The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-06-11


department Of knowledgel and that officer OF the navy
whose home and whose business should be upon the deep
on become distinguished in any of those walks
of science Of literature which 10 be assiduously
wooed only in the quiet shades academic gardens Of
quiet life without negecag the duties Of naval officer
am strongly tempted here, sin, TO express my
veon OF what naval officer should be- but will not de-
lay the Senate TO do
Ii we take young men, in the vigor of life and the
maturity OF their ambition and mental faculties from the
decks OF ships conne them for years To the shore and
deyoye upon them duties which have necessary con-
nexion with those OF the oicerwh the its
eommandswean their affections from the great seatheir
first oyeand concentrate them upon the dull tame shore
you look TO them suddenly to abandon the snug do
mesc circle the happiness that springs from Wife child
and friends the pleasures OF literary scientific pur
suits with Which they have assocaed their names for the
sacrifices Of seanians career with all its hazards of bat
tie, storm, and wreck2
No, sir il would be folly to expect II and il would be
worse than y To commit to such hands the nomentous
chances Of victory triumph upon the deep Hence the
necessity OF dividing the corps and keeping your sea o
fuy up to the standard of efficiency which the inter-
ess of the country demand need not further dwell upon
this feature OF the bill. @ 9al
IT, however distinguished mathematical ability in
val commander be deemed compensation for the absence
Of ali the skin, confidence and ability as seaman, which
long and patient eommad Of men upon the deep alone
confer then, certainly should regard twelve pro-
essors of mathematics all distinguished in the profession
and all OF learning and character as eligible to naval
commands aaa @s# r.#4# EsH.E H
But sir if the Senate shall determine to strike this fea
tnre from the BILL in selecting to command sbips
and disregard those dictates of wisdom experience and
the public interests which daily govern us In managing
own private affairs be it so. #.a.a
have hurriedly referred to these features Of the bill of
the committee and have rather presented suggestions of
arguments to others than made arguments myself But
the amendment Of the senator from Georgia. illustrated
by him. be productive of only effect and that is
destroy all the good which has been attained by this naval
reform 1t strikes at the very root Of it. If it had been
designed to defeat all the good which has been done and
to strike heavy blow and great encouragement at any
future attempt to improve the navy could have been
devised with iDpenuity The second section
'That, possible after the passage of this act
the President Of the United States shall naval court
of inquiry to assemble which shall make careful inquiry
into the efficiency (mental physical and professionally Of all
the naval officers disrated or dropped by the finding Of the
2sh of February 1855 and who may demand hearing be-
fore said court within sixty days after the passage Of this act
tted said court BY the President of the United States
which said court shall hear and determine the capacity
(menta physical and professionally of all OF said officers I'd
perform promptly and efficiently all their duties both ashore
and aloat."
This is most extraordinary provision, and vain and
useless as it is extraordinary heve maintained, and
think successfuynor am aware that any but the
from Georgia and the senator from Mississippi hold the
contrarythat the dropped" officers out of the
vice. They citizens; and If this be So by what
right do attempt to constitute "nava court Of in
quiry this section does to try their ecency2 If such
inquiry could be regarded legal and appropriate it
Should stop at mental and physical capacity; for if
say that every officer Of navy is "chosen
man. equal TO any emergency we should at least be able
to say that every is gentleman and with this
will only add that go well satisfied am of the ncom-
potency Of Congress to legslae into the service who
have been thus dropped that will place the apology for
such legislation in the strongest light and that had
they been dropped not by poweess board but by reg
uar courtmartia with the appreciation and confirmation
the Executive and II had been subsequently discovered
that the members of the court and the witnesses had
cluded and predetermined to cashier them and committed
perjury accomplish IT. there would be power In Con-
alone to put them back This is too clear to require
argument But sir had this power would its exercise
in this instance be wise one2 Would men deserving
totaon for their own merits desire TO go back under the
circumstances without some such endorsement as court
of inquiry would afford And il they would would it be
wise statesmanlike TO put them back and leaven the
service with many elements of discord2
No. sir prudent man. mindful Of his future in the
vice would demand and insist upon some inquiry lis
htnesssome inquiry TO satisfy friends and silence foes be-
| fore restoration
Section six Of this proposition is:
hat whenever officer who been dsrated dropped
under color of the act OF the 2h Of February 1855 shall de-
mand rehearng before the court OF inquiry hereby pro-
val board and all proceedings of every description taken in
pursuance thereof shall be deemed held and taken to be
utterly void, and OF no effect as to said officer"
That is, five ourselves, by instruments own
court shall say that the President did improperly drop
man, his executive act amouhts to nothing IT ia the first
time that have heard the power here asserted grave
ly broached and doubt very much the ability Of any
to maintain it at this day So far the dropping Of these
officers Is concerned II Is accomplished thngau fa
accomph The officers out Of the service and the law
as regards them, is obsolete You can no more legsate
them back into the navy than, by repeating the appropra
ton law by which granite blocks put into this Cap
| tol you can repeal the granite out Of IT,
| The senator's eighth section is similar
That much Of the Of the 23h Of February 1856
conflicts with this act and much and such parts Of said
act OF 18th February 1885, may be construed TO dsrae
drop, in any impair the rights OF any officer who
demand hearing before the court Of inquiry herein
authorized by law, be- and the hereby repealed"
As to this will only observe that il is not TO be pre-
sned that any President t to occupy the station would
approve law which strikes at power confded to him by
the constitution, and which has been thus iar maintained
| intact by his predecessors
Now, sir leaving the proposition Of the senator from
Georgia come to the propouudcd by my friend from
Delaware, Mr.. BAYARD Il and say that In much Of bis
bill concur All that he has placed In tho bill that Is
desirable WILL however be attained in my Judgment by
The passage OF the committees bill The first section Of
his proposition Is designed TO restore the reserved of-
GERS II does not place back the dropped officers The
senator from Delaware in reference to them, holds
do, that no legislation Of Congress, apart from
tive nomination, place the dropped officers back
into the service therefore unlike the from Geor-
gin he mitg his legislation to those the reserved list
take issue with him that point for the
Goncedng for the sake Of tho argument that tho legsa
tirey completed still IL is inchoae legislation and such
had the executive cooperation and sanction the execu-
tive sanction has already been given to it within his
stutiona power and In accordance with the law aud
that sanction this body has power right TO subver
Something has been said frequently this floor, Mr.
President in relation to the navy being too large II is
said that have many officers, and that the navy
should be reduced This argument dwc upon by tho
senator from Georgia II is which ought obtain no
general belief and trust IL docs not in the country The
truth s that have few naval officers and so few
ships that navy dminuve altogether that IL il
brought Ia contact but very little with public They
scarcely the navy and Of late legislation for has been