The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-16

| know that am, in fact, down
The power Of the C0mma lin Chief of the army and
navy TO strike my name from the ro's 1t his pleasure
would be unwilling TO dispute especially waen is .x-r-
else il entnMed 70 h,Dda entirely psssnr ant
partial IS at present. the exetion Of TIM. power
been very rafe-in only of signal ofeace And
never ms memory be faithful without giving the an
pest opportunity Of xplnnation. Anil III snsgsacie
OF active war the power may he essential - Elm 'sacy
and justly sxac. implicit and mats submission; pis ia
trary to the rules and forms of justice AL
entirely foreign he nature OF oel-g.tet authority
| 10 bee me rreconciabe with our INSTITUTIONS Of
gove' nment The cifzsns OF tn, Uaitei state,
| having fixed written const utinn d. MT aud
no' believe that d % sns genera my 81
navy practically spheres oservsncy AID seri,n
II Is however, not under the operation II bis power
function remained wi tut 10 Ter tereucs ID thu
sibiy Of action inact IN been e where exclusively
and properly belongs do not believe that old
have had to address you This ark IL
rashy mt random: for Ia the IL. of ths e
tsry onmuncatieg my n generous allaion. to
my eminent services to the country" I'D t. " the
very satisfactory manner in which Wac dsch .rsiag
euties."
1866 entitled IAN act TO promote the eic, ncy OF
navy" Isl the law under whose provisi 10y deyrsia
With the utmost de cannot within Ii the Ola.
ion tha hs title to this act is deceptive May par
doned in the whtd Of unois rimilAting prejudice
cited, for in'imatng that perhaps something tatn
"the efic ency Of the navy" required t., De ''p
moteefn No doubt in the departar conaectes nth
It's natere in the number size and quail ia Of rs
sells in its arma nent munitions and equipn-ats gene
raly, its efficiency. might bs psuisaty, IN
which the statute appIes. In is person ae--
and that alone is impicatad-althouSa mtay
Of the officers in corps exceeding seven hla red
less competent than Others and u ~ merl excus "a
ye. ASSERT with pride tina aggresa t. tn-y wers
were more than equal to every require When aod
where did the navy Of The United States itself Toe H.
cient? What bidder duty chivarous feat o,d it
fail to orms Does not its ensign ho.t proudly
as at the close Of the war OF 1872
No! it was not the ineifcien,y Of the nav, Ia
sphere other that called for thi, e,issi,n. rae
aw So ings out Of natural and unworthy longing
among IT'S ofheers, f,r more obstruction and h'gnsr
place, than upon the established rol.s Of rnak,
and with SO few seios Of war, hey posio,y
attain. 1t is the result ola heart asss .,ael cent
upon hope long deferred the last and aesps rxp,
oent ofpreying upon each other to CRAFTY want N,
their country q her dsreg .ds or Is uowi TO satisfy
sire which am far from rsproach,ny bt. whit .azhs
better have been appeased In maoy ways less excep
iioraDe and dangerous However ave- YARD IL miglt
seem, stern truth aud ju-tice would h4ve ell
title INTO CAD acs to promote more rsp,i .avsaceaelt
] have always thought expressed my .ele
many years ngo--th4t Arrangements 70 suru,lnt
cerain ci-advaotages iac'dsat to the pria,tpe at
senoiiy-if Of the character couta .ed ia this lav-
woa produce bitter fruits, aud evils "a ~,fsa haa
those they proposed 10 Gu Q. My orother olo,rs,
actusted Increasingly by q nice of ntuia.y
honor, without vhich they would oe value ess ar.
