M
worthy hands and nothing but the prevalence of peace on
IN, all lify
grace 1t could not from the rdieue OF sometimes
being represented abroad by wholly without educa
ton and who knew nothing of the duties with which they
were ntrused.
Old fogysm imbeclty, dissipation, and disposition 70
skuk from duty had made fearful inroads on the efficiency
Of the service And the hardshps and casualties OF
active service were attended with prodgious wear and
tear the drones who went to sea- onved the work
ing men, and gained on them in relative proportion
Many mertorous officers had also become ineihcent
from accidents and exposure and swelled sui urher ne
crowd Of noncfec,ives. The good of the country mpe-
riousy required thorough, sweepng and radical reform
of the navy and Congress at its last session made pro-
vision for it. law passed authorizing the Secretary
to assemble board of five captains five commanders, and
five euenants for the purpose of reporting list OF such
officers as were competent to perform their duties Ell
fciently ashoro and afoat designating those who were
to blame for their ncompeency and therefore, de-
served to be dropped No member of the board was al
his own for the manifest that the inferior might
be tempted to hasten his promotion by dropping his
superior
The board assembled composed of officers of high stand
ne and after careful and aborous investigation, report
ed list Of nearly oactrd Of the whoe nm6er ~ sercice
The extent Of depreciation the prodgious accumulation OF
ncompetency the Of fatal inefcency attained by the
navy were thus demonstrated in most startling manner
The honesty and fairness Of the board were abore susp
con since not one of them would receive the smallest ben
eft from his action and they were all men OF unques
tionable character.
Their means of information excellent for they not
only had the personal knowledge always possessed by the
members of SO small corps but the archives OF the Navy
Department open to them Their action after being
carefully revised by the President and Secretary was APP
proved and its propre'y sustained
AS might have been expected te rible cutlery from the
victims and their friends has been raised and charges of
prejudice and injustice freely preferred against the
board Congress will, doubt, be blockaded by petit
TONERS for the restoration of ALL greater part of the
retired and dismissed officers. With great sympathy for
such of them deserve it. sincerely hope that the ac-
ton of the board may be left unpaired That injustice
has been done in some instances may well be imagined ;
for the members men, and not angels No plan could
be adopted that would not for the reason nct in
Justice But every precauon has been taken to guard
against it and any congressional action will probably do
greater Injustice either to individuals to the country
Nor would any other board if assembled to revise the
ton of their predecessors give greater satisfaction they
did their duty In all such reforms must have the
painful spectacle of reduced to want but should
not permit sympathy for individual distress to make
us forget the oyerruling consideration Of the public
welfare.
There every to believe that the action of the
late board has not been extensive in its operation The
youngest of the commanders just promoted to fill the
vacancies occasoned by the reserved list must be at least
forty years of age Judging from the length of time they
have been in the service When it is recolected that this
is the second grade that the youngest post
captain be at least ffty-fye And thus have
ships mostly commanded by old men, in spite of the retire
of nearly third of the corpsanoher proof Of the
urgent necessity Of reform 1t gratifying in the
to reflect that the to the navy is exclusively
through the Naval Academy and, therefore, but
pecnt and wel-educated fill vacancies for the flu
ure This will render another retiring board unnecessary
for long time come But others will be necessary and
that permanent provision for their peri
odcsl convention would be wise thing III il were
understood that the whole service he suljeced
every ten years such ordeal ii has Just passed
through the stimulus to efficiency would be tremendous
and it would be necessary to retire but few
From the Detroit Free Press.
DREDGING THE ST. CLAIR FLATS.
The committee for dredging the St Clair Flats have is
sued circular to whom it may concern" stating that
Mr. John Henderson secretary Of the board OF trade
Buffalo, is authorized TO collect the subscribed