New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-14
TIE OUARREL IN TIE WY.


If the dispute between the line and staff of
the navy concerned only the few hundred
gentlemen who officer our ships and naval sta
tons, we should feel little disposition to take
part in it. We believe, however, that it has
now reached point which touches the eff
cheney of the service and intimately affects the
whole country. An American vessel of war, in
the present state of things must be
little better than a hell afloat, unless by
good fortune the line and staff officers on
board happen to be men of such just temper,
common sense, and mutual adaptability that by
their personal qualities they can neutralize the
misfortunes entaled by their false relations
toward each other. How often it chances that
all the officers of ship are such paragons, our
readers may guess for themselves.
The complaint of the staff officers is not a
mere sentimental grievance, or a question of
gold stripe which can be settled by coaxing
them to go home and be quiet. Rank, with
its accompanying pay, privileges, and honOrs,
is serious matter to q naval or military man,
the only material reward he can ever look to
after a long life of toll. When the war broke
out and new grades were created in cOnse
guence of the enlarged size and expanded du-
ties of the navy all the line officers were pro-
NOTED one or two degrees. The act of Con-
gress made no special mention of the staff
but it was taken for granted that the purpose
was to advance them in proportion. SO when
the captains were promoted to be cOmmodOres,
the surgeons, engineers, and paymasters, ranking
with captains, were assigned relative rank with
cOmmOdOres and so on through the list. That
Congress approved this Interpretation of the
law is evident from the fact that during eight
years the Senate unhesitatlngly confirmed
nominations made in accordance with it, and
not a whisper of iIlegality was heard But as
soon as Vice Admiral Porter, who is generally
regarded as the leader of the line in the present
quarrel, was placed in virtual charge of the
navy, it was discovered that all these promo
tons were illegal. All the surgeons, engineers,
paymasters, and constructors were consequently
degraded their pay being at the same time of
course reduced, so that now the highest grade
n staff officer can obtain is the assimilated rank
OF captain. The senior stall officer on the active
list has been AZ years in the service, and
has held his present rank nearly 80 years No
captain in the line and only eight of the
twenty-five commodOres have been 40 long in
the service. But the question is not only
whether the staff shall have rank in proper
ton to the line, but whether they shall virtu-
ally have, any rank at all. The line officers
now declare that they ought to take precedence
Of the staff on all occasions, anoat and ashore.
The spruce little midshipman just out of school
must outrank the surgeon who may have
assisted in bringing him into the world. OF
course the executive officers in charge of n
ship must have authority over all on board;
nobody disputes that but relative rank does
no. imply divided command, and the staff do
not ask that under any circumstances they