The New York herald., 1871-02-03
The Staff and Line Dinculty-What "NTore
Justice" Has to Say About II.


NEW YORK, Feb. l. 1871.
To THE EDITOR OF TIRE HERALD
The letter signed Justice which appeared Ia
your issue of January 81, criticising pamphlet
written by 'some staff oficer" OF the navy, con
tains one or two inaccuracies which beg OF you the
space to point out
The writer states that 'sea service Is, OF course
the only service to be considered in the record
OF naval 01lcer and the only service re-
garded by the department In the detail fol
shore duty or leave OF absence.n Let us turn
to the Navy Register for 1870 and examine its
''servlce column" We find that No. on the list
OF commanders, since promoted to captain
had been thirty years aud four months in
the service, OF which he had spent sew
enteen years and eleven months at sea. Nos. 90
and IS on the same list had served respectively
twenty-eght years and ten months and pineteen
years and six months. OF which the former had
latter sixteen years and six months at The per-
centage OF sea service then was, approximately for
Yet the iormer is detailed ior shore duty and the
two latter are at sea- Maaifestly sea service Is not
"of course" the only service TO be considered.
Again, the present chief OF the Bureau OF Medicine
and Surgery, although he has seen less service
than nineteen 0! the commanders" has seen more
than seventeen OF the captains, more than four OF
the commodores, and more than two OF the rear ad
miras, apd shows greater length OF service than
any OF the captains, and than many Of the commo-
d0res.
The fact is. as Is well understood bv naval officers
that while the completion of a single cruise Is al.
OF absence, the sum OF officers sea service and
the length OF his shore duty or leave de-
often upon the peculiar direction of the oracer,s
abilities The rank or all officers Is established
by w according to seniority, upon which the ma
ture OF their duty exercises no influence whatever.
1t should also be remembered, in considering the
service OF line officers, that four years at the Naval
school, and one, sometimes two years on The prac.
n uplcnp pf fho Naxv
Register as shore and sea service.
The signers OF the memorial appended to the com.
as to the claims Of sta officers. The dangers against
which they warn Congress-viZ.,' equality OF rank
with the captain Of fhe vessel or independence Of
his conlrol'-do not, and never have existed these
points having been especially excepted by the
stevens bl now before the Senate committee:
MORE JUSTICE.
Justice 10 Naval Oacer-A Wrong State-
ment Promptly Corrected.
In the House of Representatives some time since
Mr.. Swami, OF Maryland, made some remarks
against the honor and veracity OF Captain Perce
Crosby, United states Navy which called .erth the
following letter from that officer:-
UNITED STATES NAVY YARD,
snMy attention has been called to hs rc2eoon; cast
my and verac IN speech before the House
e, q cPan c.osSy upon this point much
The feeling which wonId induce an oncer to detail N.
guarded expressions which fell from Admiral Godon at
a.
nar intercourse would be very apt give false colorng
to anything he might say"
did no! detail the unguarded expressions which fell
from Admiral Godon private dinner table
in the confidence Of familiar intercourse" you see by
reading my evidence, presume my was mentioned
in connection with the matter bv mistake bu az IL Mas
placed me false position bring to notice. hoping
IN order have you the justice rectfy the mistake
am, sir, very respectfully, your o,edient servant,
PIERCE CROSBY, Captain United states Navy
Hon. Mr.. SWAMI.
The reply to 1t was the anlende honorable on the
floor OF the House, where the first statement was
made. Mr.. Swann spoke as folows:-
Mr. Speaker in commenting upon the Paragnayan testi
mony inadvertently confounded the Of Captain
Crosby with that of another witness have arisen 10 saw
sir that deem IL due to that officer that should
him, as do from the reflections intended to be CON.
veyed In the paragraph to which In tha: letter