The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-31

tortion. Judge Davis corroborated this
statement II Mr.. Dodge speaks the truth
does not the matter need yet further inves-
tigation?
The Naval Service and the Country.
few days ago, in the discussion on the
Navy Appropriation bill on the floor of the
House, Mr.. Whitthorne spoke the following
words -
Right here desire 10 say that have NO thought
purpose whatever 10 make war on Tho navy. think,
can citizen IN the past have never an hour
/ did not feel honor and pride In the officers OF
the navy OF the United Siates They are gallant
soldiers and men Of courage. who do honor to the
service and the flag under which they have taken
missions and would be false myself and false TO
Justice and false to my country II made war upon
the navy; and IN all the Efforts make for reform and
reformation have not one single object purpose
become hereates in time Of peace what 1t always has
been In time Of Wharf.-The pride and honor Of the coun
try.
These are brave words, and when Mr.
Whitthorne was in open arms against these
men whom he now declares to be gallant
soldiers and men of courage who do honor
to the flag" he no doubt felt and believed
them to be true. But he does not propose
to make war on the navy" he only pro-
poses to reform" it. His method of ere
form" is, indeed, quite simple one. He
proposes to reduce these gallant soldiers
as he calls them, to a condition of absolute
poverty. He proposes to quench every trace,
every ray of hope left to them by the sup
preston of all possibilities of promotion or
any professional or official advancement for
the next twenty years, and to bring on the
country body Of infrm, old, gray-haired
midshipmen and lieutenants He is jealous,
and his compeers in reform" are some of
them angry that the Secretary of the Navy
does not place them all on furlough in spite
Of law or justice, which, he says, he will not
be false to. He proposes to smite down the
whole body of navy officers with the stroke
OF disgrace for, from time immemorial, to
place an officer on furlough is to disgrace
him. He is indignant, too, with these ''gal-
liant soldiers" who reflect .'honor on the
flag" of this country, because they do not
lick the hand that would thus smlte them
in their means of subsistence, in their official
honor and in their fair and unblemished
names. But we are hidden to believe that
he does not make war on the navy" in this
precious method of destroying its officers.
Mr.. Whitthorne and Mr.. Blount would go
. good deal further than this in order to re-
form the government, and not to prove
"'false to himself, to justice and to his
country" He would close up the navy
yards he would call home the cruisers from
abroad he would disband the pitiful hand
full Of American seamen left to the nation.
He would direct the Secretary of the Navy
to hold his ships of war at home sswell in
hand" ready to unleash them, and SO to let
slip the hounds of war when the wonderful
flashes from the wires tell him that pirates
are numbering the crews and sinking tho
ships Of commerce in Chinese seas; when he
hears that our Christian countrymen, travel
lers, missionaries and merchants are threat
ened with massacre at Constantinople and
in Syria! He would reach South Africa,
Australia, the islands Of the Pacific, the
coasts of Europe by means of the flashes Of
telegraphic wires. But he would not make
war on the navy He would not be false to
the interests of his country. He would only
disband them.
The solemn protests of Mr.. Whitthorne's
speech are, unhappily, too specious. The
proposition to reduce the pay of the officers
of the navy, to be on q level with that of the
army, was not true, for his figures reduced
the pay of captains of the navy to that of
captains in the army, and commanders to
that of lieutenants No one is to be de-
ceived by this operation of naval and mill
tary committees under the guise of reform.
1t is the work of destruction, pure and SIM
pie, at which these men are aiming. Con-
slider for n moment how this process is to
work if carried out to its logical end. As
well abolish the postal system and close the
doors Of our post offices because of straw
bids and Chorpenning claims. As well de-
stroy the system Of revenue because con-
spirators worked crooked whiskey. As well
abolish the Indian Bureau and Pension Of
fees because some frauds were discovered
there But the army and navy may we'll
look to themselves under the legislation of
men who fought them so long and well. 1t
is the work of destruction of both army and
navy at which these men aim.
Tho Veteran Weed ON the Situation.
Tho vafarau ro1itic;o, Tbrr1oxv woal