Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-02-15


It last been submitted to Congress, and a
,ripted copy Of the same has come TO hand.
Nm former issue we expressed consider
lble surprise a the singular action OF the
Navy napartpenh a. indicated bI the seo-
r,faSysn ietinf md ON, wherein the elaima
ID the stair korrs Of tho navy were raaed 20
,xceedIngiy low, much lower even than
MS Hoard and n former Line bo.r1l ana
sven Admiral Porter himself, placed them.
We Thought, and still think, IL passing
strange that, having called upon these
oxpsTts 70 give their professional opinions
and views upon the subject-omecrs thor.
oughly familiar with the naval service, ~
Wanta, and requirements, as wen aa Just
what would certainly most conduce TO bar.
mopy and true efAeIency-they seerstary
shuu1d deliberately ignore thsh views ~
valpeless OF Insufficient testimony, and Put
foreh Its own necessarily very limited Ideas
Of what Ia best and necessary. The query |
naturally aud necessarily presents itself, can |
the Secretary possibly know ~ WILL Just /
what would be proper and 1ttlug, the mote
especially as he has been bat fcW months
OMIT at the h0ad OF the Navy DEPARTMENT.
We are the more surprised now that We
hays the detaus OF the Proeeedlngs ave rs,
sult Of tho rank board before Us. we md
among other things that the stan gentle. |
men thereon, for the sake OF peace and |
haT1iony and the interests Of the tsrvics |
(for this conflict between line and atan Ia |
undoubtedly damaging to all concerned,
and phould be put 70 rest by mutual conces-
siouI, } yielded up their claims BY common |
consent 10 Rear AdEnirdlship, being willing
to tAko, by way Of fair compromise, Zee
r CosInodorsJipG In the Medical and Pay
Corps respectively for the heads aud senlors
Of tfslr corps on the active list, (from whom
the SnrgeoH General, de-, should be saleotsd,
aud who should still have only the rank Of
COMMODORE the heads Of the Engineer and
Construction Corps likewise 10 have the
came rank, and that they further asked only
for proportlonate numbers and scale 81 rank
all me way down according to the needs,
numbers, &C, of their respective corps.
Their claims, II seems to us, are mani
fesut Just and proper, and modest withal,
and Wo are suro must have weight and force
with the Naval Committees and members Of
Congress generally In the preparation Of the
new BILL now pending. Their practical
workings wsuld secure 70 the several stan
corps what We and indeed the press and
people generally arc anxious 70 have &C
corded to them-ths princlplo OF representa-.
ton In the higher (not ne highsif) rank Of
| the naval service. II will also properly pro-
vide for the seniors Of said corps; and last,
but not least In Importance, to tho best Ia
terests OF the navy and the Government, aud
even the line officers themselves : VINO
taneo aud necessity OF securing able sur
geons, good paymAsters aud skilled engi-
neers In the serylce-will prove strong In
centiycs TO do well among the juniors, a.
we'll a. inducement sufficient TO young men
Of worth and promise 20 enter these truly
important and responsible branches Of our
naval service. .......,
We and, too, that the claims put forth BY
the staG gentlemen on this board for proper
Kind or character Of rank-for respectable
representation In numbers, as wall az proper
and fitting rank, aud for legal exemption
from the unjust, unnecessary and absurd
srscutips officer" precedence, are equally
juat and fair. The argument in their be-
half, especially touching this ihtter point,
aud the claim for positive rank is simply un-
ahsWerAble. NounbIassed, disinterested man
can read these clear, torso, logical statements
and reasoning, and hesitate for one moment
to respond TO their honest and manly appeals
for simple justice. We ourselves heartily
lndorso their position aud claims, and we
hope, as We do believe, Congress will do like
wise. ...r .... -.. .......
