Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-05
THE CASE OF LIEUT.. COMMANDER
WHEELER,
Views Of Secretary Robson on Manual
Labor. Discipline i'm the Nnyy Ac

In the case OF Lieut. Commander William X.
Wheeler, L. 8. ", tried by a general court
martial at the Boston navy-yaTd in February
last, on charges of disobedience of orders, in
suhoIdination, and disorderly conduct, TO the
prejudice OF discipline and good order, and
found guilty of INSTRUMENTATION, but not guilty
OF disorderly conduct, and sentenced 10 DE
reprimaIded by the Secretary the sentence
has been approved by the Secretary but he
says the department must not be construed 10
acct pt a. accurate the verbal distinctions under
which the court has endeavored TO discriminate
between the personal intentions of the officer
charged and the legal amendment OF his act
Whoever deliberately disobeys an order given
oy SomP.tent authority Is in legal contempt OF
such authority, and the court seems to have
overlooked the fact that .'dsOrderly con-
duct" means not merely noisy and boisteronS
behavior, but includes within its legal signitca-
ton Whatever act strikes openly at the orcani-
Zation or Iiterferes with the orderly relations of
civil or military society. III this be true il fol
lows OF course that all insubordnation, especi-
ally II 1t tends TO the prejudice OF discipline and
good order Is disorderly conduct. Ii is evident
however, that the court sought by this anding
merely TO express their opinion that the insub-
ofdlnauon committed was rather the result of a
judgment misled by feeling than the deliberate
intention of malicious heart. BUTT should be
understood and remembered that i'm all well or
gained society every man OF sound mind is and
must De assumed to intend the natural and
necessary consequences of his own deliberate
acts. Without this imperative legal principIe
the order OF civil society could not be preserved
ana the sanctions OF military discipline and the
efficiency OF all military organizations woul6
depend upon the personal theories and opinions
however crude, OF the individuals VINO composed
them.
TIE finding of the court. however. establishes
the fact that Lieut.. Commander Wheeler was
guilty OF insubordQation, and the evidence
shows that this consisted in deliberate refusal
on his part TO obey the orders OF his superior
officer, who ordered him to proceed 70 perform
the duty prescribed for him and his associates
by the bureau under which he was, by the
authority of the department, assigned = duty
This refusal was founded on the assumption :
lst That the duty TO which he was ordered
viz: the handling and placing OF torpedoes and
the manning of boats for that purpose. WAS
manual labor, and as such improper for a COM
missioned officer to perform; "a. That the order
given him was of consequence an Illegal one
ana which he was not bound to obey; Sd. That
he was the proper person authorized under he
circumstances 10 Judge and decide these ques-
tions in the first instance.
Zach OF these assumptions j. false in itself.
ana the natural result of al OF them would
strike AT the foundation of all discipline ami
efilciency Ia the service. Manual labor j. not
dishonorahle IN itself, and whenever any spe-
cies OF work, manual or otherwise. becomes
necessary un Ter any eXigencv i'm which auv
ofhcer Is placed, or IL required by the cOnaf-
tiolls OF any duty to which he is ordered, or l.
ITeScflbtd by proper authority for hiSin.truc-
tion or pracuce, OF 10 qualify him o. instruct |
others, then such work is not only honorable |
OG' y most Oihcer Ike, and especially becoming |
government with command I'm the service are |
entrusted also with the preservation OF it, effi-
cheney.
lt Il equally true that no subordinate officer
can be allowed 10 assume TO be himself the i
lGdge, an the first instance of the prOpriety OF /
the duty 20 hich he is assigned, or Of the order /
which is given him by superior authority. In
all cases where obedience does not involve a
preach OF law, human or divine, the first duty /
OF the ofhcer Is 10 obey, exercising his right ii
TIE Common superior TO right any WRONG wHrcn
he may think he suffers. No other course Is
officer like or consistent with discipline; none /
other is so expressive OF personal dignity, nor /
can any other be tolerated in the service. These
principles seem so plain that il is difficult to /
perceive how a well-meaning officer can fail TO /
appreciate and carry them out; but Lieut.. Com |
mander Wheeler has deliberately violated them /
all. For this he suffers the sentence of the i
court. and deserves and receives the censare OF /
the department.
The finding and sentence of the court is ap- 4
proved, and this order is published as the repTi
mand referred TO; and Lieut.. Commander /
Wheeler is hereby relieved from arrest, and /
ordered 10 resume his duties at the Torpedo sta /
ton. GEO. VI. RoBEsoS,
Secretary the NAVY.