Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-27
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-ooros, of our correspondent, "A Frieno o
Ta,, " we publish a final communication IRON
to, od;,oral from the Courier and Enquirer OF
- ...;.o. or the Naval Board We have ireei.
'Ie columns 70 the a.sailants Of the Board
with the view of obtaining thorough uis0"'''V"
the important topic OF naval relo'n,' auu
carefully abstaned from casting 'he snsn'e'.
t;,n.upon the motives of those VINO oluereu "oh
,r onin;ou While We did not expect ssihiiar c'u'
,.sv from persons unable to discriminate oe'"ee" q"
cument and vitupcraton, and accustomed nao'''".''
90 conf,und the two, we were not surprised '"0' -,
.,,, rho Courier and Enquirer should chafse :,
hsn, .bound to follow the administrator 'n
,,:,t and thin" we ,yere surprised thar 81 r'e"
o.. NAVY" should seemingly endorse TINS ca'u""' y
,.;,c, and emphasi.ing il. We did not eAPe'
.rcb AN irnpu,ation from gentleman vi eooI 'eN
-, ,a,n,sr and can only account torit oy thesup
-. -. has beeu carried away by the warmth
OF his feelings. A., ,,;oct NJ tbs
W. ,ovo already said more on the su1Ject Oh Tux
p.,;r,c Board than agreeable 10 our ''",
md u. sball hereafter leave It 10 o'uel9' ".'0
.ho,d bs good reason for again emo"'Ae
o,,,roysr,y. The discussion OF the SUBJECT A"
o,,6rn.d us in the opinions with WHICH NO "'
o,d .st;s6ed us that the organization "''u ''''
,roc,.diuy of tho Board were en'rey P'opet, e"
thar ia action 30 far We have hao opp0i'uH'''''
investigating il, was eminentiy JUST. -.
Nv, Ssvs beretofore shown that the Navy ~ " V"
- -, 6f,v.odl years. had become IRON various
a.,,a. overwhelmed with netiiciency. lhat inc az
.a,ce If nroper provisions for testing TIC q"a'''.
of .hosa entering il, and for their subsequent III
:. ,ho d,,;ss Of their profession, the greater
.a ,aar of the portion engaged in active ser'
loo and therefore of the efficient MEMBERS 'ie
dency to bad habits created by the deierieu nop' .
nrono,ion. and the partial mental paralysis
nv An entire If, passed in subordinate Sla''ou' 40"
almost mad. ineificiency the general ru'e III '"'
Navy. ... co,rros, for
rssorn. The country suspected IT, ana suS'a.neu luz
.nn,icstiou The only question was' no" sli"' ','''
-, ha sff,cted1 How shall inefficient ofncers NC
.-.d romo.iou quick eued, education proVideu 'oi'
-, an,r,,oe TO the service barred against tue un
.,,,hv, Tho school at Annapolis founded e's''
,,s.,. NON provided amply for future Pro'e'','"
,.n., rho admission of unfit persons anu i's 'ne -
-.;., ~ tho younger officers, but there was SIN
hu,s mas. of ineffciency crushing the "e A"u
49,, ..-,;ce Ard in manner perpetuatihg
i,self bv obs.ructing pronotlon' iio" ""' .,~..1
ha cot rid of No question has been more con''De'
or more deliberately settled
The idea Of organizing Il court 10 NY o"'ee's VII
.nac6c CHARGES If ever entertained, must nave oee"
oa;l, abandoned for il was under the JURISDICTION
b cour,s that the service had run into ineiicie"-
=, Erou, the foundation OF the Navy such courts
,ro boa, snost in constant session, anu they nave
,u f.;Isd m relieve it OF the evil. whatever
;.,, ho ,ba cause there is no dspung the TACT tha'
=, constant, courts.,uartal, the inefhciency oi
,sd STEADILY increased, and there was no
,o..o, 70 suppose that e1pedient which hau u''''
-. ,.;,.d wouh now be successful Moreover
vsra ipsurmountable objections to such court
tueff Cheney is often not suscept'oieo' ,uu.'a
,,rao, I,freouently depends causes defyng detec
tion There were mu!tltndes oil men Ill 'ne Wv
in all calipgs, who would 10 Pronou'eeu 'i'eN'1'e'
without dissenting voice anu YET II 'ie '"u'e'
;,s,6c;ency were cnqured into no TWO persons "ou'
sorse. Psculiartes Of moral ana lh'ehoe'u'' ''''
rsrsment and combinations OF both' itnposs'o'e "
detect ara often the cause OF lneihc'ehe!' ~ W."
