The Republican journal., 1870-06-02
THE ADMINS TRATION AND ITS NAVY.
May 10, 1870.

a discussion which arose in the House of
Representatives on Tuesday of last week,
will open the eyes Of the people of this
country a little wider than thcir visual or
gans have been extended for some time. 1t
developed the fact that the imbeclity of the
administration, which has destroyed the com
mercial marine Of the country, has also rem
dercd the navy n ruinously expensive and
useless department of the government.
There is no longer commerce to defend or
a navy to make defence Of it, if it existed
The facts concerning the condition of the
navy grew incidentally out of discussion
of Cuban affairs, IN which Cox, Voorhees,
and the Democrats generally charged that
American citizens were outraged with i'm
punity in Cuba, because the naval force had
been withdrawn to protect San Domingo, the
halfanneXed new love of radicalism. Mr.
Sargent, republican, came to the defence of
the navy, but he was met by Il terrible on
slaught from a brother republican, Dawes
of Massachusetts, who has before charged
home upon the powers that be at Washington.
Mr. Dawes said that for the last ten years
the average appropriation for the navy Tex
GLIDING that of the wary was less by s., OOO,-
900 than the same appropriation in this bill,
and yet the department wanted $4,000, 900
more Nothing can be said by us which
will add to this fearful accusation 1t tells
the whole story of the Administrations cor
ruption and profigacy, which is to an extent
never before heard Of Ii is not in the Navy
Department alone, we have a right to pre-
sumo, but extends to all branches Of the Gov
eminent. This Republican member went on
to show that "every vessel in the British ma
Wy costs annually SOS, 600, while in that of the
United States it required S13s, 900, year to
keep each one of them alloat" This is ex-
actly twice as much. II the comparison is
made by the amount of tonnage, the differ
ence is more than two dollars to one against
the United States, and if the standard is bv
men, it is ten times us much or 5000 year
here to $50 there. 1t costs for maintaining
and repairs nearly 81 ,O0O, 900 here to less
than S4,OO0,0Oo in England per annum.
These are extraordinary facts, but those stat
ed by General Logan, of Illinois Republi-
can), are still more remarkable We have
one officer in our navy for every six men,
and the pay of the one-sixth S5,OOO,00O, to
that of the five-sixths $4,000, 600" This ex-
emplies the wonderfully aristocratic char
acter of the whole department OF the 400
officers, half of them are on shore doing no
business but to receive their salaries" Well
may General Logan state that sthere are
enough officers in the navy to man a navy
sufficient to make war upon the strongest
naval power in the world, and but few men,
We would not utter one word of reproach
for the brave officers and sailors of our ma
Wy. They are as gallant and true men rs
ever trod plank, the sons Of men who beard
ed the savage Tropolitan in his den, and
made England respect our flag. But they
are bound down, hampered and fettered by
the expensive incompetency at Washington.
Routine, favoritism and manity have infected
the department with the dry rot 1t is rapid
ly going the way our mercantile marine
went, and soon England will again indispul-
ably rule the waves