The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-10-13
Che Amerieau Naup.
The Retired List ard the Off
Gers OflSI2.

l
American Navy, and the retired list, written
by talented citizen of Cecil. Commodore
Conner, as is known to our readers, also, re-
side in Cecil.
| The American Navy has ever been the
pride Of the people, though in eminent dis
favor with the politicians. Those who are out
of the way of political life and the secret mys-
teries of legislation, have never been able TO
understand the reasons Of the policy pursued
| towards the Navy by Congress, of which a
! fair exponent is found in the fact that they
| have never yet been willing to create the rank
even of Commodore. There are things in the
recent act au horizing tho board just closed,
which are perfectly consistent with this
whole preceding course There is, however,
but one point to which We would now speak,
it is the injustice done to the officers Of the
war of 1872.
The naval operations of that war from the
brightest page in our history. That strug-
Gle was in truth the close of the American
Revolution. 1t secured for us freedom on the
seas, as the Revolution had secured for us
freedom on land. Our country was never
free from the agg-essions of England till the
close of that war. Men who pour out their
blood for their county have claims on its
gratitude. If there were abroad among us
more of the noblcncss Of soul of the great
Athcnian statesman Pericles, there would be
more conduct i'll accordance 18th his scnti-
mcnt over those who fc in the first year of
the Pcloponcsisn war. cit is debt Of JUS
ticc to pay superior honors to men who have
exposed their lives in fighting for their coul.-
try" The achievements of the navy first
drew on our country the respect and admira
| tin,, Of uropn Vl,nuub fha hat tlnc W. IN
small scale. compared with the Nile and
Trafalgar, they made an impression on the
world, not less than that made by those
great victories. Earl St. Vincent confessed
the capture Of the Java by the Constitution
had made him pass an unhappy and sleep
less night. 1.-The statue of Hercules, cast by
Lysippus, though only a foot high, expressed
the muscles of the hero more granlly than
the colossal figures of other artists. Yet
not only the triumphs of our ships on the
ocean, but the very fact Of their going to SEA
at all was owing TO the officers of the Navy:
for the country, and especially the President
and Secretary Of the Navy, were afraiC to
trust our ships at sea, supposing they must
of necessity be captuI,dby the British. Such
men deserve the special consideration Of the
,oLntry. All that were then prominent Off
GERS are now advanced in life and no injury
could have been done hy allowing them at
least to stand, as all deserving officers have
hitherto stood, at the head of the service, till
their death. Homer represents Priam as
watching the struggle around.
Troy, surrounded by venerable men. who
though withdrawn from the active duties of
war through old age, were not set aside on
retired list, but Were retained by him as val
liable couliscllurs, and Agamcmnon prayed,
not for ten young men like Achilles, but for
ten such advisers as Old NcStor, since the
towers of the enemy must then soon fall
Age and services, with ,ipcncd wisdom, were
in those days things of great value.
| Among our townsmcn are three Of the
most honorable names in the navy: all men
of the war of 1872, and all virtually told 10y
; the &c ;.nt action to stand aside because the
country can now do without them. What
ever tn, future history of our navy, it will
II, vcr boast more honorable name than that
of Charles Stewart. lie entered the service
b, fore the bcgnnng Of the present century,
and is now the senior officer. In command
Of the Experiment, Of twelve guns, he cap
,urd, i'll 800, a French lrivatccr and a
French man OIL war of fourteen guns. lie was
second in command before Tripoll: and was
the last person who sln he with the gallant
Somcrs when Oh his i'll fatcd enterprise. 1t
was owing very much to his circumstances
that our ships were at all sent TO STA in 1872.
The capture Of the Cyanc and lcvant was one
of the most brilliant fcats of the war, and
was the crrwning glory in the good fortune
ofOld lronSidcs. and in the career of Comno-
dora Stewart. His subsequent escape from
| British squadron at Fayal displayed conduct
hardly less lllusirious.
There are among us two other officers, who
in consequence of their YOUTH had not the
good for,u nc TO command ships iu that war,
| but nevertheless acquitted themselves with
equal gallantry. Reads name
is connected with some of our most signal
victories. He was third lieutenant of the
Constitution in the capture Of the Gucrrierc,
and had the distinction Of b,ing the officer
who boarded after she struck. lie was
Lieutenant of the frigate United States in the
engagement with the Macedonian, and bore
gallant part in that distinguished victory.
His subsequent career has ever been marked
by the same patriotic devotion, the same cool
and rnterprising valor. the same lofty and
spotlcss character. Some years ago we met
casually, on a Steamboat, with company of
sailors who were part Of the crew Just dis
charged from the ship he had commanded in
the East Indies. One Of tLem was a man of
great intelligence, evidently the best speci-
men of his class; and in the course of CONVEX
satiou, he seemed proud Of his commander,
and said, mo better officer ever trod quur-
ter-dcck than George &. Reed" The whole
appearance and character of Com. Read "a
perfect Bayard of the service, "without fear
and without reproach. his amiabity in
in private life, his noble manners, his dcnti-
fication with our naval elcry all render him
precisely the man that the true-hcarted
American would feel proud to point out in
the street, as perfect specimen of naval
officer and gentlemen of the olden time. Amy
profession might feel honored in retaining such
a name at its head.
After the Constitution, no vessel was more
distinguished than the Hornet. No ship did
more than the Hornet to honor the American
arms and the American name. She was with
Commodore Rogers squadron in the chase of
Belyldcra, and saw the first gun of the war
fired, the sinking of the Peacock in fifteen
minutes was S, mcthing unparalleled in naval
history: the capture of the Penguin was fit
ting termination to war throughout scored
table TO the American navy, and the subse-
qnrnt escape Of the Hornet from British
ship Of the line was not less crcditable to her
officers and crew. Com. Conner had the dis
tincton Of ewing in the Hornet through the
whole war. He wa on board the Peacock