o,sv desirable to get rid OF ineihcency from 'nese
,s ..if il resulted from dissipation or bad health
To ,ryanize court therefore, would ha'e oeen "
abandon reform. ,Lo
A. sdy;s;ny BOARD was the only substitute, Out the
reasons which forbade court OF course oppo''u NV
,ya-,iou of this Board into one by the introuuc'o
- oc;s, charges and the examination OF witnesses
,v;,b,ut ,pecic charges direct such efanlna'on'
would have been idle.
Where the question was one OF se"ei" 'n"
Board properly selected and Ieit Tree " seeA :"
formation wbsre it chose, would be more lRely " 1T
tain m. truth than q court hnmpered win r"'es OIL"
frus Congress- therefore, in organizing boaeu' "u
mn, court acted wisely in our Judgment anu III ''e
way best calculated to secure justice.
Tb, Board was selected by the Secretary ai'et
., dTbaraton and in such manner. we learn, u
- command the appreciation and confidence Oh the
Nsxv Sota murmur was heard either IN the SER
roe or in the country large, against the meoers
hoso % constitute the Board the rules prescrloeu
+,,; Il, action. These rules were made puohe' anu
seeu,.d TO DO universally approved. Nothing W."
All, ohout sscresy star chamber proceedings, or any
thing else calculated to dspsraSe the mode OF pro-
ceeding. Every body knew that no Commissioned
Oa;c,r was over promoted in the Navy, without be-
inc passed upon by the Senate of the United States
:, ...-o+ ssssion and no one dreamed that similar
,roceedipe by u select Board Of his own comrades
woald be Objectionable.
All coon;zapt of such matters knew that the Army
,;,s ba, the question to be tried was idehticall!
the same, the efficiency OF the omcer'' anu W."
sighteen hundred had besn dismissed under tue NJ
t;on of that Board. The tact that It was reouo''
and not reform did not affect the prlncpe' 'o hios
efficient were retained and the only question: was III"
,f efficiency Nor did il alter the mater tna' lux
disu;sson was 10 disgrace, for It equally aePr'e'
man of their profession who had devoted their hVe
III and popted them out as Inefficient compared
with tbose retained. The Army were therefore a.
much entitled 10 court ~ the Navy, and yet mac
been adudred not entitled to it, The marine corp
had besn purred without any Board and no fault wa
foupd Hence not remembrance against the organ
i,stion of the Naval Board was heard The Nav.
were pleased with its composition, and nsreed tha
better selection could not be made to protect the no
nor advance the interests and represent tue opmon
of the profession II submitted itself 10 Inc BOAR
chserfully. and tho country looked on VIII ny
probation. At length the bolt tell tho doomed "er
announced, and in IN instant oil was changed Hio
titudes now discovered that all was wrong where I"
had been deemed right. The organization OF III
Board was ceusured and its members denounced VIII
unparalleled bitterness. Numerous Instances OF 'nu'
tcs were cited and the friends Of the supposed victim
have marshaled their forces for descent on Congress
We have had opportunities OF enquring into some {
these cases Of alleged injustice, and we have found
syery instance that the action Of the Board was who
lyjusti6ed by the faots Of the case. We have no.
Increased confidence III the correctness of that actor
founded a. we have reason TO believe il was, on a
amount and an accuracy Of information little suspec
ed BY the assailants of the Board.
We feel indignant a; the course pursued by man
tho,a md enrpestly hone that the Boar
may have an opportunity of confronting them.
.ome instances, we know that they will DO cover'
with confusion at the result, but be that rs 1t ma!