Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-03-01
THE NAVAL OFFICERS AND SEC ES-
SION.
A REPLY TO JH HAMILTON, LATE LIEUTENANT
IN TIE u. s. NAVY.
UNITED STATES SHIP ST. MARYS,
d.. D. N q Enh 1851


IN TIE U. s. NAVY.
UNITED STATES SHP ST. MARYS,
PANAMA BAY, n. G., Feb.3, 1861.
SIR: | have read your reasonable appeal
published in various papers IN the United
States, and addressed to your associates of
the Navy. 50 far as | am interested. will
here state that was born in New Orleans,
in the State of Louisiana, but educated and
domieilated in Pennsylvania, and during
those times that | was not performing my
duty as a navy officer, | was generally res
ident of either Virginia or the District OF
Columbia |, therefore, may be considered
i Southern man, having twice married at
the South. 1t affords me pleasure t) say
that have been In the Navy ot the United
States thirty-eight years, and am descend
ant Of a gallant officer, who, IN these very
seas, battled for his country under the stars
and stripes and under the present Constitu-
ton, and among my early lessons l was
taught to love the Union, the ''Stars and
Stripes"
You, Sir, have called upon your brother
officers not onlv to become traitors to their
country, but to betray their sacred trust and
deliver up the ships under their command.
This infamous appeal would, in ordinary
times, be treated with the contempt 1t d.
serves But feel it duty | owe 70 myself
and brother officers with whom | am associ-
ated to reply, and state that all under my
command are true and loyal to the stars ana
stripes, and to the Constitution. My duty
is plain before me- The constitutional Gov
ernment Of the United States has intrusted
me with the command Of this beautiful ship,
and before | will permit any other flag to fly
at her peak than the stars and stripes, Will
fire a pistol in her magazine and blow her
up. This is my answer to your infamous
letter. You were one Of those men who were
retained on the active list by the late "de-
testable Retiring Board" In doing this
you were indorscd as one mentally, physical
ly and morally fit to occupy the station you
hold as an officer in the Navy. And you are
one Of the first to prove the decision OF that
Board was as erroneous in your ease as IL
was in mine, "who they retired from the
Navy was then in the deep
est trouble and never dreamed OF
becoming u traitor to my country and now
my country has recalled me to active service
and ntrusted me with an important com
mand. viii not betray their trust. Inc
Constitution Of the United States defines
treason to be bearing arms against the
United States You have frequently heard
this read on the quarter deck Of these vessels
of the navy, and yet you would persuade
the gallant men Of the navy to place them
selves alongside of the "traitor" Arnold and
yourself 1t has ever been the boast Of the
navy that she never had one traitor within
her corps You sir, are the first to destroy
the proud boast Future history Will place
YOU alongside of Arnold, and you Will be
the first t. blot the page Of naval history,
/ Illuminated hv the examples OF Decatur,
Porter. Hull. Bainbridge, Jones, Caldwell,
and other gallant and patriotic officers.
You also boast Of the Star Of the West
hayin- been driven back by the rebels OF
South Carolina, and relief prevented that
gallant officer, Col. Anderson.
There are in the employment OF the Go
vernmcnt sons Of gallant olhcer, late oil the
/ NAVY, who carried on the seas the stars ana
stripcs with honor to himself and glory to
/ as country =. and the third within call,
/ and had either OF them had command OF the
! Star OF the West the gallant Colonel would
have been relieved, and at any time the Go
vernment wants this done it Will only be
necessary TO send one of these officers. You,
/ Sir. have not much TO boast OF IN driving
/ oil an undrmeu steamer, cJluuldAu-U ~ a
merchant captain.
Whatever right the southern people had
under the .. Constitutions those States that
have chosen rebellion have forfeited their
rights and the only means for them to OBJ
tam Justice will be to return 10 their alleSI-
ancc No one for a moment who has been
born and brought up on southern soil can ap-
prove of the course Of northern fanatics. But
ON the other hand, a true patriot viii not
approve of dismembering his country merely
because a few fanatics on the other side have
been guilty of wrong, (which can be GIFTED
bv legislation" To fly to revolution Is to
seek the very worst Of evils, and the people
of the United States must be aware that
oreyolution simply is rapine, murder
bIoodshed, ," and that nothing but "distress
ever followed in its train. And | am yet II
hopes the good sense Of all parties may ye
cease to trust to traitors and willy politicians
and retracc their steps, and that harmony
NAV vet be restored to my distracted country
W d. PORTER,
Commander |. ). Navy.