The Benton weekly record., 1880-01-09

+ peace. 4 Navy Of any consequence is
u exceedingly expensive toy. And in
imc Of peace it IL really little more than a
oy. Bit then, In ease Of war, it il the
Jowcy first wanted and the most tardy toi
procure Or prepare. Consequently Navy
% he Of any efficiency, must be kept in
'cadiuesa. In Europe the Naval arm of
NATIONAL defense receives much greater
than in America. There are
.pecial reasons for This, and quite obvious.
iha consequence is that U,lr naval arm is
mitch inferior to the best nc Europe England
.NpeGd= every year OH nav&l architecture,
@uusaui gunncry, almost as much as "e
do f5r our army and Navy Department.
But il Is not alone in thc material that our
navy j. deficient, il has also fallen behind |
III its personnel This does not apply to
thc commissioned officers ofour navy, than
whom mo country can slow more accom- |
Gitsl3c3 aud capable incn, But, to be !
effective, navy needs capable men in the
lorecastIc ami OH the gun-dcck, as well as
in the W&rd-room, and OH the quarter
deck And it IS 4 fact too notorious 10 be
ignored. that the men rated i'll our naval
vessels are, as class, unworthy of the
wages thcy receive under our flag
Thts il simply faet; an unpleasant one
certainly, And yet this fact is no dispar-
&gauehs to American scamen and for the
reason tia&t, among the men now employ
ej before tie mast Oh our naval vessels,
scarcely au American scanaen tan betound.
The naval recruiting service has for years
been compelled 10 enlist men Of all nation
ajt;es, and generally the very worst Of their
class. Our naval vessels are consequently
nomefers 1las Been greatly fn1pairsd suit
/ laGsualilal rs American citizens, and
4aaIiv all Of jh"m dcserters from the napr-
.iIanc vessels Of other countries, driven by
necessity IL take service under our flag;
an5 ;ro1n wI1ich tbcy are ready to desert
nj any port where dcscrtion does not in
yolye starvation. With such crews, ami
matted by I'D love Of our flag, entertaining
taore%pep5for oar officers, holding no at
taqInuent to oIr service, looking only &c
tl,lr monthly plr, As the only tie between
tha1n and the county t.at pays 1t. Ou1
vessels arc endangered even In tlit time OF
peaco, aud in case Of heligerent action but
small reliance could be placed upon theil
eaava.-e Or fidelity. For casualty under
. 7ttcf4 circumstances 0nr officers would moi
t.. la blame, and yet they and our flag
would have TO suffer the loss and the dis
grace.
Moreover. the prevailing enlistment o
su.b seamon from the slums OF seaboart
giifss has SO dcmora}iza1 the fortcastle o
: oHr national vessels, rendering them &
offensive and disgusting, in defiance Q
: sfscE8liuc, that no really worthy American
seaman will or oan endure The life he mus
lead in common with such outlaws ant
Y3r 1lsesi:.is on sllip-board. The evil conse
nentlT inGensiiies itself until it is becom
inr unenluraJlc At the last session o
. Congress, Oh the earliest recommendation
IF Mr.. Thompson, Secretary Of the Navy
IN art was passed authorizing the enlist
nenG Of seven hundred and fifty American
= bows, from fifteen to eighteen yearA OF age
y = As naval apprentices. The aim is, as Sec
4 tery Thompson says, to "Americaniz
the American Navy Having faith il
our Western boys, and desiring to Civ
the interior as we'll as the seaboard
II, chance, the Secretary at once institute
arrangements for procuring such enlist
! ments BY sending naval vessels to tn
I Alze4 aid up Tile Mississippi, il order t
li.aW III inauy Western boys into the se1
j., vies lis might be practicable. The pla
=. lGls met witl, amost encouraging reception
and lie Secretary reports that the aPpi
cations are numerous, much III excess {
, The number prescribed, and of superio
! character Of material. Every applican
:. must De able to ;ica1 and write. No boy
/ .,akenuntler tiltcenno over eighteen year
of age Thc boy m;fef t3t accompanied b
yars,l4t or :rt1sSreissa FsaAszta . = isksasss1
lie made, WHO Is to sign the shipping article
RS OF enlistment. Good health is require
1t ndastandarti Of bodily measurement
" prescribed III the regulations. The bo.
10 enlisted are enlisted in three classes, tt
n first class receiving sl1.50, the secon
II $l0.50, ana the third $3.50 per month, ar
II one ration. No boy who has been COZ
" Yiete5l of ANY crime will be received. VIII
ii serving Oil the training ships, the educ
le ton Of the boys will proceed 50 as to con
L prise the elements of an ordinary En-
G. ligh education, alternating with instr,,
ton in practical seamanship go
10 make them proficient as sailors i'll Il
" Navy. On arriving 1T twenty-one tlit
II win be discharged; and if l4ohorably, tn
Il Viii receive three months extra pay.
~ anT time within three months from Il
1h time Of their discharge they can re-enli
OF for three ye:rs with one dollar per mon
IL additional pay. Efinjured Or disabled
er the service. in the line Of duty, they w
~ be entitled to pension. Such is br
~ outline ofthe plan adopted to improve t
Of personnel Of oar Navy. I seems to pc
ile gooI ole. Something Of lhe kind is abb
11 lately necessary, o. American scamcn Y
th not consent 10 serve ia their own nav
.or The Government owes protection to t
ID. boys enlisted, both moral and person
his II that can be strictly afforded SO as
cleanse The forcastle Of al the vice and {
pravlty now dominant, we can soon HI
W eur national vessels manned BY sober,
he btlst, patriotic ana intelligent American
he ---==-..--==--=
ol fhe projectors Of the Nicaragua y