The New York herald., 1870-04-22
The Navy and senator sponoer.


which II was falling, owing to the supineress
OF Congress, it is not aston ishiny that we now
and then tread upon somebody's toes. II is
bad enough for men to fail in their duties,
either from Indifference or from igaorlace of
the s. lbj oct; but wasn persol hoidiag an
important position, in which his abilities
should be exerted on the side Of his couatry,
uad rtakes to bre TX d)wa one OF or m ion 4
bnlwarks, our remarks in reference to snca
conduct must necessarily be uapalatabie to
hIm.
There is Naval Committee in the Senate,
composed OF gentlemen who have for many
year, devoted their attention to naval matters,
and have much more enlarged and conpre-
hensive ideas OF the service and lis wants than
any one is likely to have who has just emerged
lrom the Southern swamps. Those gentlemen
who have charge OF naval aiflirs have not
deem ID it necessary TO introduce such sweep
ins bill as that framed by Senator Spencer of
Alabama, who, in his cndeavor to explain his
cours', shows how very little he knows about
the service. 1t mast be amusi g TO Messrs.
Cragin and Antlony, of the Senate Naval
Committee, and to Mr.. Drake, WAC
was educated in the navy, to see
tyro trying to take the helm from their hands;
but no doibs they were indi,lln at his propo-
sition to bro lch the navy to, all have ere this
consigned it to that undiscovered coua ry from
whose bourn no such proposition ever retnras.
1t is a veil known fact that the PROPOSE ion to
reduce tue navy to the little end Of nothing
originated in personal feeling, aud not from
motives OF economy, as stated. AS reg rds
Mr.. Spencer's COMPARISON of the army and th
navy, we will merely say that thu oryaaiza iion
of the two services is entirely different. An
army can be raised from our people in day
or in week or month, according to the
siz, required. A navy, on the contrary, is
the work OF long years OF patient care. A
ship has no relation to reginea. o. a fl set to
an army, under any aspect. Ole gene,al can
command five hundred thousand mn, bat it
requires one admiral to command squadron
OF even four ships, IN N led by less THAI twelve
hundred men. A captain in the navy CON-
mands ship OF three hundred men, while his
relative in rank in the army G. cololeD COM
mands regimcct of one thousand soldiers
Every squadron, be it ever so small, is ca
titled to its admiral and as there arr seven
s9uadrons to be mlintai1sd in our navy
there must be seven adnirals; and since
these cannot spend all their lives at sea or
away from the u ,ted States there must be a
corresponding number Of reliefs. AL this is
either misunders ood by Mr.. Spencer or he
has endeavorel to perperate great injury
upon the navy aud falls, premises upon the
country. We regret that we are unable to
| credit him with any patriotic intention. The
| fact that the ,nator would save million by
his operation will not even please his consti-
tuens; for he might save far more than that
by abolishing the navy sn toto, cutting down
the civil list and reducing his own pay. which
last he will not be likely to agree to. The
people of this country want economy, but not
meainess or breaches OF trust with the men
who have fought its battles.
Thelast clause in Mr.. Spencer's letter, which
we published for him, shows even more clearly
how little he understands the question, and is
varnished off with that threadbars subject of
| ''staff rank" Of which the public have become
quite tired. IF Senator Spencer is really
serious when he says that ''no one appreciates
| the necessity of a navy commensurate with our
| standing as nation more than myself" let him
| show it by his endeavors to build the service
| up, and not by his Efforts to pull it down
| The life of naval officer is hard enough
without looking ahead to the ingrati-
tude of his countrymen and having
the prospect Of being LETT to starve on
| pittance in his old age. There are thou
sand ways for member of Congress to bring
himself before the public witho 1T resorti lg to
measures that would, if carried out, belttle us
| as a nation. Our commercial interests are
matters for the attention OF all wise legislators
| Our trade, driven from the ocean, needs the
| fostering care of Congress to replace it there
and protect it after it's resuscitation. We
should comm ence such career of greatness
as the world never yet has seen by monopo-
lizng the trade of the East Indies, which we
| have the power to do through our railroad to
the Pacific and by cutting g canal across the
u
our navy is taking q prominent part, and,
with the energy it has ever displayed, is push
ing the survey rapidly across the isthmus,
overcoming difficulties heretofore deemed in
surmountable.
In its new guise Of well equipped ships the
navy is expanding its sails on its way to the
China seas to cement those relations lately
formed with the Chinese which are to give us
the control of the commerce of the East. 1t is
removing the rude marks made upon its dis
cipline during the past eight years, and is
settling down to its ancient organization and
prestige. 1t is daily gaining strength in the
affections of the American people, who will
not tolerate any attempt to break up an inst
L t,,tion on which our comm cree and our neonla