New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-22

The revenue service has been outraged, anu US eees
treacheronsly surrendered to those who dehed tue
authorities Of the United States, by men holding com
| missions under the very Government tbey Wers oe-
trayng. The public moneys In the naioiai nlr'' na,e
| been seized and naval stores plundered' Inc COM
uerce of the country and lives OF citizens nave pee
nut in per by the wanton and awess destruction OF
buoys erected to warn the mariner OF sunkeh rochs,
and the lights tie coast have been put out tnat ne
darkness and the tempest might be invoked ~ au y.
those resisting the laws Unarmed anu ~ ,bs
merchant vessels riding peaceably AT ahch0r ~ 'no
barbors of the nation and beneath Its own nag, nave
been seized by insurgent forces in reclamation lor
distractions thrown in the way OF their
| designs. The law has been defed, the ConStituuon
thrust aside. and the Government itself assaulted
Nor has this state Of lawless violence and total dis
regard Of public and private rights been sudden out
burst of passion discomfort at some new ana uneH
| pected measure of governmental policy to when
resistance had been threatened ana couiu hoS
have been provided against But ia IN fulhlimeht 9
schemes long entertained and frequently tlreateheo
in certain quarters of the Uni Indeed, 1t Is resist
aEce to the law and the Constitution, consequent upon
the election of particular person to the once OF Cnei
Magistrate of the nation OF all this, those charged
with the execution Of the laws and the preservation
of the public peace had ample notice II was Tor many
months apparent TO all but the blind that the "hop
current Of events turned in the direction which
was to bring to the test the sincerity OF the threats
thus uttered. Chief Magistrate Of one OF the States
had more than two years before, publicly confessed
design on his part, If the like contingency had nap
| made the attempt TO overthrow the Government, by
sezing the public arms at HarRers Ferry, and march,
ing upon the Capital itself. When the Legislature OF
South Carolina assembled in November last to dis
charge the Constitutional obligations Of making choice
| of Electors of President and Nice-President, the
Governor Of the State, by special message recommend
ed that should be taken to overthrow that
Constitution if the choice of the majority did not COIN
! eide with her own. In fulfllment OF these open
threats overt of resistance to the Government by
lawless bands of followed the announcement that
the people according to the requirements OF the Con
stitution, had made choice OF Chief Magistrate LOT
the ensuing four wears not the choice OF those who
had openly avOwed resistance II their own preferences
should be di~egarded by that majority. From that
time to the present the public authority has been dehed
and the public rights dsregarded. Yet during all this
time that most important arm of the public defense,
the entire navy has been beyond the reach OF orders
however great the emergency. To the Committee TINS
disposition of the naval force at this critical period
seems most extraordinary. The permitting OF Vessels
TO depart for distant after these uni Apply dlc-
ties had broken out at home; the omission TO put In
repair and commission ready for orders single one OF
the twenty eight ships dsmaned aud unfit for service
In our own ports and that, too, while $6i6,639 ~ OF
the appropriation for repairs in the navy the present
year remained unexpended, were, in the opinion OF
your Committee grave errors IN the admins ration OF
the Navy Department the consequences OF which have
been manifest in the many acts of lawless violence TO
which they have called attention. The Committee are
of opinion that the Secretary had III bis power with
the present naval force Of the country at his command
and without materially impairng the efficiency OF the
service abroad at any time after the settled purpose OF
overtbrowipg the Government had become manifest,
and before that purpose had developed sef III overt
acts of violence 10 station at anchor within reach OF
his own orders force equal TO the protection OF all the
property and all the rights OF the Government and the
citizen AZ well Ms the flag Of the country from any out
rage and insult at any point on the entire Atlantic sea-
board The failure do this is without justification
or excuse.
REsIGsArIoSs IN THE NAVY.
M - fhaE Otff AZ
the resignations which have taken place among the
officers In the Navy caused by the political troubles In
which the country is now involved, and the course
pursued by the Navy Department IN reference thereto:
IL will appear from "lst of designations furnished
by the Department and which accompanies this report,
tint once the election - officers in the Navy citizens
of Southern disaHocted States, have rendered their
respnaons 10 the Secretary, all OF which have been
forthwith and without inquiry, accepted by him. The
circumstances under which these resignatons have
been received and accepted, and the effect OF that
acceptance deserves special notice That these OH
GERS have sought TO resign, and relieve themselves
from The Obligations 10 the Government imposed by
their commissions because Of dsiection and desire
TO on and n many instances 10 lead nsurgen forces
against that Government, IL notorious One OF them,
Lieut.. X. Hamilton, citizen OF South Carolina, for
warded his resignation from on board the Wyoming ut
Panapa dated Dec !, 1860. IL did not reach the De-
partment until the 18th Of the same month"; and without
inquiry into his conduct his purpose In resgnmg, his
LOYALTY or any circumstance connected win 60 I'M
nsua proceeding at such time, bis resignation was
accented the came day. He immediately from Charles
ton. s. Co. issued letter addressed to all the officers in
the Navy from Southern States, urging them to resign
and ION hostile force against the Government and
that those OF them in commission should bring their
ye.seR INTO Southern ports and surrender them 10 the
traitors already in arms taking new commissions under
their authority and hen turning their guns upon their
own hag Such conduct IL nothing less than treason,
and has no parallel rince the attempt OF Benedict
Arnold TO deliver over important military posts to the
enemies Of bis country Had the Secretary declined to
accept the resignation thus rendered. TINS man would
have been subject to the trial and punishment OF q
Court-maral according to the rules which govern the
service and would have met The fate of traitor. This
extraordinary leIter was published throughout the
United States After its circulation in the public prints
in Washington, V. NJ. Randolph, Captain in the
Navy, a citizen Of Alabama who had been excused
from active service for two three years, because OF
alleged i'll health, on the 10Th of January, 1861, for
warded from Montgomery, Ala, his resignation TO the
Secretary. Before II o'clock at noon OF the lAh,
and before his resignation had reached Washington,
and while he was sTnl Captain IN The
Navy, he appeared at the gates OF the Pen.
saeola Nayy.Yard, In Florida, at the head OF
An insurgent force and demanded its surrender The
yard with whatever Of force il had, and the United
State stores, and other property to vast amount
therein was Internationally surrendered TO him, and
he IL now its COmmandan, occupying the quarters OF
the late Commandan, and granting paroles OF honorto
such Of his prisoners Of have deaired to DEPART
and not under him. The dispatch from the late
Commandant, then prisoner Of war, informing the
Secretary Of this ignomnious surrender was received
ut the Department the evening of the 18th Of Janu-
ary And the resignation OF Captain Randolph, who
the 18th the leader Of the insurgents, dd not
reach the Secretary until the lith, when without In
quiry or delay it was Immediately accepted T.. Far
rand, Commander in the Navy, and also citizen OF
Alabama was the second in command at the Pensacola
Navy Yard, the executive officer OF the yard When
the attack was made upon the yard Farrand met the
assalans at the gates by previous understanding, ad-
ntted hsn the yard and conducted their leader to
the commanding officer; participated in the formal