Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-09-28
LYNOHBURG llRGiNiAN.
NAVY Retiring Board--Bieut. vi F. Mamy.

the President to carry into effect the act of Con.
gross, Of last session, for promoting tho efficiency
of the Navy. We hailed the passage of that oei
with sincere pleasure step in the right
direction and have, at all times, awarded praise
to the present Secretary of the Navy,for the gel
with which, in two successive reports. he urged
the measure. We saw, with equal sali slaetlnn.
The names of the officers selected TO decide the
fate of their fellow off GERS. W. believe II would
be difficult 10 selee, fifteen men who would IN
spire more confidence. Never WINS a more diiii-
cult and arduous duty assigned 10 any Board -
Except 10 the mere numbers retired, iurlope h.
ed and dropped. we have no means of Judging Oh
the manner in which they discharged that duty.
From a very questionable motive Of delicacy the
DEPARTMENT has not published officially the
names of the officers affected by the finding OF
the Bonrd. Ayhan il is known Tint. by the
terms af the ret the next Navy Register must
contain tlie several lists of the active, retired
and furIoughed. this dclicacy in suppressing them
now must be confessed to BIZ worse than fasiidi
Gus; inusmuoh as the press, 10 gfalify the deep
interest falthy the pablo, is now giving lists
palpahlv incorrect. 70 show how little they can
be relied on. VIZ may mention TINT on one list Of
the retired. pow lying before u. we note the
rame of n Captain who member OF the
Board The Department, we hope, will recon
siaer it. determination, aud, Mt once officially m
nonnce the action of the Board. In doing other
wise it tends to increase the prejudice against the
whole proceeding, secret. mgnisltorial aud
sr parie.
But whilst. from distrast Of the accuracy Of the
lists published, we forbear an expression Of opin-
ION as to the manner in which the Board has in
general acquitted itself, in the discharge OF a most
responsible and nyidious duty. we know Ger
tainly of one case in which gross outrage has
been perpetraiedupon the public sentiment OF the
country, ard an officer OF worldwide renown
sacrificed to spirit of envy and old togyism.
We readily anticipate the surprise, amounting IL
nereduty. aud the contempieas indignation
which must take possession Of the American neo.
pie, when they learn that II MATHEW +.
MAuRY is removed from the active to the re.
served list, with leave Of absence pay. The only
oolornble pretext for this outrage i partlnl still
ness Of the knee. caused by injuries received,
some fifteen or sixteen years ngo, by the upset.
ting of stage, and subsequent nal practee al
the hands of village doctor This lumencss
was never sufficient TO disqualify him for the
tive duties of the profession, aud was in It's re-
suits most propilous to the best interests % the
Navy. 1t will be remembered by many that, in
the Icing confinement attendant on this accident,
he found occupation for his actiye and cnquirng
mind. in the composition Of series Of essays ON
subjects connected with the Navy, which were
IN tho nublin uudar the lila nf tina ..I
Bag" in tho Southern Literary Messenger
The vigor Of style, cogency of argument cxpan.
sion of thought, and unsparng manner in which
he exposed abuses in the Navy, gave them i'm
mediate and wide spread popularity They were
published in the Leading papers of the day, and
produced in the Navy, in Congress and among
the people, decided impression. He showed up
the bhghtng Influence of the Board of Navy
Commissioners, as then organized. its blunders.
wastefulness, irresponsbty aud nefiiciency for
any good purpose. The organization fell before
his exposures and the present system was sub
siituted. We need scarcely say, that, by the
freedom of his Investigations, he MORALLY offend.
ed superannuated Commodores, who had sat for
years, an incubus on the serviee-and to their re-
sentiment aud apathy and disgraceful jealousy
we believe he is now sacrificed
These essays in the Lucky Bag" were not
merely condemnatorv of abuses--They pointed
out the mode of redress and Improvement The
Navy, in all respects, is now in very different
state from what it was then. All his sugges-
tons have not, il is true, been yet adopted, but
he may challenge the production of any one meas
gre of reform or happy innovation, which is not
- = 4 =: i. 4 l..
ry-even, we believe, to that policy, to the per-
version of which he is now a victim.
Escaping from his long confinement, Lieut.
Maury applied for sea service and was ordered
to the Pacific Squadron as flag officer to Com
modore Jones; but friends interposed, thinking
him not sufficiently recovered for the more ac-
tive duties of his profession. Fortunately for
the service. the of science and the inter-
ests of the country, he was soon afterwards or
dered to take charge of the Depot of charts aud
instruments in Washington and when the Ma
tonal Observatory completed he was APP
pointed its Superintendent in which position, we
need not say to our readers he has within the
last ten years acquired fame which has made
his name familiar to men of science throughout
Christendom. whilst his labors have benefited
the trade and commerce ofthe world.
And it is to this wide spread fame, these use
full labors. he owes the stigma now cast upon
him. Had he been Commodore, Captain or
even a Commander, whilst building up this splen-
did reputation, old fogyism might have endured
it perhaps. But that Passed Midshipman should
pablish text book of navigation, that junior
Lieutenant should presume to question tho wis
dom OF existing arrangements in the services and
expose The aesurd'ies perpctrated by Navy Com
mlssloners-shoud make suggestions for i'm
proyementsane reforms, which Congress adont.