Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-02-23


On. of ths InoonVsnIsnses Of being q stan
ofaeer in the United States navy under the
present condition Of afrAirs 10 the liability Of
Snns,S 10 81 hsinoua offences against Gisci.
| pIine 10 the eyes Of the line oiloefa, but
which TO the untutorsd eyes OF civilians
| oSs Of the advantages Of being line of1oer
on shore would snbjset the defender TO terra
| naval oouFt-martisl only thinks worthy OF a
| nominal punlshment. The dlnsrenee between
the status OF the line and stah In this respect
| 10 fully exempllned In the case Of Assistant
| surgeon ChArlss l.. oFsone and Lieutenant
| Commander Henry 3; Ssely., Dr.; Greene de;
| elined to take from the sick list the name Of
| when ordered to do so BY his commanding
| oficsr. For this he was tried BY court
martial last August, and sentenesd TO be sui-
| pended from rank, ou furlough pay, Tor two
years, and 10 be publicly rSptinanded BY the
honorable Secretary Of the Navy. The hon.
orGbls Secretary Of the Navy tAeitly 40.
| knowledEad the Injustice Of this finding OF
the court, while confirming Il, by remitting
| the major part OF tho sentence, and simply
giving Dr., arSene a mild rsptlnsnd Ths
| promptly resigned his commission aS m IS.
| slstAnt surgeon in the United States navy, as
any man with the Instincts OF genilsmSn
would have done under the aane eireum'
Lieutenant Commander seely was tried last
September for permitting the infection Of I'm
lawful ana crnNl punhnMlNuN anu NOENuEtN
upon the persons OF certain ssAmen under hiS
com mand as executive of1cer OF the PaWnee,
and also for falsely representing the facts of
this iittIS irreTuiGrity Mr.. Sesiy was found
guilty, and the GsVerest sentence that the Sec
Rotary Of the Navy could eItoTt from the court
BY sending its hndlngs back TO II several times
for revision, was that LlsutehAnt Comm auder
Seely should be suspended from duty for four
years on furlough pay, with loss Of rank for
that tine. and be publicly rspIi@an %s By The
able Secretary Of the Navy ooahms this "inad.
equAten sentence because Otherwise Lieuten.
act Commander Sosly would escape all pun.
ibhment,
these two cases need no comment, as they
speak plainly for themselves, and illustrate
| perfectly the differences that exists between
the line and staff oti1oets, difference that the
| latter are endeAVorinE TO have squAlized by
| asking Congress to grant them positive rank
| which will place thsm In some measure on an
ever them, Both Of these sentenoea were
| outraEea that deserve emphatic condemns
tlon, and 10 the case Of ssely, especially, jus.
uee has not been done, and will not be done
unless he 10 dismissed from the service he hRs
| disEraosd, and msde TO serve cut term IN the
psnltentiary besides. Discipline must be
| maintained on board men.of.wAr, but the Law 9
| prohibiting cruel punishments are stringent,
| and some meahufea more ehicient than courts
martial should bs adopted for their enforce.
mont, and for the protection OF the sailors, The
oHicers Of the court that Imposed this absurd
| sentence on Mr.. Ssely became pArticip ants In
his crime by not Furnishing him as he deserved,
sx u s1 tSIssnspsI epdsI plsIisSsd on Sa,",'
day is far from being an adsquste Ooudemns.
ton OF the outrsge.-PhRSdeipAis Telegraph,
Feb 81.
These Views are fully In accord with the
opinions already expressed 10 the columns
of the REPUBLICAN,, and the case Is the more
remarkable for the reason that the frat sem
tsuce Of the court, for which the proceedings
were sent back By tho Secretary OF the Navy,
was identlcaIly the same as that found BY
tho remarkable court that sat in Judgment