The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-16


wisely we may baye imposed upon them duty which il
would be prudent and salesake 20 have eonhded
to Others; but certainly nothing has been dose hY Con-
gress nothing by the Senate nothing have voted for
\ and voted for this lawwbch can consider, for one
moment in derogaton OF those principles Of justice
which every man has right % appeal TO- be he officer OF
the navy not in defence Of his life Of his character and
OF his reputation before the country
voted that the President Of the United States should
have list TO which he could remove ohicets without
moving them entirely out OF the service knew that the
President could not incompetent officer without
turning him out Of the navy voted for shelter for that
officer voted TO give the President retired list 10 which
be could that officer instead Of placing him entire
y out of the navy. provided, far nay could do
IL some subsistence support for those old oeers who
had gaanty fought in the service Of their country and
who had done their duty in the vocation which they had
selected in which pass their lives But now when upon
the very face Of this law, person is dismissed from The
navy except those from whose fault neieieney ucom
potency II has resnltedwhen upon the very of tho
law, the list that is provided especially, directly literal
y and expressly declared be list Of ply seaiy u4
competent from fault OF their ownmen who are re-
moved from the active service and put upon the ered
list come here and complain 70 Us thai they haye been
placed before courLmartal aud tried charges aud
told that they have been condemned unheard and
that every principle Of justice has been violated because
they were not allowed 70 go before this board produce
witnesses and make speeches and arguments IN their De-
fence a ,ffr #as. .E
Sir the President Of the United states, in execution Of
the behess of Congress has from active SER
vice under law which expressly declares that they
ed for fault of theirs The law declares that they
removed because without fault they have become in
this to be the Congress has generously provided for
them retiring pension, liberal in It's provisions than
exists in the service OF any other country.
say, there undere NIL these complaints Of the action
OF Congress- and Of this board gross injustice and mis
prehenson say more particularly i there gross nius
done the officers of the board who under the orders
OF the Secretary Of the Navy in conformity with the duty
imposed them and which undoubtedly they accepted
with reluctance who have openly and manfny discharged
their duty and to whom submit to my honorable friend
from Tennessee tits not proper to apply the words hrk-
ing from responsibility ras
Mr.. JONES' Of Tennessee. My friend says that gross
injustice has been done TO this board do not do
gross injustice any body have assaed the board.
desire that they shall be heard ask for nothing
That is the whole extent Of my resolution undertake.
however, say here in my place. without intending any
offence to anybody, that II all that have heard-hnd
much of which believe to be rueshall be found 70
ist the board will be found worthy in part Of that gross
assault Of which my friend speaks All ask ID that they
shall have fair hearing and that they shali sindgae
themselves if they Why refuse pass the reso!uop2
Let US get the information have made 10 attack on
the board. do not to make attack Them un
til they heard; but have to satisfy myself
that at least portion of the board acted from motives
and considerations which do not approve. h n.
u Mr.. BENJAMIN. have no doubt, Dir. President that
the members of the board who have not been attacked By
my honorable friend from Tennessee will be exceedingly
grateful to him for the scrupe which has prevented lin
from saying anything which could by possibility be mis-
construed into attack He however, does take occasion
to say passing, that ii great deal Of what be has
heard land much of which he beliey be trne then much o
what consider injustice is deserved by the board
Why, this isl very moderate mode and very efficient
mode Of declining the responsibility for the attack bat at
the same time making il do not mean to say that my
friend has any such Intention; know he bas not .
tate sconacon which, upon s very face shows that i
could have been accompanied by that due deberon
which should mark the conduct Of men charged with 50
delicate and responsbea duty He arrives at the result in
this he says the navy list is composed of
eight hundred names and then that the board WAS in
number of days and hours and he calculates
that, by dividing the time by the number of officers
whose the board acted he produces quoent which
he thinks represents the exact quantity OF time applied 10
each ..-..
Now Mr. President | would submit 70 senators-I
would submit the gentleman hmselfwhether it IS at
all likely that the mode of action which he suggests to
have been that OF the board could have been adopted by
any intelligent set of officers whether il is not much
natural TO suppose and Whether IN poinl o acL ~
not perfectly certain, that very large majority OF the
officers whose found the Navy Register were
acted upon at by UNANIMOUS consent As being the
OF officers against whom impeachment IN rela-
ton their activity and efficiency could 10 alleged, and
who therefore segregated om he list Of those
upon whom the board to act2 IL appears 70 that
board constituted in the ia which this was
situed by would veIy naturally, as is first step take
up the Navy Register; that the presidipg officer or
secretary would the list OF one by one,
and that the different officers comprising the board would
be asked each Called TO suggest whether ia
the opinion of any officer present any action required
in reference to the particular person whose naHie was 50
called end II amongst the htteen members OF We navy
then present and acting upon this list no Individual
could be found who could suggest any cause OF complaint
against any particular name that name would al once be
aside requiring the action OF the board aud that
action would bo only those officers in
laion whom Impeachment OF their eheiency or
activity might be suggested by member OF the board
we snpposewha is nstnralthat such that
something similar TO that adopted Il becomes very
obvious that the number Of which the board was
TO at reduced 10 much smaller number thhn
the gentleman supposes have been acted on by the board
and that instead OF eight hundred officers at the
very first meeting Of the board bat two or three hundred
would remain for action.
Again sir we all know IL utterly impossible that
in body like the navy, where the entire system promo
ton for hafa century has been from seniority Mone
where many aged still retained in the service
even after action of this hoardhee shond not have
been a large number of officers known 10 every
Der Of the board who, from physical in6rmity from the
yisitation of Providence, FROM accident entirely
inefficient and incompetent TO perform service men bed
ridden, men who had lost the OF their limbs
who bad been able to leave their sick chambers
we're confined in unahc ssylums and had been
confined for years Sir, II necessary TO take
such cases these, known to every individual mem-
Der OF the board and go through the farce Of what gen
pleased call regular and close examination
Of their efficiency and activity s IL not obvious atthe
ist then of those which would be submitted 10 the
action OF the board would at be cut off onehaf
twohirds by of this character and that "a point OF
fact what may be termed the real deliberations OF tho
board their action admitting of doubi or difficulty
could by possibility have extended beyond very limit
ed number--ffty, seventy-hve, hundred csses-
which might be subjects Of doubt and which might re-
quire careful dcliberaton and investigation my 1end
from Tennessee will adopt this basis of calculation he viii
perhaps ud that in each Of these eases he Object OF ho
inquiry being simply whether the officer was active and e
fcon the time devoted their examination was amply
ADEQUATE for delbcraon which admit the delicate
functions imposed these officers required them TO eHef