more wstchfl Of their rank thaa welt m.gtoed
oJ gentlemen engaged in eivil purs it, [ is taer
shine-an achieved and enduring face-a caus at ia
the most proracted voyage; prop ~nic1 caoa,t fail
them the service lasts and they not themselves de-
generate. 1t becomes pat an, parcel o. heir most
cherished being, and they think OF it, l,ss a
e aami,y moo Tightly nso the loss Of life
to be secure it becomes nis:'e i,n.ry gf,
the prize, Of mouentary. popularity, ths de @ra.i' N
OF extraordinary exposure and brilliant evemeet-
though deem it, even on such occa'ion wise aud De
ter So to shape The reward ct natl na gratitude 70 tie
individual as not to inaict mi isce upon the whoe
cor psbut a. rule, i Itself Imperfect, other
safe and satisfactory has yet been suggested
have to regret that what constitutes 70 off the
It at all, understood 1t is not aloae the service it
bestows and less than these s the psy Assigned BY
law He appreciates his rank because l. is lief ned
and firm pesi ion among brave, homo aole and useu
OF the country Impair that position, by destroying s
equally with his associates Of the respec AIDES aud
parent rank he may sl be called nodore, c.ptaa
lieutenant he may receive his stipend;
has ceased 10 be Of Them and he stances aside s;ted
and degraded, while the noble band move DOW ard by
him. To hold rank thus sulied may be q necessity With
the poor; and with the unfortunate government. may
trfe upresisted but with Others it becomes source
Ct profound pain and perpetual ra ion, to BE- thrown
of as poison ed garment
The prescribed by the of Congress H. for
the mement, an extinction of rank and scramble as to
and ss BE- y t do, re-
about to open scene such This only be ,sted
where the elementary principles of military
are absent. board Of officers convened to aid, will
their practical knowledge, In forming series Of in ernal
regulations for the navy, has beea tried and wthou.
invested
ary over the reputation and ppness Of
their en- ire CORPS competent to stigmaze by the hun
dred and to brand almost by the minute has
FORE in this any other country received the sanction
OF publ: opinion and 1t must be In tendency runods
TO the highest and best characterisdcs Of the es'ab
lisbment as il is utterly ut variance wi the soir uud
provisions of the federal constitution Possibly the
chine may work to relieve tighten the general
tive responsibility by cutting gay some Of taose VIII,
to cucumber and clog; but they will sonsoled
with the sympathy for victims Of measure in itself in
The navy, like other fields of occupation, embra ,es
among It's officers great diverstes Of character inte'
@ morals tastes and After
pare to that uniformity is either attanabe to
be wished. soue are quick, inpulsive, impe.aous;
others are SOW reflective and cautious. One searches
eminence in the sciences of cen.trucion war,
navigation which his profession cepends and another
exposure which prepare against the storm
The Fight and without which every danger has double
power to jure Inc class profound aud acc pdsh-
ed scboats is BY means a contracted ole tn ugh
outpumbeied by that from whom harsh DESTINY ia early
youth has excluded foudress for letters. Some
milo and persuasive in intercourse with sub)rdin .tes;
others are rough, bots'erous ard peremptory; ny
ieidly abstain from personal indnigcnces
mtnts; Others sgin yield to them rrseulariy reck
lesy. These diver les Of character comp tuied by
rsite OF conduct and lead to wide dverstes Of est
Ioa'e as To the merits and usefulness OF each ohsr
From an aggregate 30 composei it was ra to antci-
pate self puIifc stion, without Violent fermeat
among lthe constituent parts The task Of decims:ng
thould be performed by those who alo # VII y dis
injected with the theories preferences and passions Of
the body
| speak Of the odi0us and destructive measure,
not Of The gentlemen selected to carry it out Wioh
them rather condole the mefortu which his
connected their names with such proceeding: for it
is Of the dene it's Of the plan that it necessarily
subjects these who execute 1t to i'll win and suspicion
The Judges of the star Chamber, though men of
integrity, learning and impartialty, shared ia the
proverbiai repugnapce to the tribunal itself It Gao
Dot in tt nature Of bings be otherwise and 1t is really
and deeply to be amened that statutory expedent
questionable should have invoked FOR iss execution any
portion whatever Of the naval officers Tneso officers
were in measure TO be advanced in proportion TO the
extent and rgor OF their actin T. ey h4d tho feelings
Of other men, the friendship the bias the preaoie the
sntpathes and how It possible for them to
their motives from comment and challenger Human
ture suffers wrong without ing the nstru
ents tf its ibaiecn. And wat prolific source Of
dsrust jealousy elimination and recriminaton is thus
opened
The act Of Congress- however, though bad in its policy
IL not in It's direction quite bad 1t has made
in its administration The Board expressly enoined
to make "a careful examination into the eiclency of
4La l. ipszal AioaS