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

NAVY over the sguaturc Of 4 Cisis,n appeared In
that journal ON Saturday the 10Th of September
in defence Of the wholesale 0stracism. which has
80 recently been applied 70 the Navy. II u not
q very favorable indication when person whether
in private or public lfe assays 70 yDdicate himself
before he Is accused But 70 the defence sCiois
says, this is tine frat time measure OF the kind
has been applied TO the Navy; but the Army has
been twice subjected to more severe test under
the plea Of reduction"
How Gieis, or any other person ia the slightest
degree acquainted with the several Acts Of Con-
gress, under which the Army has, from time TO
time been reduced from full war complement to
low peace establishment, and the act OF February
2Sth 1856, ito promote the efficiency Of the
Navy" can discern the least resemblance is mar
vellous indeed. SE@ s5t4.s5S
Az the close Of the war Of 1912 with Great
Britain our army as authorized by law, was over
1000 of all arms; at the breaking out of the
war it WAS only s, or 10000 ON paper; upon tho
restoration Of peace, Congress most wisely made
haste to curtail the expenses Of the Government
In every legitimate way, and among the first acts
for that object was the one to reduce the Army to
low peace establishment That act specified the
Regiments, Corps, and Companies, as well as the
number and rank Of general officers to be retained
in service. 4f
"Be IL enacted blythe Senate and House of Rep
rsssntatiues of the United States Of dnasyica in
C.ngrsss assembled That as soon as practicable,
after the passage Of this act the President of the
United States shall cause board Of naval officers
to be assembled to consist Of five Captains, five
Commanders, and Eve Leutenants, which board,
under such regulations as the Secretary Of the
Navy may prescribe, shall make careful exami-
nation into the efficiency Of the officers Of the
grades hereinafter mentioned, and shall report to
the Secretary of the Navy the names and rank OF
all officers Of the said grades who, in the judgment
Of said board, shall DO incapable Of performing,
promptly and efficiently all their duty both ashore
and ahoat; and whenever said board shall believe
that said incompetency has arisen from any cause
implying sufficient blame on the part Of the officer
to justify 1t, they shall recommend that his name
be stricken altogether from the rolls. Vacancies
occurring in said board shall be filed by the Sec
rotary of the Navy, who shall preserve the num-
Der and grades OF its officers as aforesaid Proui-
ded That no officers upon said board shall exam
inc into or report upon, the efficiency Of officers
Of grade above them.
Size. q. 49, aAnd vacancies created
in the active service list, by placing officers the
reserved list, shall be filed BY regular promotion
in the order Of rank or seniority"
The President was required TO carry out the law,
by honorably discharging the snpernumcraries, not
penniless and without moments warning, but
first paying each officer SO dropped six months
full pay. s
The Army underwent further reduction under
another law Of similar import, in 1871, and again
in 1S48, at the close OF the war with Mexico. How
did the Presidents of the United States flor these
reductions occurred under the administrations of
Madison, Monroe, and Polk, how, ask, did those
patriotic statesmen carry out the wishes Of Com
gressg BY Executive selection from the general
staff Of those most distinguished, among the dis
tinguished in the respective wars through which
they had passed, to occupy the places by law pro-
vided, and then by constituting these general Off
GERS board to arrange all the rest. i8
How is it with the Navy Reform Board under
the act /" to promote the efficiency Of the Navy I"
Lest might be suspected of unfairly quoting, j
viii give the first section entire, and 80 much of
the second section as is necessary to enable the
reader to fully understand the true intent and
meaning of the Aforesaid act, entitled " An act to
promote the efficiency Of the Navy"
fair comparison of this act Of national legisla-
ton with tho several acts to reduce the Army, al
ready referred to- win show conclusvely that the
object and ends Of the law have no more parallel
in design than has been exercised in their execu-
ton.
The object Of the Navy law was not to reduce
the aggregate Of the respective grades but merely
to remove few who, from physical, mental or
professional disability, might be found incapable
of performing, promptly and efficiently, all their
duty both ashore and afoat." Here, then, in two
snort INES, u the sum anu buobtAHce Ol the only
test qualification authorized by the law. It's true,
the law authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to
prescribe such regulations as may be proper for
the government Of the Board in their proceedings.
The Washington Union of 23d Of June last con-
tains letter from the Secretary of the Navy, bear
Ing date the 25th of the same month, transmitting
to the Board, then about to assemble In Washing
ton, regulations from one TO six inclusive, by which
the Board was to be governed in their action, the
last of which Ia In these words:
No. 9. !" AS the deliberations and proceedings of
the Board viii be incomplete until the approval or
disapproval of the President all information touch
ing the same will be confined exclusively to the
Board and the Executive Department of the gov
ernment."
In the course Of the Secretxry's charge accom-
panyng the said regulations be tells the board that
The law requires capacity but II stops not here,
but Il must be capacity to perform all duty
ashore and aAoat' But IL stops not here, for il
Il not content with nero capacity TO perform
duty but demands that 1t shall be done not mere
ly promptly, but effciently.n "The law, there
FORE has fixed the test" says the Secretary of the
Navy but before he closes the paragraph from
which the foregoing Is extracted, the Secretary Of
the Navy adds another requirement, new section
or qualification, not contained In the act Of Con-
gress Here are his own words:
~ need hardly suggest to you that an officer
may be incapable either mentally, physically or
morally for, although he may possess strong
mind and robust frame, yet II his moral perception
of right and wrong be so blunted and debased as
to render him unreliable, he could hardly be rank
ed as the capable officer TO be intrusted with the
lives Of his countrymcn, and the property and
honor Of his country
No man of correct principles will find fault with
Mr.. Dobbin's ethics, but who shall establish the
standard, and who shall be the judgef
Let hi. that is without sin cast the first stone,
10 taught by the great moral lsw-giver, whom Mr..
Dobbin processes TO serve.
Passing over much that is excepdonsble In other
parts of the Secretarys address, as being dictate
rial in character, and savorng strongly Of dispo
sition to mould the action Of the Board to bis own
views further on in his instructions to the Board,
he says
The records and files Of this Department