Tho Stevens bill, ct the very least, should
be accorded them. We arc gratlnsd to per-
celye that already the views OF the ABlsricdH
have commanded attention, and that prAc-
teal results In the direction we have lndl-
Gated are maulfestlng themselves. ave do
know that whereof we spsak," having per-
sonally mingled In the scenes and events, on
board tho vessels aud amongst the oficers,
during the late rebellion, whereby large ex.
perience OF these matters was necessarily
obtained. |'H
Admiral Porter will himself bear tssti-
mony 70 the fact that volunteers from the
stan on nearly every ono. OF his vessels
Joined the naval brigade In Its desperate and
bloody land attack on Fort Fisher, or took
part in active lighting duty on board In the
reduction 9f- thai stronghold. Ipdeea; there
teer for active duty. When the gallant
Captain George Rogers was killed on board
tho monitor Catskill during the lombard
ment OF Fort Gregg, the same ball killed
Paymaater Woodbury.. He was with his
captain In tho pllot-house, on top Of the
turret, and We personally assisted, few
minutes Afterwards, IN carrying both OF
their mangled bodies on board OF Admiral
DAhlgren's nAgshlp. So, also, In the frat
monitor eight With the Merrimac, when the
gallant Captain worden was wounded,
Chief Engineer sinners, assisted BY EngI-
neers Dolby and Newton, took charge OF the
guns and fred tho shots which crippled the
Norfolk. - -.
On another occasion, on Fort Sumter,
surgeon, whose name we do not now remsm.
Dor, volunteered TO carry q hAWSsr, under
heavy IRE Of the enemy, to rescue q stranded
vessel, that must ultimately have been cap
tured, With all on board, bat for hls bold |
and Successful gAllAnIry. II was not his |
duty, but his heart Nal IN the dKht, and |
when volunteer was called for he vas Ihs /
nrst 70 step forward, either OF line or stan. |
How II ls possible for officers Of the line 10 |
deny 70 their associates Of the stan some I
thing like an equality Of rank We are unable |
to compuhend. In no other navy in the |
world Ia any similar desire eyinced, and no
other Government would for . moment |
listen TO such a proposition. Now thai |
steam has become universal, and a higher |
grade OF character and efiieieney IL required |
10 all the stan officers on shlpboard. We |
hope that Congress will Rt once rcatore the |
service 10 the condition In which Il was |
placed BY President Lincoln, who manfnIIy |
stood up for equal justice 10 all men:
We are convinced, fnom this poruoual
knowledge and experience, that the stan
ofncsn OF our navy arc now asking OF Con-
gross and the country even hs than what
they are In Justice entitled to--eSpSelally 10
view OF the fact that whist the line Tere
largely honored and promoted for their war
services, nothin0 at al has been dous for the
STAN corps. ,Inneed, on the CONTRARY. theT
have met with, and are now smaTtlRR under.
unexAmpled aud uDjustl1Rble deorddatioai
Inc whole OF this Last shoHld Especially be
revoked and rebuked by Congress. Ali TO
loced RANK should DO restored, every maa Of
49,. ~ WAoao navy huOulu DO ralhhu- {
tated, improyed; the relative Statas that ono.
'Ilsted between line and staff restored, the
I'D gentlemen on tho stat retired lISt pro-
'lded for equally well with the line and
'nabled once more 10 live respectfully aud 10 |
ducato their chlldrenj and all dsRradatlou
md humiliation resultlng from late depart
mental legislation undone, reversed and
hott@d eat fs-.vss' .D-ia!.'.sr- 4is'sgI sVuss.
IN 10 said that an indianapolis physician
vas recently applied to lease or a patient,
lopelessly III, aud a charge on 0 benevolent
oelsty' And the samo Physician had II In
rusted 70 him that q deformed child might
y well die as live. How are these facts for |
hghi ..a 81. ~. -
TIE Newburg N. Z. church has intro
y, ,u 49, 'herLIleal entertainments BY way Of
vs. brother has been performed 70 an al.
iiihg audience, many prominent memborI !
inc church appearing In the ''cast.D