The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1870-01-08

The controversy In tho navy respecting
the riEhts and position Of stat officers 10
presenting the whole service in no ereditablo
light before the public. II exhibits an.
tagonIsts who probably have the highest
personal respect for each other, making
Wholesale aud eTaggefAtea charges against
the Interests to which thsy are opposed. An
this proves that there are two principles,
right and a wrong, In conflict, aud 1t would
be better II this discussion were confined to
these principles aud to the statement of
proven facts.
One Of the most extraordinary and un.
founded charges Of naturalization Is made
Ia the Washington ChronielS Of the 9th In.
slant, against the whole staff The charge
Is made upon the assumption Of things
which never occurred, aud IL contrary TO all
proof. The records Of the troubles brought
before the Navy Department, and the vol.
umes Of Its courts.martial will show the
stan corps to have been exemplary and eT-
ceptloual In their liberalization under all
conditions Of provOcation. This is the
natural result Of the training which gentle
men receive who grow up under the In
duences Of civil life. Lord Morpeth, when
In the United States, said the people Of this
country were the most military people In the
world. The Intelligent, subordinate aud
sKtomporlEed armies Of our late war showed
the noblcman's remark to be truo.
Scarcely q youth grow to manhood In
our country but he gets fair military train.
Ing, aud he learns the principles Of military
subordlnatlon as . part Of hia patriotism,
but with this he learns TO respect tho rights
OF Interiors a. well Rs superion. Not so with
tho youth who is trained to believe 10 hls
personal superiority, and TO look upon all
upposition 10 II as q violation Of discipline
aud subordlnatiou. One sotralnsd Ia apt to
resist at times ali authority which does not
meet his own views. Hence We have that
characterization 70 the authority Of Congress
aud the Navy Department which has so
often been shown In the navy BY the dlSre.
gard Of tho laws and regulations which
confer rank upon staff officers, and that dis
regard by q commAnder'ln-ehlef OF the laws
and regulations Of the same authorities rcla'
tive to the existing bureaus which drew from
an Independent Secretary Of the Navy the
following rebuke Gan oficer who debates
instead OF Obeylng the OrdcrS OF the Depart
ment il uunt to DO trusted with the interests
Of the Government. Your successor has
therefore been appointed, and you will TO-
turn to the United States In the way most
convenient to yourself"
There are other instances OF iusubordlna-
ton among officers Of high line rank. But
this very writer In his article In the Chrohi' |
els shows this Iusubordlnate spirit, as to what
does not meet his own views, BY an adecta- |
ton Of speaking Of the stan as "So.eNlled |
STAT officers" thus throwing contempt upon
the seventh section Of the act Of Congress, ap.
proved April 81, 1884, which terms surgeons,
pAymaSterS and engineers stat officers, aud
also upon the doaultion Of the General Of the
Armies, who, In his late report, denues stat
officers TO DO "quartermalters, commlssa.
ries, surgeons, paymaItsrs," sc. This same
writer takes occaAlon to pay a high and de.
served compliment TO the marine corps. All
delight to honor that eorpI-itS courage,
discipline, subordlnation, respect for the
rights Of all, obedience TO law. It tries It's
own delinquents by lts own courts without
any line offcer TO aid or watch them, and
does them rigid justice. Now, be 1t marked,
this Ia the only military corps in the United
States navy which like the stan corps, comes
from tho people.