Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-03-07
NUMBER 81.
No. ..

been greatly Increased already and that nne.. .,r.t-
by early legislation. increase Of genera. Aggregate,
oi Officers, with corresponding increase Of paw must b-
the consequence.
Assuming then that these .t.,.m.ot. c.,no, -. .
ces-uiy eonroverted, easuist -ophi-tics srxu-
ment. practical man. in or out of the navy .,n h
any possibility show that the efficiency OF the navy il a.
ean IN any way, be promoted by such miserable sub
teriHge Talk about in'igoratng the navy ipartis, 4,
" robust aud aefre hsaSh What is the p.nac-. r.li.s
Oh by Mr. Dobbn to perform the miraculous cur h. b,,
50 vauntingly prophesieds EHriency Efei>.cy that
IL what is required. Inerriency La>seieaey-that !.
What IL to be withdrawn to promote the efficient" Well
VIII ask Mr. Dobbu question II the navy fell
from its high estate and its young and gallant officer,
pined away in hopeless dispondrncy becau.. h. se,.
tay OF the navy could not would find empIoyment
at for half the humber ct duty in the three bb-.t
grades how is the efficiency the navy promoted nv ,
large addition to the waiting orders list. think .
near some gallant oihcer drooPHg iH hopei>ss despair
whispering IN the Secretary ear create fancy -a-
uos' Particularly shore stations such will reyn.y, Of
hcers to work in the neghborhOod of fashionable wafer
Ing places. in dog days and be- in Washington durv the
session OF Congress Talk about going sen 10 max. ,,
that / all nonsen-e old fogyrm, a long exploded idea
what j. the Of It! Htrc not oil passed N, oyf,
ef eI''AriHao" at the innaDoiis sehools WHY .bo.li
~ 20 TO sea, 'rnE FART oy An o,Ftr.
"Grf. and be uncomfortable besides being s.ssie.
aud have to keep watch night and wear uniform ton
Gan AFFORD it-eo"t do It'll stay ashore and ep to
eHlclcucl OF the Navy, by nlchiun
names aud commissions, too, fron brother officers ruth
fully doing their duty, Who are the youny and
gallant ohlee's hitherto dropping with hopeless despon
dency' Cannot any officer Of the Navy name them v,
Was there member of the last Congress who did o,
know themg We're they the chief colnplinant,s Il.
not the misnamed Efficiency BAR ot the last Conyre.,
IN" offspring ot thor inordnate cravmgs Did tbey NOT
lobby ~ session after session. laundering i tn. ear of
every memLer Of Congress, who would listen To them
!'GoTha, Retire, PromOtiOt, PRoNoIioN" &c &c. aud
after their efficiency bi became law did not more tb,n
one member of tile Board take pains To b. placed ON h.
secret jury Tor the tal of beters whom they had already
e1'uen"ed hn"~lng, too, that vacancies created 5y
Themselves to be filed by Themselves But Mr. Doh,
bin dscls much upon the purity of motives and i,r.
Ioschhble character Of the imdv viduas COMPOSING the
Board their dsnt"restednes- having nothing To gain
no personal interest To serve. No not anvl Tn. ms
VINO was sereH or eight the list OF Captains was not in
the least benefited by being made Second! and h. WIN
was No siJyeigM at the of the list OF Capt,ins Wa.
not III tile least benefited by raising himself No th,r
fgo on the same list lis strange passinp STRANGE
That men o honor, occupying high in office .nd
society should attempt thus to impose public credu
Again, Mr. Dobbin says in his report to the President,
Ihe officers selected compose the Board were in term.
hshy laudatOfy pronounced lit for the delicate tx.k
Indeed, when their names announced, there was
warm and general expression OF favor and qualification
rarely exhibited From whence came III it did GOMEZ
the rare exhibition OF audaton Sc. &c which tos.i
tue announcement OF the names OF the fifteen officers to
compose the Retiring Board: IL was from satellites pay
ing around the Navy Department. then taken up by con
huig press who took it tor granted that great
as the act OF February 2sth 1855 conferred oil hoard
to be appointed by the President would not have been
conferred on any but the most rortby be found Wa.
