Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-01-14
aatinuaI gEpnbIifau
FRIDAY noRNlsomV a5lnjANUARTMl $50


The Anchor sud the OAK.
In union there Is strengthi In strength
there is efficiency; in efficiency there Is sue
cess. But what are We to expect In organ
izations where In place Of harmony there Is
found acrlmonyi in place Of concord, dis.
cord, where enmlty supereedes comfy, and
III will good VIM We invite the earnest
attention Of those who consider unity essen.
tlAl to stability TO the present condition OF
that guardian Of our commerce, the navy.
The line and staff are the walls Of house
divided against Itself why1 The oclcers
Of the line are educated at great expense by
the Government to command, 10 watch,
navigate, and to fight our navy. They do
command, naTl ate, watch, and fight IL.
We cannot be too grateful to the brave men
who have so often caused our faces To fash
with the pride Of Victories on the soas. But,
sharing all the dangers, and reapIng very
little Of the glory, IL the patient, toiling
stan. Theirs Is the solemn responsibility
for human life, the sacred trust Of the ma.
uon's floating Golfers, the subordlnatlon Of
steam, the care OF morality aud immortal
souls. These duties and responsibilities
have been deemed essential to the well
faro OF navies. To be fitted for these duties
the staff must be duly educated. Tho on
GERS composing 1t are not educated at Gov.
eminent expense, but enter tho service ripe
for action In the most difficult fields for
thought and usefulness. Suppose, now,
that Congress should establish, IN connec-
ton with the naval school, university, and
there train lie mldshipmen to become sur
geouS, paymasters, engineers, aud divines,
would the fact that these mldshipmen had
boon 80 trained be any reason why they
should enjoy loss rank, and receive less pay,
than those who had not boon so lnstruc ted
Yet here Is the case. Side by side In our
navy stand beardless boys from the naval
school and gray.hAircd gentlemen Of the
staf-the former outranklng the latter.
The staff officers ask for no command.
They have few subordlnates In their sew
eral departments, whose legitimate duties
they alone know how to prescribe. These
they may desire to control In the strict line
Of professional duty. They simply wish an
equitable share Of the rank aud privileges
which Congress has so layshly showered
upon tho more favored line. When Con-
gress created the new grades OF admiral,
commodore, lieutenant commander and on
sign in the navy, did 1t not intend In spirit
10 confer upon the staff corresponding rAnk7
For a number Of years, when the great
struggle for liberty and the life Of our coun-
try was In progress, and when petty strifes
were swallowed up In the great conflict, the |
stan did enjoy the rank II desired and de- |
served without the slightest subverSlon Of |
good discipline. Mr.. Stevens has devised
bill to regulate naval rank which merits the
earnest, conscientious thought Of every man
in Congress and out Of IL, having the future
welfare Of the navy at heart. This bill does
not attack the Treasury. It calls simply
for something like equality. II Is a rebuke
upon those who would seek to establish au
aristoeracy behind the egis OF liberty.