The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-30

s
Senator Grimes On the Naval
ACADEMY.
On the 18th inst, the Naval Appropria-
ton Bill being under consideration in the
Senate, Mr.. Grimes proposed that the Ma
val Academy should be returned to An
napolis, in speech Of which the following
is the opening portion. After some debate
the suggestion was adopted.
Mr.. GRIMES. # the Committee on Ma
val Attain are through with their amend.
ments, / have ono that desire to propose.
II II to add - an additional section:
..Asd b 4 further enacted, That the Uni.
ted States Nava! Academy shall be returned
grounds In Annapolis, in the State Of Mary
land. before tho commencement of the &C.
I ak tie Indulgence Of the Senate while
very briefly refer to the history - well "a
% the present condition Of the institution
about which / ak for legislation.
Tho idea Of estAblishing . Naval Acad.
envy originated With Alexander Hamilton,
and was 6rae suggested In his letter to Oil
YER Wolcott, written on the 5th Of June,
1706 In letter nom Hamilton to Mr.. Nc
Henry, then tho Secretary Of War, dated
November 2. 1881, his ideas on this subject
were elaborated. He proposed that an
academy should Be established to ''consist
Of four schools; one to BE- called the found
alton school, another the school Of engineers
and arti!lerist:, another the school Of cav;
Of the Navy" He suggested that naval
and ainl1sy cadets should be instructed in
! the oundnfaog0ghQoa for two years in those
bfol0oIne q - 6natiCs and science that
,Rre op1n11e1 and fundamental to both pro-
sfesli6n4 a. ~ gnoA should then be in
strucsed TO {eals loogsr = tecss branch.
that are Dculiar 70 thsir respective profes:
sions. Hek even Gpecihed the branoheD OF
learning tn he co0st0ored Il desirable to
b Taught to naval codet6, and what IL ain
gula1 10 that thet, axo aubatantiaIly the
bFanchee taught toby. Mr.. Hamilton Inn
mediately encloeo4 9 Gen. Washington
the l3th Of Dscemher, l7so, only two days
be1ere his death, hat great man wrote to
Hamilton, and the last letter / believe that
he ever wrote On public aftalrs, approving
Of hiD plan and1GSing that ssthe establish
ment Of IN instjfGfion q this kind upon a
respectable and extensive basis, has ever
been considered ~ mean object Of primary
fore any naval school had been established
BY any nation, and 20 far ~ know before
Il had elwhsrs been proposed to establish
In ~ ~ Military Academy at West
Point W. e6nh11ghed, but no provision was
made for th0 naval school that Hamilton
had proposed should be connected with it.
In 1908 NJ Jsderson transmitted to Con-
greaA With he approval, the recommend
Of the AQiteTy Academy, that that institu-
ton aho0M y enlarged % a. to include ma
yal Ooi1o4o Who should be instructed in nau-
Hcal astronomy, navigation, &c, but the
spfoQooit1on failed TO meet the approval OF
g isis ths seoretazy Of the Navy was au-
ssoonssse1s, who Were d detaiIed s .,
epm Of 10 ships company on board Of
H larger clAaB Of the vessels Of war, and
required 70 instruct midshipmen in the ru.
Gknental learning of their profession. O.
GooEse the scholastic training and education
GAquired on cupboard was of the most
n6ageR character. By the act of - these
Dcho0lmasters were dignified with the title
tam Of instruction on shipboard, Mr.. Up
sAur, in his annual report in l8l2, said =
Through . long course Of years the mid
shipmon were left to educate themselves
and one another. Suitable teachers are now
provided fhr them, but their schools are
Kept ~ the 110St OF t0Ou0o00 lnterTup-
tons and impediments, which render the
whole system Of little or no value;" hence
he repeated the Recommendation Of Score
taries Jones, Thompson, Southland and
Paulding, and Of President John Quincy
Adams, that . naval academy should be
established upon proper basis.
1will not take up the time Of the Senate
to repeat the arguments of those eminent
men, and Of committees of this and of the
other House of Congress, in which they
demonstrated that It was the highest die
tate Of economy, honor, and duty 10 give to
our naval officers, who are our representa-
lives abroad, the armed ambassadors of the
nation, the highest professional education
possible.
Finally, in 1916, by mutual understand
ing between Mr.. Bancroft, the Secretary Of
tho Navy, and Mr.. Marcy, the Secretary OF
War, and with the assent Of President Polk,
Fort Severn, on the Severn river in Mary
land, Was transferred 70 the Navy Depart
ment, and the midshipman then alloat were
ordered there for instruction. There has
never been any act of Congress positively
establishing . naval academy, but there
have been numerous acts recognizing it,
existence, ut the place have mentioned.
The ground upon which Fort Severn was
erected was purchased by the Government
In 1903, and the Notifications were built I'M
der the direction of the present General ].
q. Totem, the first labor, believe, of that
eminent Of3c0r and faithful public servant