New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-17

chase OF stips has wit out donbt or oe,Ii ~ anN
quarter, received in tie ships pnrchhseu n.uei Io
system The full valne of the money whlch !, hds
Mid II has uuder this system OBJ AIMED its thli ~
price LEES by one quarter, than the prices Ter
ss;ently demanded for them by their owners' ie.
hear from the owners aud sellers 10 com pihlt W
they nv the operation OF tbis system OF PuI.n"ru'
have hen oppiessed or aggrieved On the cCnusi
| nnder,,sud them to say, almost II not eutiiey
with one voice, that tins large amount VI III II
ness hiss been well regularly done &c, oIul,s -,
mode of Procedure wisely established oy tNIn.
for tber common advantage as sellers huH !fi;
ment and oferalion Of the system a. u unq"esuou-
slIy would' pave been, if bad appointed merehn-
ill. scCut 10 do this work at hXed taiary o' h'
MERGE ntaQe however mode rate, payable ny the GOV.
ernnenr Aud finally, state tbs ilct, Wild, a
,rn,t rroIcr sensiLilty, DO not learn that ether
The upfiQhtness or honesty OF my own motives, or
the integrity, imIartalily, fidelity and capacity OF
he purcna,ing agent most lart.iv employed ana
most relied upon 10y ne IN tits delicate and GiPfcnt
;ru,t hsve been even by those who ceusure my
action in any quarter or in any manner inspected
THE EXlGENCIES OF TIE SERVICE.
Certsinly these facts are vei,biy. VIII the
reateet difference submit that before the wisdom
and justice Of the Senate they may, when token TO
gether, well have even q very cbntrOlnrS eDtC''
When "A Secretary of the Navy 10 forced into tie
oveu market 10 make sudden aud prompt purchas son
large scae of merchant sbips for the puehc serNlce
if with upigh,uess of motive and conduct IN mci
and his agont without violation Of law or grievance
10 b. dvdu;ls, lie, by stict conformity to the bAed
custom of mt rcnnls obtains for tie Government III
toe face of ali the difficulties OF the case, the iGii
market value Of the money raid, may ne not taily
clsm 10 have faithfully and successfully periOrmeu
Chat pu6lc duty After mature consideration unu
myseh unable TO perceive how suoh motive, suyn
action and such result combined can be justly
regarded ms a forfeiture Of public confidence, as
being "nighly reprehensible, ora constituting d
h" ii Iartic mistake
| Il il dne, however, TO the Senate and to myself
that shou come yet closer 10 TIE subject ana set
forth precisely and plainly tie ground oi eMs'lig
TACT upou which resolved not only 10 eeeuIe Tie
aid of Trustworthy mercantile ageut III tie purchase
Of vessels but aso TO place his remuneration Tor MS
services upon the basis of the settled usage OF er
chants both its rate and III Is form OF Payeh y!
sellers. .
" detail and which constituted, in my judgment,
trial the purchase Of vessels by officers %
the navy had failed and fairly broken down upon
nv baaas in truth this mode of procedure never
hal the NIL concurrence of my Judgment Tor II VS.
to those officers line Of business new ard wholly
ur profe ssiona and burden which II WAS neither
iu.t nor judcious to impose upon them these gii-
liant ard patriotic had their own cone ilcuo rs
md indie pensabe pla III the busne's a. Jluses Y
the vessels Just there, their proper duty stopped
aud that duty they faithfully performed. B9t bar
gaining in the market not their line. Ia then
casiog about TO see what could do in the matter,
found nvself confronted by the fixed uGage Of mer'
chants v lich these viglant and sharr-sishted men
had worked out TO guard the nights OF MI partes
and had nde the practical law regulating the busi-
ness and the market.
! This usage had not made nor could unmske II,
nor thrust it out of the market nor abolish lite OF era
lion nor it, rulrs forced then TO lay hold OF
it. TO wick and, to speak, 10 harness II into the
service OF the Government This was my tax
deIeate. off ut embarrassing enough, but yet TO be
performed without delay, and II Porlbie, amid all
Its risks, without mistake.
rejected al once the easy device for making my
action more popular and shielding nyself FROM cen
sure bv emf loving several purchasing agents IN tie
same port being that 40 my responsibility, al
ready onerous and painful enough, would be 20 null
urlitd aud their responsibility 10 me would be
weakened By division and the pubc interest greatly
preudiced by their inevitable CONF etlon with each
ct her in the .ame market. Nothing then remained
bat oelsct single agent OF tie rght qualifications
10 carry into effect, for the benefit OF Tue Govern
n.rt lie fixed Mercantile usage upon the best pos
sible conditions, 10th for the Government aud the
r. ors compatible with the unavoidable conformity
10 tIe usage itstlt. But this not all. The care
was 100 grave AID exceptional 10 leave anything 10
any risk or chance which could by possibility be
avoided II Wa essential that should have, II poe
able, full and thorough Jersoual knowledge Of my
agent OF bis capacity, and above all hairs breadth
/ from the lire OF Tcclitude. More even than this.
must if possible, have the strougest PERSONAL bold
upon his capasiiy diligence and honetty, and nust
ii Iossitle have him TO feel mort keeply that my
character ana honor iudlssoluby bound up with
! bis own, and staked together upon every step lie
should take In each aud every one OF the tranFac
tions cOntGed 70 bin, and in he general result Of
them all
| With all these considerations fully before me |
' chose the man for my work. lac happened 10
De tie brother-in-law OF one who in the private
| laiIons OF hfe Is nearest TO me. knewtbat envy
lnd cayh would sene upon this accidental isct and
brdirn 1t agains. mel and that lair aud nOnest
criticism might for the moment cOnrIoer it IN
a1spicious and perple1 ing, and so regret j.. But
Wss l therefore 10 finch from my deliberate con-
yicIiops Of Official duty Was l. therefore TO with
/ hold from the Government III iis EMERGENCY one
snl lie guaranty, public or personal, which l could
possibly give OF the perfect fidelity Of my agent III
tbis whole most difficult business Not 30. Panied
ss Was 10 foretee that ! might for time aud
until the whole truth should be known lie doubted
or criticized, or even unjustly attacked on this
account, i yet permit myself TO say that in the
conscious rectitude OF my intentions found the
strength and the hFinDess 10 tIampe all such merey
selfish considerations under my feet. With thou
sands Of good men before me from whom 10 select
chose TIE best man whom personally knew to do
my work, and In 50 choosing did my duty and no
more Cr less than my duty. And upon the
fitness Of my choice az demonstrated in the manner
Ill which the work has been done and in its results
emineutly successful IN spite Of all its difficulties
sake ny stand and ask for Judgment.
| IL viii he borne III mind, OF course, that when
wss bound TO make purchases OF the required yes-
GELS in open market, there neither tine nor op-
portuniiy, authority Of law to wait for OF invite
proposals. Tor the ,als of ships, even If from the
lure Of the such procedure had been possible
Tie demand for vessels and Tor particular caseee Of
vessels, 70, special service sudden. and often
came when II wss not anticipated by the Govern
ment or by myself, and when still ess could the
Tent OF the demand he foreseen. Tie chips had TO
be sought for and bought at once, when they were
wanted, and ss they were wanted.
! Thus was wholly cot off in all this transnction