The New York herald., 1870-05-16
Tho Army and Navy.

ton on the part OF certain gentlemen in Con-
gress to depreciate the officers Of the army and
navy who most distinguished themselves in
putting down the rebellion. This extends to
the smallest matters, and there is scarcely
of our distinguished officers are mentioned
that some one in the Senate or House of Rep
resentatives does not have fling at them.
Fortunately this disposition is not universal,
and extends only to those who have had little
to do with saving the country from destruc-
ton; yet, strange to say, the majority listen to
the men who are disafected towards the army
and navy and do not sufficiently inform them
selves regarding the two arms of national
defence to enable them to judge Independently.
Some members of Congress who have served
in the army in prominent positions are among
the foremost of those who are now lending
themselves to its destruction; for it can be
called nothing else when the attempt is made
to reduce the force to corporals guard and
cut down the pay, which was considered
scarcely enough to live on in times when the
price of living was much more moderate than
at present.
These discussions about the pay and future
assignment of our distinguished officers have
one good effect. They bring out the noble
traits of character of those legislators who are
only governed by great national motives
Who is there that does not applaud the gene
rous sentiments of that noble old Roman,
Senator Nye, when he says:-'What man
would not take one of our brave defenders to his
hearthstone and make him comfortable? And
yet here upon the hearthstone of the nation it
is proposed to pauperize them. No nation can
afford to be ungrateful to it's helpless and
crippled soldiers and protest against the bill
in the name of generous people," These
words will be remembered long after the
Senator has left public life, and long after the
| Spencers and such as they are consigned to
oblivion. 1t is to men like Senator Nye that
the officers of the army and navy have to look
| for the vindication of their conduct and for
the support of their reputation. There is no
instance where officers have done anything in
or outside the line of their duty that could
possibly call forth the malignant feelings that
seem to animate certain legislators, and they
can only be accounted for by the want of sue
cess of these same legislators when they held
positions in the army for which they were in
nowise fitted.
The recent debate in the Senate in relation
to the pay of the chief clerk of the Navy
Department is specimen of the style of two
| penny legislation, and the opportunity could
not be allowed to pass without letting slip a
broadside at the naval officers holding high
positions in the department, who are most
likely there from no choice of their own, and
| who would gladly change their stations for
| others more consonant with their tastes,
which would remove them from contact with
| politicians and their opportunities for small
Offices. 1t was rather strange, however, to
see the honorable Senator from Ohio taking
part in the debate on the small item of
| three hundred dollars Increase in the salary of
clerk, and rejecting upon prominent officers
of the navy-oficers who are endeavoring to
| lift the service out of the mud in which
it was left by the administration of Andrew
johnson. There was CLEAN of satisfaction
in the fact that such men as Cole, Warner,
Cragin, Drake, Anthony and Nye were on the
| ground, ready to stand by the navy aud
expose the ignorance of those who attempted
to depreciate it. The want of knowledge of
naval matters among many of our legislators
is really wonderful, and people are, therefore,
astonished that they should get up on the floor
of Congress and show to the world how little
they do know. In many cases it is pure ma
levolence that prompts their action, and they
frequently misrepresent matters knowingly.
All these discussions will, however, in the
end, have good effect. They will enable the
friends of either branch of the service to put
at rest the attacks of the opposition, and will
show the magnanimous people Of the United
States how it is intended to treat those but for
whom their position at this time might be very
different. Had Lees army reached Philadel-
| phia there is no knowing how matters might
have gone. Had Sherman failed in his march
through the South the rebellion might have
ended in manner less consonant with our
wishes. Who can measure the services of our
distinguished officers by the amount of pay
they receive? 1t is now proposed to cut their
salaries down to one-half what they were
before the war, and to take from the navy the
thirty-th and one third per cent, which
will make the pay Of the latter about one
half what the officers of the army receive.
Fortunately they cannot do more than this
without reducing naval officers to condition
that will drive them to places where they
can exc out miserable subsistence and
ruminate on the ingratitude of republics.
How much better it would be for the coun-
try if our legislators would do something to
build up our navy, and let the United States
rank, as it should do, among the foremost ma
tions of the earth. They would be placed in
humiliating position if we should suddenly
be involved in controversy with England,
which may happen at any moment. Then the
| n