Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-03
FROM THE sFEAMER MIGHIGlE.
The Lake Navy and the Ocean Navy.
A Plea In Behalf of the Lake Navy.

Dear Sir; In times of peace, when the
ordinary financial condition Of the country
was undisturbed, when dollar was indeed
a dollar and not thirty or forty cents, there
has been q strange and equivocsl practice
on the great Lakes, to reduce the psy of
the officers of the United States steamer
Michigan during the winter months, to that
standard known as shore, or other duty,
pay / i
The Michigan is a regularly commission
ed man-of-wsr of the United States Navy,
and as such represents the Navy, along the
borders of the nation, and upon an extent
of inland ocean which few people fully ap-
preciate. Officers and crew are ordered TO
this Vessel precisely in the same way as
they are to other ships of the Navy, |
and they are under precisely the same
regulations, and orders, and perform |
precisely the same duties that they would |
in any other ship belonging to the Navy,
upon the Atlantic seabosri. Nay, even
more stringent, since the great Lakes are
regarded, and are found to be an outpost,
and every one knows that outpost duty, is
always the most anxious and watchful
Since the breaking out of the war in
our country, although it is civil war, our
foreign relations have been most seriously
disturbed. Perhaps no one knows this fact
more positively than our Secretary of
State, whose wisdom and talents have been
taxed to the utmost with foreign relations
No one perhaps, on our great Lakes, will
question the necessity, the service, and the
labors of the Michigan. Indeed, the great
anxiety of our people, and oven Of our
H0varnT Tnert. has been directed toward the
fsct that the duties OF TINS nUUl5 Uld vos-,l
should be so great that she could not per-
form them. Had We possessed a half-dozen
Michigsns during the last year, the vile,
incendiary attempts of rebel raiders, along
the Canada border, to embroil the two
Governments of England and the United
State would never have been made. The
| Michigan Is the watchman of this impor-
tant and extensive border. Isthere any pro-
priety, or justice, or docs che nation desire,
that because she is safely housed from winter
tempests and ice, she should hibernate into
q fatal secury and repose The care, the
anxieties, the labOrs of drill, discipline, duty
and wstchtulness cease with the change
of the wind, or the temperature of air and
water We trust that the commander
and her officers will not lull themselves
into any such indulgence, and we know
they do not. During the winter months
that ship is not unemployed-he crew
are not idle. We have recently had occa-
sion to witness some of the routine as now
practiced on board the gallant old ship, and
the closest professional observer cannot
find a shade of difference from that of her
sister consoGts of the Atlantic. There is
also another observation that may be made
as to the duties of her commander. In
addition TO the usual and ordinary duties
devolving upon the commander of single
ship-of-war, there is imposed upon him the
care and labor of superintending the vast
recruiting system all along the shores of
the lakes, and also the vigllant police and
watch incident TO the command of so large
and extended a Jurisdiction. He IS not
only the commander of q single ship, but
the vigilsnt guardian of the whole area Of
lake waters extending from the lower end
Of Lake Ontario to the waters of Greer
Bay, IN the Northwestern extent OF re
sponsibility, of care, of anxiety and duty
embracing an area as great as that OF the
North Atlantic Fleet, Under the Superin.
tendence Of a Rear-Admiral.
The officers and crew of the Michigan
are entitled to the same remuneration as
officers and men of the ocean ships and
feet.
And after all, what is it that is asked
Simply that they should be credited 70 the
country, and, upon the psymasters books
as bonorablY and as fairly as those of oul
other ships of the navy. The pay Of oul
navy officers is beggsrly and mean enough
Their pay is in the smallest pittsnce that
q country, having decent respect for its
servants, could presume to give. Many Of
certain rank and grade, do not receive the
same number of greenbseks that they for
merly received In gold. The commander
OF the Michigan does not receive to-day
although he has been almost quarter o
q century in the service, as many dollars il
greenbscks Is he did in gold, when he W a
Lieutenant commanding. The pay of off
GERS of the navy, everywhere, should be
commensurate with that Of othe rs
They are doing the fighting and the watch
ing. Yet the clerks in the Honorable
Seeretsry's Office, who copy orders, which
I
storm Of ocean and storm of batteries. arc
warmly recommended for increased nav
The navy officer has to live rs we'll as 9th.
ers. The barrel of -four, and the cloth fol
q coat are are as necessary to him as II
others. Yet the Government does moi
forget to tax him, and after he has divided
his salary with his family, they ts.x his re.
mittance to his loved ones again, a second
time. The navy officer is Just doubly
taxed
Let the officers of the Michigan be
placed on full sea pay, as other officers are
gmot nIoreI 1t is little to the country
but grave thing to them. Such an attempt
at economy iR petty, and demorslzes the
people who are expected to defend the
borders, S.nd whose record may be proudly
referred. to. II is duty the Representa-
tives of the Lake counties owe to them
selves, and to their interests, to take this
matter in hand and solicit from the author
tiles at Washington, scOrrection of grave
wrong, and an injury tO,their own Just and
honorable pride.
1t may be observed in reply to this
question that even a precedent is offered,
If such sluggish reason be required. In
the Mississippi fats, where there is q river
navigation, where gales, tempests, ice, ship
wrecks and similar disasters are not known,
where no attempt is ever made to assimi-
late the duties to sea service, the officers Of
the stations Of the regular Navy Yards
and Receiving Ships, from one end of the
river to the other, are credited with sea
pay and sea service from one end of the
year to the other. Why does not lake
1 l. l. L
vice as that of narrow Southern rivers and
4 RRepiVinrF Ghirz and