The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-19

day week by the House of Representatives to
inquire into the conduct of the Secretary of
the Navy in relation to certain grave charges.
We hope that they will give us a fair,
thorough investigation, and let the truth be
known. But there are points outside of the
charges brought against Secretary Robson
which are certainly not much to the
credit of that officer. In the HERALD
OF recent date it is reported that
Secretary Robson had recently given can
unfavorable report to the House Committee
on Commerce on the state of the navy" His
declarations fully endorsed or even exceeded
the assertions of Representative Swami. of
Maryland, on the same subject. He informed
that committee shat if we were to get into
war. with Spain, for instance, and attempt to
land an army of FIVE thousand men in Cuba
(the only point of attack, we have not sufi-
cient navy to guard the channel between Key
West and the nearest landing place in Cuba
and that we should not be able to effect land
ing through any aid to be given by the navy,
be able to do it.
This is one of the most astounding confess
sions, perhaps, ever made by Cabinet officer.
A navy that has uniformly reflected name and
fame on the nation, and which has been accus-
toned to conquer certainly during four wars,
is now reduced to this extremity. We knew
that it had been suffered to 60 into dilapida-
ton, but no one ever believed it had come to
such pass as that.
Now, Mr. Robson may trust to manifest
destiny" as much as he pleases, but there are
at least twenty millions or more of people in
these United States who will do nothing of the
kind, and who prefer to trust, in such an event,
to the manifest efficacy of powder and cannon,
and frigates and ships-of-war. What is more
surprising still, is the fact of that officers
report to Congress for guidance in their legis-
lative action, looking to persistent reduction
of the navy, weak as he saysi it is. He advises
the abolshing of three distinct and entire
grades of its personnel or, in other words, to
cut off its head and kill it out and out. He
fails to recommend a stringent duty to the
nation, which it might be supposed he is re-
quired to do, to repair his crippled navy,
and if not fit for repair, to rebuild it at once.
Again, the other day Mr.. Hale, Chairman of
the Naval Committee in the House, seriously
informed the country that great many United
States vessels had disappeared, and that it was
impossible for him or for the proper authori-
ties to find them, or to find what had become
of them. Can this indeed be true? How can
ship-of-war of this government disappear
and nobody know what has become of it, or
notknow how it disappeared? The people of
this country who have paid fearful prices for
these ships, built or bought during the war,
may be pardoned if they are incredulous on
this point; and the sooner an account is
rendered of these missing ships the better.
The proposition to sell all the unserviceable
ships and materials is in the right direction,
as every man knows who has anything to do
with real estate, to say nothing of national
duty and welfare. But Mr.. Cox, of New York.
asks o very reasonable and pertinent thing
when he suggests that professional men-the
navy oficers-should examine and report what
is unserviceable. But then this was objected
to by another Congressman, on the ground that
they would sell out every vessel Of the navy.
This man, surely, puts infinite faith in the pa
triotism and fidelity of the officers of the navy.
There is not the slightest doubt that if a board
of such was ordered to decide this question,
they would do it in all fidelity, even if they
sold the house from over their own heads, in
preference to aggrandizing themselves at the
expense of the people Of their country.
Another member proposes to sell the Naval
Hospital at Brooklyn, for the reason that it
occupies site of land which has very much
enhanced in price since this hospital was built.
Now, does this legislator know that ever since
the organization of our navy, every officer,
man and boy, who is in it, or ever has
been in it, has or does pay regular
monthly tax for these very hospitals?
Does he know that this tax comes out
of their monthly pay-and not by naval appro-
priations-for their own support and cure
when sick or wounded? These hospitals, like
the pension fund, belong of right to the officers
and men of the navy, and even the govern
ment has no honest right or title to their APP
preparation. Mr.. Banks is to be honored for
his good sense as financier, but there is
graver reason than he gives why this property
should not be wrested from those who were
and are taxed for it, and that is that the gov
eminent has not the right and title to it.
The navy is certainly in bad fix, if we OBJ
serve the results of its weakness. Spain exer-
cises the right of search in time of peace, and
policies our American ships for us-in her own
way. England says fearlessly, "Withdraw
your claims, or take war, as you choose"
But she has been preparing for five years for
this announcement! Venezuela captures half
dozen of our merchant ships, and causes
vast losses to our American shipowners
but-she pays for it by an apology. Panama