The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-02-10

THE GATE CITY
TRIBUTE TO THE NAVY.


in the Senate with the following remarks
Mr.. President, | do not desire to pro-
long this discussion, and will only say
word more
During this war great many grand
and noble things have been done, great
many gallant deeds performed; but in my
conviction fifty years hence it will be the
verdict of mankind that the most won
derful thing which has been performed
has been the keeping up of the stupen-
dous blockade that has been kept up by
this nation SO successfully and so long
The blockade is recognized by all foreign
nations as the most efficient that has ever
been maintained. The Navy Department,
commencing with only eight steamships
that could be used for blockading purpo-
ses at the commencement of the war, and
they scattered all over the world and be-
yond its reach for many months, has kept
up blockade, according to the report of
Professor Bache, along the coast from
Cape Henry to the line of Mexico, of
3,549 statute miles. In this line there
are l89 rivers, bays, harbors, inlets,
sounds, or deep openings, of which As are
under six feet in depth at mean high wa
ter, II are between six and twelve feet,
40 are between twelve and eighteen feet,
and 80 are over eighteen feet IN depth.-
Not one man in thousand has an ade-
quate conception of the difficulties atten-
ding the building, equipping, furnishing,
and manning he vessels required for such
service, nor of the hardships endured
by the officers and men to whom the duty
Is assigned. l say without hesitation,
Mr.. PRESIDENT that the ability of this ma
ton to build and prepare the ships neces-
sary to maintain as effective blockade as
it has been able to maintain during the
last three years will hereafter excite the
wonder and admiration of the world.
This is not all that we have DONE
While we have been able to do this, we
have been able to keep feet in the west
ern waters tTaversing the Red river, the
Yazoo, the Cumberland, the Mississippi,
the Ohio, Arkansas, Tennessee, and all
the small streams that empty into the
Mississippi south Of the Ohio-a service
for which we of The Northwest are wiling
always and at all times TO return the Navy
Department our most profound thanks
No man can oyer-estinate the services
taat the Navy las rendered TO us in that
quarter; and these services have teen
rendered after overcoming the greatest
obstacles.
Ii il be the purpose Of the Senate to
elicit the iaels IN regard to Navy contracts,
ii It be not the design Of gentlemen to
overhaul anybody, but to draw out the
facts IN order opass preventive legislation,
thtn LEI somc one representing the De-
partmcnt be present at that committee.
that he may interrogate witnesses in order
to elicit The truth. ! understand that we
do not now sit here as a court CT i'm
parchment; we DO not send our commit
tee inio this investigation for the purpose
OF discovering rogucs, but for the purpose
of adopting such legislation as may be
necessary to prevent roguery, aud that
the discovery Of the rogues is merely IN
cidental to the main purpose we have in
view
/ am satisfied that frauds have been
pefpetTated. have always been satisfied
Of It. | have known that they could be
perpetrated under the naval organization
since have known anything about it =
The Department desires full exposition.
1t will not thwart but wifi aid the inves-
tigation. As | said before. there are
three or four gentlemen around me now
who have known what are my views on
that subject, and it is not my fault that
bill did not pass TO prevent these frauds
One did pass the Senate aud went to the
other branch of Congress at former ses-
sion and was there defeated. All we want
now is to draw out the facts SO as to in-
struet the minds of the Senate as to our
duty, and then have no doubt that we
shall enact law that will remedy the
evils in the future