II 40 mol That was lot the case A. NAV be made
manifest before the close OF the present session of Con-
greSs suffice Il now TO say and however uupalatabe il
may De to Mr. Doobn and his coadutos DESTROYING th.
peace and harmony, and efficiency OF th. Navy n il.
frh which cannot be sueee1sy denied that the voice
OF the Navy could have been heard not more than ON, az
the 1--WE Captains selected by the Secretary oi the N.xv
would have been on the Board of the Commanders too
only OF the five could, by any have been there
ana POSSIBLY; but not certainly, three of the Leuenants
might have been elected Thus of the fifteen who co-
posed the Board ce only had the confidence of
their brother officers Ii may be asked why objection va,
not made before the Board met With the Navy, the
answer clear and will be found that gag law of tb,
Department, by which officers forbid tie use of news.
papers for the discussion OF each others Official conduct or
character Mr. Dobbiu knows that if any officer 10 the
Navy had publicly called in question his niallbty or the
perfection oil any member OF his Board such skeptcs
commission would have been the forfeit But thi, NOT
the time or place dssect the Board and expose the true
Character OF its MEMBERS and H is hoped imp-ou.
necessity may never require il 10 be done
They who live in glass houses ought not TO throw
stones Apropos- what ordeal the capacity vi the
erH submitted TO determine if each and every one Of
them was fully competent perform their whole duty
both ashore and ahoat, and only promptly but >f.
esHHy-and not only physically and mentally but NOR
ally: Now, Mr. Dobbin, will you answer fairly few
questions pertinent the subject under considera ion
Could you have found within the scope Of your orders
fre captains OF the navy other than those vo. Ii an
Pe'Hf, "ho would consent to that Roards IN
yea why did delay the OF the Boa.d over
Tes months; dunng which time YOU despatched two of
HlculoeTs, they had designated
" on iOeign service which could have performed
quite as well or better by the officer suppsnted by
member elect OF the board: While several officers asked
10 be excused from serving the board did not one or
more OF the SerriHg members express a rih to be pla
ced on itF Ii is indeed, additional gem in our naval
dadem to think that of IS captains the list nee ouly
could bc induced by hope Of reward fear of decap
hon TO betry accuse secretly try and then execute their
unrghteou judgments against their confdng unsuspect
ing brothers Yes only pee out OF sIiyeght could 10
brought to tO the mark and they could be obtained ONLY
by beginning the tail end the i-t and by cung ami
packing here and there another until the number
Vas made up, majority OF whom from their obscurity in
the navy had much % fear but thing 10 hone from
such board the law truly Interpreted would have pro.
vided
II have shown, and think have quite eonclusiveIy
that whatever deterioration the Derfonsi Of the Navy
have been Aboing under of late its true cause il Iae.
trity-the lack OF active employment at sea and
that this cause attributable, primarily maladmius-
tration Of the Navy Department | ask in no cayilns
spirit but With sincere desire to elicit the truth if tho
Ad 70 promote the .cieHeyef the Nary" passed by tho
last Congress touches or IN any way remedies the evil
complained off Emphaticaly No But on the contra
y it has introduced uuquenchabe element o estfanRe
ment AID distraction, among that time .honore gallant
band OF Brothers in bound by common inter
est ready 10 do battle n each Others cause a. for their
country, Whcusoever, by whOmsoever the honor or
Interest OF either assid whose principles we're truly
expressed by popular Poet when he conceived the beau
tiul idca Ia the following lines
"A generous friendship no cold medium knows
Burns With one love, with ous reserfoistf glows
''One should our passions, interest be-
MY friend must hate the man that ujurrs nc"
What u the prevailing feeling amoug officers OF the
Navy az this time Suspicion envy malice revenge
and hatred One officer Of the Navy cannot now feel
safe IN the presence Oi another each feels as IL the other
spy upon his every aud word 20 be recorded
IN edioi book and treasured up tor another already
threatened day Of wrath Can deeds Of daring and high
toned patriotic chivslry be hoped tor ru men no can aid
and abe 10 producing such code IT Horafy 10 suppant
the ancient chvay. which made the navy onl the
pride Of the Nation but in truth the "rig6f ar Of its
defence in the DAY Of IT, greatest need Gould commander
lead into battle, with any Of success feeling
that every officer around bin self Interested spy
rng aud ready ~ destOrt every act Of hs superior into
some crminatng charge for future sud self agrran
diEcmeutf tell ye nay. one should be our passions
mat our interest be- Navy will become uor.s
than useess.
"INSURANCE ON LIFE.-