Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-16
NAVAL REFORM.

NAVAL REFORM.
We give place to another communication from "a
Frlcnd oi Tie Navy We have 80 fully expressed our
own sentiments on the subject that We cannot think
Of boring our READERS with more comments of our own
We are pleased to know that our positions are ss.
aincd by many of the ab!cst and must respectable
journals OF ihc country. From one of hem the Bos.
ton Advertiser ian opposition paper) we extract the
following
TnE CHaS6rs ~ THE NAvY.-In the National
lnie'TcIcer" {" Tuesday as, it is suggested that Con-
=rrrs sil"u make sn.nc provision by wnyof donation
10 those officers whose nalnes have been absolutely
dropped from the rolls of the Navy. This suggestion
we ARE inch1d TO approve: for although We cannot
u!'ll' tIiat such al indemnify can be claimed rs Il
IEht III behalf ni these officers, are willing 10 al
"w under the somewhat peculiar circumstances ui
tie case that they should bu treated with generosity
ny The government which simply ccHsts to employ
them hecau," il ceases IN find their services valuable.
Doubtless there are among this class Of officers
whose characters hre VIGOROUSLY bad, and Disgrace
III I" the service, and who accordingly deserve no
eniehcy ut tho hands Of the government. But hcr.
arr perhaps Others whose coulnct may bear more
nIi'gcnt construction, and we are therefore willing
TO favor the adoption of q plan which would give
them all q TAR chance Of beginning the world anew
and ni retrieving their former errors.
Such a.cnerous course this would remove, We
frltNcG oi any O cunpluiiIt
"Sais' Inc recent measure uf naval reform; nnd II
must be observed that the niicers 10 which it would
apply number only 0ne.quarlcr Of the whole wliO
have been relieved from further active scrvicc.-
with Regard 10 the other three-q quarter-onc hun
drcI ana hity-twO ont ui two hundred and Onc-ot-
Gers who have been placed upon the Retired List
with pay continued. conceive TINT there can be iro
ground whatever for complaint NJ their treatment,
or claim lur Indemnity or donation. lEdccd their
treatment has been liberal and honorable that we
do not doubt that there are many officers remaining
nn tho active list who would be only too glad 10 share
the good fortune OF their brethren tho Retired List,
and 10 bc relieved OF the privutions and harishpS OF
service ntoat ioc the quiet and repOse, and indcpcn
dencc Oi lie on shore with an Income by no means
| insignificant, secured 10 them FOR life.
Such good fortune certainly falls 10 other class
Of public officers whatever in this c"uutryand in
the relations NJ private business nothing OF the sort
! is dreamed oi. When the services UI person en-
played IN amy ordinary capacity, "r even III any en-
iraurdInh!y cdpnc!tv, become from any cause, usr
less to the party employing him. one prctcEds that
he may mol properly he NJ discharged. There
is no reason in analogy, why the services OF naval Ol
t:crH any more than others should be retained lon
! :;cr than government chooses Ia rciaim ihcm nor
viii men I" spirit care 10 urge any claim Ia be EN-
! played when their services are mol wanted. But
when the government, rs III thccasc al irtcluaiters
"i the officers relieved from active service conincS
them certain compensation. a;Ii ceases To r'puirc
any equivalent in duty there certainly appears t" re-
main not the slightest valid ground ur complaint.
We are therefore surprised tn srr that objections
continue 10 be- expressed in some quarters Ia Tie
pursued 10y the retiring bonrt IN carrying oui
the duties imposed by Congress. Ii - admitted on al
hand, that the officers who composed the board
honorable gentlemen, and there Is 10 pr"tcncc
tha; their course was dictated by any other motive
than Il desire TO subscrve the best Interests al the ma
and of the country by faithful discharge oi tl!e
functions cuniided 10 them by the law. But c"ih
plant Is made OF the "principlo which governed
their action On the ut the nluIstorai "r sccret
nature Of the proceedings.
II is well known that for many years past no little
attention hus been bestowed by Congress upon tho
subject OF naval reform, and all soris vi plans nave
been suggested iog purging the navy. Al iuot
measure, eInnenfly practical, was passed by large
lnaiory-and tha; measure has now been faithfully
carried into effect. II not designed To try the
officers in open court That would have been ilnpo.-
.ibe nri moreover the absolute Dismissal, much less
the qualified retirement uf an officer, ought not to be
regarded rs punishment Tor any actual overt o.
fpuct-!t is simply oil indication of the negative tact
that in the opinion Of the naval board aud of the
President the officer cannot longer be useful in active
service. lie may moi have done any harm, lac may
not be- likely 10 u any harn-but, i'll Thought that
he will not probably he able In effect any good 10
decide which officers could easiest be spared was Tie
question before the board not TO try them upon spe-
cic charges. To conduct such an inquiry openly Il
obviously improper.
There was no undue prccpitancy in the proceed,
lHgs. lhc board were III session. Iu HNc "cths, anu
their report was in the hands OF the Secretary o the
Navy nearly M equal length Of time before 1t WIS
finally approved by tho President.
We must repeat, in conclusion our conviction that
however harsh this measure may seem. II was nm ao-
sulue necessity for the welfare and vigOr OF the navy
Aifuirs hud reached such a ptss that proceeding
somewhat summary was required to prevent the rum
ofthat important OF the public service believe
that uu the whole the measure adopted was hs TAR
and rs proper as any that could have been carried
into effect. Wo could perhaps have suggested some
improvements in the syatcm; but i'll view of the great
advantages which will How from it, we hold idle to
dwell on these. Ir contagration, when il becomes
necessary to blow up house TO stay the progress OF
tho flames i. would BE- foolish to dispute about the
precise quantity OF gunpowder most desirable to he
.mployc! and still more foolish Ia deny the right to
Destroy the house at all. Individual interests must
sometimes suffer for the public good. We are wall
ing ius we stated ut the ousct) 10 allow reasonable
pecuniary indcmni;icatjon i'll those cases OF especn
hardship where officers have been dropped absolute
ly from the rolls. But cannot consent to allow
the principle that officers in the navy have vested
and inalennble right to be continued for life in the
service, however incnpacitated for useful duty they
may become in the progress Of time.
We regret to learn Of the death at Portsmouth
N,,l;,, Thu purfa Trnu3-