Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-12


for the government of the Board OF fifteen officers.
selected by him carry out the provisions Of the
act Of February 28, 1855 Has the readeryet boon
able 10 discover any similarity between that act
and tha several laws for reducing the Army from a
large war, to low peace establishments However
antpodai these laws may be found, the manner Of
executing them arc vastly more SO, as win appear
In the sequel
On all occasions Of reducing the Army, the Pres
dent selected and appointed the general officers
allowed by law, and to those general officers he
transferred all further detail of selection and or
ganization. The general officers at the head of the
Army were obviously not only the best qualified 10
make selections to fill up the detail Of the law, but
by OF their superlatiye rank long and faith
full services well established characters and with
little TO fear or hope from Executive or Depart
mental influence they could discharge their whole
duty to the individual and 10 the country. wthout
the slightest ground Of suspicion that selfinterest
had any influence on their decisions. Was such the
principle adopted in selecting the retiring Board Of
Navy officers?
Precisely the contrary; take for example the
Captains list, and we find that this part of tho
retiring Board, was composed ofthe 8th l3tb 2bth.
66th, and 68th, the last and junior Captain on the
official Navy Register VI the present year, thus
eschewing the seven senior officers of the Navy
with the herorfc Stew ard (0ld Iron Sides at the
head And among whom stand those at least,
who have never yet failed to perform their whole
duty promptly and eficientlyn to their country IN
peace and in war, "ash0re or afoatn and who at
this day are physically and mentally equal at Least,
not to say as is believed by the nation far superor)
70 the best Of the FIVE Captains Of the retiring
Board. f8a
The same disregard to rank and seniority In com.
mission prevailed in selecting the commanders, and
leutenants for the Board, notwithstanding the law
emphatically provides that no officer Of inferior
grade (meanng rank shall examine into or report
upon the efficiency of officers above them. The
act also declares that all vacancies created by the
action and recommendation of said Board shall be
filed by officers next in seniority. Here, then, IL
viii be that the Board of fifteen officers which
the President was required to appoint to aid him
in carrying out the provisions Of the law to pro-
mote the efficiency of the Navy was selected with
out regard to rank or seniority, but in disregard
OF both, two-thrds of whom wero taken from infe-
rior grades and juniors in their respective classes
and some Of them comparatively unknown to the
public That, among the fifteen officers Of the
three grades composing the Board, some Of the
brightest ornaments may be found, ia not qnes-
toned, and, when sitting in judgment in any case,
where they were not personally interested in the
issue, would be as free from prejudice and parti-
atty as any living men. But we are taught to in
woke deliverance from tentptdtioni
1t would be expecting too much Of famishing
man to place before him sumptuous table, and
then leave him with his appealing appetite unre-
strained by any fear of offending the master Of the
FEAST and suppose that he would not at least taste
the viands SO freely spread before him. The moral
viii suggest itself to every unbiased mind, and
few days will perhaps add another and m astoand-
ing proof that Navy officers are not, more than
other men, impartial Judges, achesa personally i'm
terested in the matter at issne. JusrIcE.
Since the foregoing was written, the veil of se.
crecy has been partially removed from the proceed
ings Of the Retiring Board and enough is already
disclosed to show that I" Civis' is friend indeed
to the powers that be, because a friend almost in
advance of need, but suppose "Civis" may be
excused for his efforts to defend before accusation
was filed, under tlR adage that---''a guilty con-
science needs no accuser."
What is said in the foregoing review, somewhat
alphabetically as to the danger Of trusting man TO
be judge in his own cause, Is most marveousv
verified in the fact that the captain who stood No.
on the official Navy Register for 1855, il raised
to No. on the new active list; he who was Is is
now s. he who was %, is now IL; he who was
66, is now 80; and he who was No. 6S, and footing
the list as allowed by law, has advanced on the
ladder Of preferment just s5 steps, his number now
being just 81 from head instead Of 6Sis And all
this has been brought about through the instru-
mentality OF an irresponsible cabal, composed of
junior officers, sitting in coneave upon the merits
and character of their seniors in rank, whose po-
stions they long yearned after, and were sure OF
obtaining, IL vacancies could only be created.
tNorE-Two captains hare died since the Board"
was detailed hence the position of Captain No. g.
OFF Reg. ls55-is advanced by this cause, together
with the vacancies created just thrtyseyen numbers