New-York daily tribune., 1861-03-04
THY rp> SURE OF TOuCRY.

The traitors and imbeciles who have had a
things as they desired for some time must now
begin to acknowledge eA'umering idea that their
feat are not too securely ~ tied on the neck of
! the Federal Government. fss power for thor
panish. .neut is not quick to wrsfs, ous IT'S blows
are heav-. The action of the Hctiss ~ Repre-
sentatyes, by which on Saturday v5ss o. oea-
sure upon the Secretary of the Navy was psssSsS
must crafty Az who have any regard for De
dignity of their country, or who are pleased wNes
justice is done.
With a tenderness and forbearsnce which u
would seem very difficult under sTh circum-
stances to exercise, the Committee to whom had
been referred the subject of our Navy in relation
to the present carnival of treason reported thse
Secretary Toucey had accepted certain resignas
tions hastily, and had, therefore, been guilty II
ga grave error" 1t was probably all tbst the
facts capable Of legal proof would allow but
they who have still the right of free thought
and whose reason is in working order. will form
q very decided opinion as to the loyalty or treason
of the functionary now punished by vote II
censare.
Rebel after rebel has, since the lst Of Novesn-
ber, sent in his abrupt resignation from The
Navy, for the purP0se-sometmes openly avOwed.
always evident-of enrolling himself in forcs hos
tile TO his country. These designations have beea
on the momeat accepted, in some cases the teIe-
graph being used TO notify the renegade that hs
was free, while no word of inquiry was instituted
into the conduct of the traitors for the purposs
of learning if they had any right to ask for -
honorable discharge. The Secretary of the Navy
dares not to-day say that he knew not what ms
tive these men had for resigung. He dares not
say that, when he accepted the designations, hs
was ignorant that he thss strengthened the hsnds
of his cOuntry's enemies.
A still blacker cloud hangs about the resigns
tions of officers connected with the Pensacola
Navy Yard than upon most other cases; these
resieoaticns were received after the Government
had full notice of the surrender Of the navy yard
named, and, at least before the resignng of'ice"
had been called on 10 clear themselves from the
presumption Of treachery and cowardice. Honosf
men must have their own opinion upon the poirs
of Toucey's absolute ard deliberate completely in
the transaction. The report OF the House o.
Representatives does not charge him with this IN
set words; but il rehearses the facts with
clearness which opens wlde door to a most
damning inference. But whether the Secretary
of the Navy WAS traitor or only an imoeci'et
this remains; that various officers 10 the Unlted
States Navy broke their Oaths, became renegades
to their country, iusuted with jeers their flag.
aud stole the property they were set TO protects
| that their resignhticns reached the Department
! after these acts became known; and that the!
srre accepted with feverSh haste by the Srcfe-
! tary, who has now been SD deseryedly censured
by tho Representatives of the nation. The last
hours of hs stewardship may well live in hS
ulemory when oil other things have faded there
from.