Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-05-17
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,...a n tho Senate Of the Uattsd Sta,es, on me
oh AnrH 1856, on the Ndcas ietsrt"y u..;...
S9s" n a sa;a Mr.. President, have attentive
Mr. DITTO to the .brgteaihs debate on this interest
va what appears to be with some, 'ne n'os'
'"s, -, and absorbing question OF the sese
h.ve listened. too, with as much mpar.a'
=. .nv Senator, because my judgment was n,acsd;no
anenced by participation IN ,he Tannress + was
az. n,ssare of the law of the last long ..on.I
sne paSeas ~, III, NV vote and have no personal
wv $500, Win a member OF the haSa! ova'u,
one officer Of the retired list, excePta ssnS;
.sou.;nt.nce recently formed with one VI .he h.ve
commanders. 1t seems to me- s"sre .,,;ed bv the
been favorably circumstances ~ ;usment in arri-
unbiased convictions OF my oee'
wing ut a correct CONCLUSION: ,,rt;on of the
'Is have heen somewhat panied at por.'o; ~,
aeh.te which degenerated into persona. of
md recriminaton in which Assaults a,; nf Tho
the personal character OF parocu'"'
NAVY were INDUCED in ; n mo to ex.
80 an onin;on as to the course that moen QUE
shler and more experienced oe"~ .h.. fr.nk.
srsd + their duty to pursue; but! WIN u'a. my
ness and candor which trust VIII Gnu m:saa h,3v
course as member Of this grave ana asn'uee ~
",,,st ernress my entire disapprooat'on Oh :us
a,,rsa of debate of question OF puohc po'ey "".a
,Is NO into personalities which ensender s'r"e, a1'
'es. .bs ynrst PASSIONS of depraved human na'ore
tear omen wounds nearly healed ana "n'Sn
ma of the breach of former frehaS'Aps' .ha Grst
and .prrayates i'll feelings recently anu loa
Ss,.ad and converts the Senate INTO an afe""
c.. norson.l inyectve and eulogy. In the p!'sa.y
e pCsb;net council. or in executive session VI
the Senate the fitness or unhtness Oh nons
office morally, socially, physically, OF e s:neSssd
may be- and perhaps ought 70 1e' ,un With his
and the comparative merits OF the h'n''te1 W." hnt
nredacessor removed might not be out OF pace ou'
str;iss me "a exceedingly indiscreet ana inPIop,
AZ mon the propositions now before Tue oe"a ~
discuss the personal character OF any 'N'~0-
Navy. ...;,.d NV making these per-
.,a., ;ssnesp In deciding a great question Q! pun
lie nol;cv are we to be guided by sympatpy ~.
..IG of,cers-by the clamor of their nterestea
fr;ends-bv denuncation Of the executors VI
Of the land, or by an examination u '"s
1aa,!s o. any MISTAKE we commit, in my humble
;d"nane tn act upon the principle here (as Sou'u
80, ~ he indicated by the character o. .ne
dscnssionl that this Government Is . ,U
the especial benefit of the ofhce-holueis, eooorj.
CIVIL military, or naval in.I was created
tos tho benefit of the people of this country, anu
.ho officers are their agents-necessarV asents' ~
ta;nv and TO be treated with hberahty anu J"S ~.
nv the representatives Of the STATES anu
+o no chanped regulated, controlled OF olsi'sseo. &c
ou, tho n1hlc service when the great interests VI
tho rson,e REQUIRE it: and it is a contempt VI ile
.,diroi feature of our republican consttuuo" " '.
snn cot of ofce-holders under this government oy
deed or word, assume to themselves Tue
privileged class. .:.,, o.re unnauenccd
Inv favor affection or revenge, the important qu.s
t;one rnon which we are called to act; anu !! au
th.t the Navv-its increase and eticiency-'s emu
tied to our favorable consideration. III uo"s .o
we should do no injustice as lar as pdS'"h inv
nav he there is a higher consideration than TO pro-
vide for them. II the public good requires the'r ie.
t;rement from the public service, they must ~
thew ought to 90 without complaint or murmur anu
if thew do murmur our duty to the puohc 'htefes.
should in spite Of appeals to o oamey in this city
threats or indications OF popular s''o un;nst6abe
or elsewhere properly rebuke sucn u''uS'''"''
And these remarks make, not in spirit OF us,
arrangement, but with the highest apprec,auon; ~
the gallant and valuable services OF the o'st'
ed AID chivarous officers of our Navy VINO na .he
shed such luster upon our history, ai'u e'e
character of our country. .,e .ho
AGAIN in the execution of law like that !oi Tue
last Session. in the very nature of things while man
continues the imperfect being he is, we may e4pec.
some errors to have been committed. l nav. Nv,
vet, confess, however, been convinced oy ehu.J
satisfactory proof that according to the spirit ol
law. there has been any great error. Ihere may W
cases of which have information, ana II Is Pio
bable they are; but feel satisfied they are le" IL
number. But suppose it is conceded there az -.
many cases, shall system, Poncy, OF .S
condemned if the execution Of it fails to be perfect
The Secretary of the Navy writes to the Commt
tee of Naval affairs 2sth January, 1885, IN fe'a
ton to the retired officers, thus: ,a.
81 have not listened with Impotence or lho,ieI
ence to their appeals to the Department, 10 "nci
they are accustomed to look 10. co"s'ue' ~ 80,
protection from wrong think, however, the com
mittee after scrutiny will concur that the cases pro
perly calling for action are by no means numerous
the Judgment be controlled by regard for the pub
lie service and the public good, instead Of our KIM
ly sympathes."
It seems to be universally conceded that tor TWEEN
ty years past, well.grounded complaints had oee'
made as to the efficiency of the personnel OF tn
Navy. Some reform was loudly called for by ever.
successive Secretary of the Navy, from Secretar
Padding in 1888, to the present Secretary, IN 1894
and no unprejudced man can read the report OF tn
Committee On Naval Affairs without admtt'hg Una
pressing public necessity demanded some thol
ough reformation, which existing laws had failed
accomplish.
The report Of the committee discloses some str
king facts showing the necessity Of the reform neeo
ed and intended by the act of the last Congress
The Chairman Of the Committee on Naval AFFAIRS !
the House of Representatives of the last Congres
[Mr. Bocockl stated:
''Here you have sixty-eight captains on the Nav
Register for 1854. find early on the list the nam
of a captain who entered the service in 1900, an
has, consequently, been in it fifty, three years an
you suppose that gentleman has been unemployed
He has been thrty-fve years and nine months vi
employed but drawing his pay from the Cover
ment. He was made captain in 1870, now thlr
years ago. How much sea service has ne dlschar
I'd since then2 Two years and one month";
which he has received pay as captain In the Nav
for thirty years. Here is gentleman who enter
the service so long ago that he has been in it fort