The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-08-03
Our Defrauded and Pitiable Navy.

government winch the natlOn ought TO
cherish with special pride, and insist
should be kept strong, healthy and vigor-
Gus. it is that which guards its coasts and
protects its fleets Of ships on the ocean
But as Il matter of fact, it has become the
most digracetully corrupt, rotten and in-
efficient Of any portion OF the paternal
government which this. nation supports
with such vast expenditure of dollars
and lowering of the standard Of decency,
The synopsis Of the report of the in
vestigating committee, which we publish |
to-day, is not full enough to make men
ton of all the violations of law or gross |
departures from the rules OF honesty which |
have been mentioned; but there is enough |
to make every decent American hang his |
head with shame. The history Of the navy |
of the United States is the roll call of 4 |
race OF heroes-0f men who gave their |
services their blood, their lives to estab- |
llsh its prowess and fame. What sirs the |
blood more than to read of the achieve
ments of Prcble. and Bainbridge, and De |
catur, and Porter, and McDonough and
Perry? Who does not thrill at the recital
OF the deeds Of our gallant little navy, |
from the days when brave Paul Jones kept |
the whole English coast in alarm, down
through its grapple with the insolent Al |
gerinc, and the struggle with Great Bri-
tain, a half century ago? 1t is shameful
and humilatimg TO think ot these records |
OF glory in the past, and then turn to this |
report and read that Admi al Porter the |
highest officer of the navy testiIies that |
the few remaining ships arc slow, ncfli- |
cient, half armed and inc )ngruous, and
that we had better have no navy than our
present one.
That the country has not desired or de-
served to have such Il condition of things, |
the generous amount Of money voted to
sustain the navy will show The country
has given lavishly. willing to provide gen
erously ii it could be adequately protect
ed. How has it realized that expectation !
During the eight years of the Grant adj
ministration, two hundred million dollars
have been voted and expended Aud vet
the testimony Of thirty OF the principal of
ticers Of the service is that the navy is a
disgrace to the county, and not equal to
that Of Il sixth rate power
The Admiral testilies that Il wise and
decent administration of the department
would save ut least seventy millions per
year to the country. 1t Is ascertaincd that
the naval department has been one vast
fraud upol. the country. The astounding
developments surpass all belief. Out OF
2O3 vessels that were registered when the
present Secretary took charge in 1869,
with l6 since added, seventy-one have
utterly Disappeared leaving not Il trace
behind They have been sold, broken up.
traded off, exchanged, stolen They were
and are not
The navy yards have been turned into
mere political machines, employing hosts
OF men for the purpose of securing their
votes No regard has been paid to their
knowledge OF fitness for cmployments
During the Congressional contest in Mas
sachusetts in 1874. it is we'll known that
large numbers of shoemakers were put
upon the rolls. and hence arose the Joke
concerning dispute among them as to
whether the keel Of 4 new vessel should
be sewed or pegged on
but there il little use in commenting
The record can be read by every one, and
should have an extensive circulation The
country cannot know too soon the terrible
state OF things on move for correction
thereof too early.
The Portland Press IS 4 paper that is
conducted with tolerable fairness for one
so wholly rartizAn, but occasionally it has
fearful loss of Judgment. One of these
occurred in Col Smiths open letter to
Gen. Roberts last Year. which greatly aid
cd our candidate in cutting down the rad
zeal majority to less than four thousand
Last week the Press had q similar lapse
from correctness in discernncnt in giving
place to the following malicious para
graph
And now there comes from Quoddy another
incident respecting John Coffin Talbot, Demo
cratic candidate for Governor. II WAS in war
times Mr.. Talbot Il patriot of the Marcel
lus Emery stripe Early in the contest Il com
pany of detachment of recruits was to pass
through i.ubec and the patriotic people pro-
posed to give them Il dinner. MI Talbot resided
in that town at that time As prominent
citizen he wa, consulted and invited to assist in
giving the entertainment. Did lie do it: Not
to any extent. He struck a tragic attitude, and
Kissed out in tones of bitter hatred Let Lin
coins hrelings starve."
Swiftly upon this publication came the
following telegram to the Argus
EAST MAcHul%, July -.
To John NJ. Adams.
pronounce the Press paragraph umpaIiIi'd d.
" false. j. &. TALBOT
The boiling opponents OF Reed, the
regular Republican nominee for Congress
in the First District, have published an
address, giving reasons for their refusal
to support him A convention of Republic
cans favoring Il new nomination. will be
held at an early day, Capt Burleigh the
present member, it will be remembered,
denounced the navy yard corruptions, and
consequently was defeated in the Conycn-
tons by instructions from Washington
The campaign is warming in Maine.
Secretary lack Chandler, who is Chair
man of the Republican National Commit
tee and controls the purse strings, is in
this district, looking after the interests of
his son-in-law. 1t is said that he intends
to make things red hot here.
The Bangor Wing finds great griev
ance in the fact that the House Of Repre-