New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-10
: xye fesl justk indignant


.;-cumstapoe.. but we fool justly indignant
-,,hor ue,l.snlaried officer, educa'ed 10 his
no,iton At the public expense having az n'S
,n,nd unlimited means to solve al DOUBTS
- ..tonaod and complete experiments,
0cAnovedres in an official document his tota'
,v.rt Of knowledge on every point which one
4;on oucht TO know thoroughly. We
60, .nnr. indignant still when we know that
II. Conscious of bis own incapaclty, he per-
.-us rsfnses to examine the la5ors ct III
talligsnt minds directed to the eucida'ion of
,so very points respecting which he emphati-
lii declares that he knows nothing Routine
.bbors Progress, and Routine in the Ordnance
of;cs is the rule to which, unfortunately for
our country, there is no single exception. Adj
miral Dahlgren has invented guns, Of whose
capacities he is entirely unconscious, and has
taken out patents for the same in ma own
name contrary to all ofIicial rule. and with
these guns, of unknown qualities, he guards
the Ordnance Department from nil innovatlDg'
patent-damaging improvements. Over hl' on
oial door should be placed, in letters oil praSs;
Gan who enter here leave Progress pehino
1t gives Admiral Dahlgren "pieaSure 10
bear testimony to the promptness WIN ""io"
the priyate fouuderies have met the demahcs
on them from tho Government ms IL
generous acknowledgment OF merit, but we re-
ceive it with much suspicion. The demands
are met undoubtedly; but how' What is the
per centage of failures1 What is the cost to
the Government for the countless experiments
TO arrive at these failuresl Tho experience OF
Capt Rodmap, Chief Of the Army Ordnance
Bureau, is totally adverse TO the spirit OF the
above compliment to "priyate fonnderies."
He says, after frankly enumeratins a fearful
list of failures that
These facts to my mind conclusive a. to the fact
sha wa present far from 10 sessDg An ""
foupderis and It is too uach expect oil rivs.e
20 take up Prosecute 80 ngieae and eAloYe a. III
quiry."
He further suggests that a series of expert
ments should be entered upon, at the expense
of the Government, as early as practicable :
For what are the millions of public money eX-
pended upon our Ordnance Departments, il not
for the purpose of arriving by experiment at
tne very which Chi'te C"'iooo
they do not possess TIE Secretary Of the
Navy did not sustain Dahgrens compliment to
"priyate enterpse," when he applied TO Con-
gress for $50, 900, 600 to establish vast Govern
ment founderies to perform what Daoigrcn as
serts is 90 we'll performed by ssreH private
firms. We are 10th TO attribute motives to
others which are only remotely observable, but
we are forced to inquire, if there can be any
mental connection between the " compliment
and tho concluding paragraphs of Daheren =
report which arc as follows;
"In conclusion beg TO SAX yon ,dertor ofbc pres
equalization OF this bureau The IGtIo Of It, des hrt
military well civil and The mnust dstGiia - cannon
shipDosra SUBJECT, o. IT. o"gG<s
awel The directions ior making snd AZ ins
plcsted appliances.
ID necesssriy IN the closest profession al contact
with commanders OF hee and Of shps well "a 0 founders
aud mechsnic."
If further powers wcro confirmed to this
Bureau, the "seven private firms" could hard
" fail 10 find friend in tie officer VINO 50
handsomely comphmentei them.