New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-14
OFF1CLlL Accountability AGAIN.

Il 4
The Naval court-martial which tried the
officers OF the Vanguard sunk by collision
with the Iron Duke i'll ST. Georges Channel,
adiudged Capt Dawkins to be severely rcpri-
manded and dismissed his ship for leaving the
deck before the eyoutions in which the vessel
was engaged were completed and while there
were indications Of foggy weather, and also
for some lack of energy and judgment III the
measures lie took after the accident. They
severely ccnsucd Commander Tandy, the sec
ond in command, for want OF energy, ana
Lieut. Thomas, officer OF the watch, for neglect OF
duty in not making proper recommendations
to the captain, and they reprimanded the chiel
engineer and carpenter for want OF prompt
tudc and self possession ut the time of the dis
astcr Now it should br remembered that
the officers and crew were sad to have behaved
with the greatest GOODNESS and gallantry after
the collision. They worked hcro'cally
until the last moment, and were finally
taken off in boats. without accident or
confusion, while the Vanguard was literally
sinking under them. The unprofessional eye
could see no fault in their conduct after the
accident whatever blame the captain may
have deserved before. But the court, making
no account of these evidences of courage and
discipline, searched out every fault or failure,
and criticlsing calmly after the event the ac-
ton taken at moment of shock and peril,
dispensed their censures with relentless
verify. However we may sympathize with
some of the victims. we must all feel that the
court did no more than their duty. What
would become OF the BRUSH navy IL courts
were merciful in such cases!
Is there any reason why civil servants
should enjoy immunity for Offcnses which i'll
Che army and navy are followed by punish
ment and disgrace! Government officers of
the City and State of NeW-lork have allowed
the public treasury to he piliagcd within
few years Of money enough to build and equip
a whole fleet of Nanguaids, and We have yet
10 hear OF the first one OF them beng called
to account. If now and then We catch one of
the actual thieves, with the stolen money in
his pocket, we put him on trial and plume
ourselves upon our public virtue; but what
of the respectable flmcionaries whom
we elected to Office expressly that they
might protect us against thieves and SWIM
dlcrs2 Are they ever dismissed for lack
of vigilance energy. and judgment! A little
While ago two very hgh-toned eX-oiliccrs of
State were purple with Indignation because the
Canal Commission reported that great fraud
WAS made possible by their neglect Of duty
and disobediencc of the law. They had gone
through their entire term without taking the
pains to learn what their duty was. few
davs ago the Canal Commission showed how
the whole Canal Board, embracing all the
highest oliiceis OF the State except the Gov
cnor had FOR several years been responsible
for Che commission OF the most baSefaccd
frauds and how the State Engineer and Sur
veyor, whose special duty it was to look after
such matters, allowed the frauds to 20 on to
contamination after he had discovered their
character. What would have happened to
Engineer Taylor, we wonder, if the same rule
of responsibility were applied to civil rs to
naval and military officers
1t is hardly too much to say that frauds like
those of the Canal and City Rings can never be
committed without involving not merely one
or two public tunctiOnaTicS but wide circle
of them. The treasury is never left to the
guardianship of a single person, or even oil IA
single Department. With regard 10 canal con-
tracts. for instance, besides the Division, Res
idcnt and Assistant Engineers, there are no
fewer than nine or ten hieh officers of State
particularly charged to see that they are hon
cstly made and executed, and if those men. or
even any one or two of them, had done their
duty the Bcldcns, DeniSons, JohnSons, and
others. must have gone ont of business. But
the idea of responsibility, in any practical
sense of tie word, attaching to their positions,
seems never to have occurred to them
There is unfortunately no count with power
TO dismiss civil servants for lack of energy and
vigilance, hut at least we have tribunal
which is competent 10 pronounce severe repri-
mands and We are not without hope that
after the example of this year such inquiries
and judgments may become tolcrahly common.
1t will be difficult to rouse politicians to a
nproper sense of official responsibility while
Office is regarded less as a public trust than
as q reward for partisan service and an agency
for the distribution of party plundcr; but we
may create a popular sentiment which will
hold a Canal Board as much disgraced by the
robbcries of DenisOn ~ Captain Dawkins by
the loss of his ship. When we get to that