Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-06-27

being both skilful sailor and an educated moral and
accomplished gentleman. do not wish you to infer,
from this remark, that suppose you in doubt this
point; but deemed it necessary to impress this idea
upon you to arm you against the of the ignorant
You about to enter upon the practical training OF
your profession. You must necessarily, become ac-
quanted with the faults errors and vices of your brother
officers Deal enently with their faults and errors but
severely with their vices; but, above ALL deal morally
and ruthfuIy. Do not swagger into foreign coffee
houses and disgrace your 9 flag your service, and
yourselves by exposing the vices of your professional
brethren but rather like the dutiful sons of Noah
their moral nakedness with mantle, from the eyes
of strangers.
1t is true that without either moral mental culture,
you may be competent to srig opsail yard
hold" sca and fish an anchor" for these are meclani-
cal operations; but when placed in positions and they
continuously occur where the highest order of neli
gence is required when the mind reason from
to effect devise ways and MEANS when placed where you
must assert your countrys rights paper well
the cannon's mouth, then must you draw largely upon
your moral and intellectual To succeed you
must have studied the experiences of the past and have
kept pace wi the progression of the age Do be
satisfied with mediocry This is an age of progress
that point which is the aim of oday may be that of
the morrow. You must either retrograde or advance
The sea of life upon which you to be launched
you may with the vivacious Imagination of YOUTH regard
placid expanse agitated by the gentle breezes
which here render pleasant your daily walks This may
not be- You go forth from this haven where you have
been shielded by surrounding objects from every adverse
encounter tempeStu0uS weather. DOlSter0uS
sea- all the shoals and rocks that beset the of
teal men, You have to those principles
and precepts. here received, to moral frmnes mental
capacity, and energy of action.
assume that you possess these The reports Of your
department. your Rotations, your exercisest Fhich
have examined and attended to with s,Sprt nA Aduis
ration, tell Possessing these you at least 90
forth doubly armed. The solictude ZEAL and ability
with which your whole course has been guarded and
directed impose upon you high obligations, which your
country your guardians and instructors expect you
discharge faithfully and conscientously
You entered this institution at age when you had
been the object of watchul parents They
placed you here trusting to others for your future train
ing. Confidence such this must have been based
upon abiding faith in the integrity of your nstruc
tors and the truths they here profess to teach 1t is
for you, gentlemen to add, by your department and
future career, the already accumulated evidence
the sauary influences which this institution has had
and WILL trust continue to have, upon the character
and efficiency of the naval service of the United States
You have reached age at which the guidance and
supervision of this school must You the fruit
of this tree for good for evil You cannot divest
selves of the great moral obligation imposed upon you
by the culture here received 1t is for you illus
trate whether this labor shall naught be dis
played in indelbe characters, characters which che
who may read Look back to the past, when mere
children you placed here; contrast your moral
physical and mental development then and now, and
say have the directors of the academy performed
their task conscienousy task for which they are
held responsible by the nation call your attention to
fact, to which refer with inexpressibe profess
sonal pride You have been under the tuition of several
who few years past, graduated here with honor and
distinction They bear testimony to the glorious infu-
ences of this academy | the word glorious for
consider such result in few years. is worthy of being
mentioned in language the most forcibe In all branches
of science bearing directly remotely upon nautical
profession land maritime embraces many sciences)
you are well grounded You have foundation of rock
upon which you may erect noble superstrucure of pro-
fessional distinction All now depends upon your
will and exerton feeling of grateful pride and noble
emulation should animate and urge you the goal of
high standard.
am at loss for words to express my Impressions
to the superiority of your educational advantages, when
compare them with those afforded mdshipmen I need
go further back at the period when entered the
val service
As an illustration, Twill describe althoughimperfectly
the quarterback of the .sold sloop-ofwar
Erie about the time to which allude. There stood
squad of ''green mdshipmen,p as they called in
those days was in the midst of them. The ship was
ssgstting underway" All SEEMED TO-, st4apfissiop
worse confounded In amazement watched The Shift
ing Scene before The language of the officer Of the
deck" sounded in our some strange tongue The
and fro the deck, seeming rather dsor-
derby proceedings pulling first at rope and then at
another We felt assured there something for to
do but what it was, where it and how it
be done, were difficulties in our way which we would
have given worlds to have removed After awhile more
quiet ensued, and g oldster' approaching said,
Youngsters, what you doing here? If the captain
*,
you where you won't see daylight for month"
1t occurred to is my time, and you the very
have much desired to said to him, where
must CO. and what must we do? "Walk the e-side
of the quarter deck look very knowing, speak one
and when you hear that gentleman with the horn his
hand speak, repeat his orders, and follow the wher
they CO." "But Il said do not understand what
he says. oh that is nothing say something and fly
around; you viii get the hang of it ALL" thought
ahs the kndest man had met with. have never
forgotten him.
This was my first lesson in the duties of mdshipman
and the scene have described may be considered
faithful representation in general of young officers
initiation in professional mysteries" in "days gone
by" The absence Of instruction not confined sim
ply to seamanship it extended to the very rudimens Of
education. recall with smile and sigh thee1peri-
of my own career mfdshipman. The steerage
was the school room mental instructor gentleman
designated the schcolnsaster,' individual who
the victim Of many rwde practical joke and
who enjoyed neither the position consideration of
person capable of directing the education of youth From
the steerage passed to the schoolroom of dockyard
where few months allowed preparation for the
final examination, which to place permanently
among the guardians and defenders Of the flag" At
terwards anxiouy DESTROYS of mprovement sought the
only avenue open to junior officers The "Coast Survey"
and National Observatory offered opportunities of add
ing TO the limited store of knowledge with which en-
tered the navy.
My educational advantages were great, perhaps
great than chose of many others of profession and
yet how painfully have felt during my career, the need
of the early systematized training which you have
ceived at ris academyhe connecting links the coate,
raj Knowledge, essential to complete professional edu-
cation. Could you but realize this, you would thank
God dsiy momenty, that from the shelter of the paren
tai roof from the pure teachings of nstna you have
passed to the healthful discipline of thenaya school
Here watched and guided by officers selected the duty
becsuse Of their high moral and mentalwofh you are
gradually led if not to the wisdom of rpeDea years. at
least to that of matured youth In having received
iona education your advantages great but your re-
o,o,h.l go al