Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-02-21

demands they have upon SonBIesS NnN WV
naval authorities, we have earnestly adyo-
,ated their side Of the question, and We are
rlad to know that in this course We do not
stand alone, but are seconded by the ablest
papers all over the country. In view OF all
The circumstances we do not see how Con-
press can hesitate to act promptly 70 do
Justice to a class Of officers who have s'oou
shoulder to shoulder with the cline" In con-
ferriup immortal honor upon the navy. In
addition to the papers from which We have
heretofore quoted, we transfer to our COL
umns the following from the Boston Ad'r-
ti,sr Of February 15i |
It was once said by brilliant writer Of
fascinating and elegant woman, that TO love
her was liberal education. With less en-
thuslasm we may begin reference TO the
line and staff controversy In the navy Oy
saving that thoroughly to understand ~, IN
ali It's qualifications and details, implies
long course of study. This is no new ques-
ton. Sixty years ago hot discussions OF IL
were rife In tho ward-room and on the quar- |
ter.deck. Bushels OF pamphlets have been |
printed about II. Many successive Con-
crosses have been pestercd with III every |
Secretary who has sat at the desk OF the
Nayy Department has furrowed his broWs
with attempts 10 settle II rightly and pleas
antly. The late venerable Admiral Stewart
may have sneored, when himself mldshiP-
man, ct the claims Of an old surgeon 70 rank
and position, The Man without q Country |
might, in the days Of his rash youth, have
taken part in the debates about the matter, |
which seeu never to DO conducted without |
anger and harsh words, and have fought
duel at some foreign station, growing out OF
the nncient and irreconcilable quarrel. But
we make no attempt to review the history
| of the question, or TO enter into Its more In
tricate subdiyisions, deeming no such pre-
paration necessary to pronouneing an opin:
ion upon the comparatively simple issue OF
the bill Just decided upon by the House Ma
The single fact that there has so long been
Ill-feeling and discomfort proceeding from
the relations OF line and stan In the navy,
while no uupleasautness has been developed
between the two branches In the army, seems
10 convey volumes In favor OF modifying the
features Of one service which have caused
trouble, TO conform to those OF the other
which have worked smoothly. Our army
grew M with the republic, and its organizA-
ton was imbued with the national prlnci-
pies Of equality and Justice. Our navy was
modelled after that Of Englnnd-a country
where artificial distinctions OF rank arc In,
digenous to the soil, where an educated doc
tor feels 1t no indlgnity to his profession to
DO A step below juvenile ensign who has
purchased his commission, whore even the
BARRIERS draw lines In the customers they Gu
tertaln between coal-heayers and the next
grade in society. Yet the evil result OF the
system in England has been such that the
energetic Mr.. Boythorn was moved 70 say
that t'the treatment of surgeons aboard ship
Is such that would submit the legs-both
leps-of every member OF the Admiralty
Board to a compound fracture, and render
IL A transportable offence In any qualified
practitioner to set them, II the system were
not wholly changed In eight and forty
hours" Yet the copy has as usual outdone
the model; and the condition OF the sur
geops In the British navy has never been so
humilIating as In cur own. We have In
deed seemed on the high road TO something
like Mr.. BOythorn's remedy for qualified
practltloners have learned to shun our naval
service, surgeons who respected themselves
and their profession have refused TO continue
in n navy where they were sneered at
az non -combatants and civilians, to the mani
fest detriment Of the public interests and the
perll of the health and broken bones OF any
body, whether Of line or Stafi, or of the hum.
HE rank and file. There has consequently
ceased to be an inducement TO the best sea
men to choose the public In preference to
the merchant service on account Of the rep
utation for kindness and skill OF the surgeon'
wearing the national uniform. Unless somt
check Is put TO the tendencies which product
! these results, the facts will become chronic
! with harmful results to the interests OF tn,
nation. which cannot be calculated.
The bill which Mr.. Stevens, Of New
Hampshire, has prepared, and which ha
obtained the sanction Of majority OF th
Naval Committee, gives the oficers Of tn
STAFF no right to command, out Of their owl
t. denSItmnnts,- and -glTes the ARpremg U8p
Q and other staff officers the dignity Of posl
| tive rank, the stimulus OF promotion; an
II relieves them from the harassing assump
tons OF superiority from junior officers o
subordinate positions In the ship, and per
haps of lower grade than themselves. Thl
will cut athWart q multitude OF ancIen
prejudlces, which have grown bitter with
age and agitation, and which have found
exponents In the Navy Department and IL
both Houses of Congress In times past. Bu
It Is difficult to sec how the reform infrlngei
any absolute rights, or will tend In any way
to the injury OF the service. On the con
trary, II seems fair to hope that, the bone o.
contention once removed, a new era will a
once begin, an era Of healthy subordinate on
discipline, harmony and gradually grow Inf
goodwill, to the lasting benefit Of the who'll
navy. We earnestly hope that the bill
pass Congress, and that II will finally d.
pose OF most VeKatious question.
The question is also attracting attention
on the other side OF the Atlantic, and in this
connection we clip the following from the
London Army and Navy Gdzstts;
The United States are the last great Power
to reconstruct their navy as respects the
branches or departments. Until the civil
war commodores commanded their squad.
rons, but since that event the Government
has deemed the tIme-honored title OF adj
F,tr In la A.a
their naval service. Thus the American and
the European nayies arc now commanded By
officers holding similar rank and titles. The
next step In harmonlzlng the nayies Of the
world consists In the equalization Of all
branches or classes Of officers In the United
States navy, with separate charge in each
branch, as Is going forward In European
navies. So far as regards rank and priVl-
| leges, all classes are equal, save In the high
est degrees, and in matters Of charge Of de-
partments rapid advance is proceeding to-
wards the completion Of this desideratum.
When we see equalization, accompanied by
responsible charge, fully established, we shall
consider the naval service perfect In Its or.
ganlEation. The subject Of discipline has In
nowise suffered by the changes that have
occurred In European naYles, and we cannot
see that there could be dlmlnutlon Of power
on the part OF the commanding officer un.
der any circumstances. Command 10 entirely
separate from rank and charge ofdspdrt,Hsnti,
yet this truth was long in being recognized
We shall expect to sec the early settlement
Of this matter In the United States, for our
transatlantic brethren are proyerbial fol
their energy when once they set about effect
ing q change. At the present time the Slime
and "stah7' officers equivalent to our com
Blatant and non-combatant classes) are ar
guiug the question OF the equalization oil
the various branches-the combAtant, the
navigating, the engineering, the medical
and the eommissariat. We feel confident Of
the result, and we anticipate increase ofefi,
cheney In the United States navy by the
adoption Of the European system.
We close this matter to-day by quoting the
following petition adopted by Oliver Wen.
dell Holmes, Henry j. BIgelow, Charles Z.
Buckingham, Edward II. Clarke, and other
gentlemen composing the Medical Faculty
Of Harvard University, and which has been
forwarded to Hon. Charles Sumner, in be.