Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-12-11
OUR GALLANT NAVY.

Other Secretaries, has made his report, and
unlike the others, has something that he
can refer TO with pride" 1t is the Sim
provement in the availability and strength"
OF that branch of the service since his last
report, and not that alone, for he also re-
fers with pride to the present activity in
the various yards, and recommends still
further increasing and strengthening the
navy. Doubtless that portion about the
''rresent activity was written just in the
heat of the late Congressional canvass.
No American can remember without pride
the part the navy and the navy-yards Of
his country took in the November engage
ments. The rapidity and accuracy with
which workmen were hurried to points
where the country was most in danger
and where votes were most needed, and
the promptness of their withdrawal and
discharge after the war was over. find no
parallel even in Won MoLTKE's military
movements. The heavy cost of these
things to the Treasury is tri1ing compared
with the lesson they give us of our power
in case Of foreign war. Was the cause
OF the country in danger in ever so OBJ
scure a navy-yard, which in times of peace
it would be hard to find without a Naval
Directory, the wide-aWake Secretary heard
the distressed Cry of the resident Congress
men, and hunting up the yard stocked it
with voters at once. Nor was this pa
triotism without cost. Some of the coarse
minded Workmen after the election COM
planned about being discharged after being
taken from their homes, their domestic az
rangements broken up on the promise Of
work, and their being turned adrift after
their vote was cast. There were l 100 Of
these unreasonable men at the Virginia
navy-yard, and about 1900 at the Charles
ton Mass navy-yard. The Massachusetts
men couldn't understand the process, and
they held a meeting and said so, but the
Secretary was SO busy just then counting
the Republican losses that he hadn' time
to explain to them that it was one OF the
mysterious ways OF Patriotism.
But we must take exceptions to some
omissions in the report. One would think,
from the paucity of events described, that
the Navy had done nothing in tile past
year-h;d not bombarded town or draws
drop of bleed. Perish the thought, and
perish the official report that would pro-
luce it! Is it nothing that Rear Admiral
JAMES I'll. PLATT, JR.. the candidate III
the Second District, in 4 Government tug
sailed for Yorktown and led the assault
on the rebel forces under the treacherous
MORTON, and that he did then and there,
with the flag Of his country flying at his
peak. shoot, cut, and otherwise maltreat
suudry coIOred men who would not vote
fol- him for Congress? Is such gallantry
as this to pass unnoticed? Was it not
done under the flag of our beloved coun-
try. flown on Government steamer and
manned by hands from the navy-yard2
Well may Mr.. robson tremble for his
Office with such lapses Of observant duty.
Nor has he done better in regard to the
affairs of that turbulent State. Louisiana.
All of us remember when the riotons peo-
pie OF New Orleans Wrested into the shape
Of an opportunity for revolution, the mere
fact that an usurper was also a thief,
&
Differed TO the spot and lay CALAMITY III
front Of the city for days at time witt.
| shetttsed guns Why has he not referred
with pride" TO this2 What is the building
of q few more vessels with strength and
Availability TO aiding the election OF n
carpet-bag Congressman in a Virginia
negro district, or the tatter holding still
the people OF Louisiana fcr the COVE
+ nience of the yirtuou5 KELLoGGf What
was the poverty Of the people, the heavy
/ taxation, the hard winter coming, the
heavy naval expenses out OF the National
TreastTy-wllat were III these TO the sue
cess of the Radical Congressman and tile
keeping in power by shotted guns OF u RIA
.ljcal Government? The uprising, as our
Democratic friends cali il, Of the people
this fall against such government as TINS
is nothing to what it will be in 1876.