New-York tribune., 1901-08-12
CHANDLER. s LETTER TO LONG
WHY THE EX-SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
DEMANDED A REPRIMAND FOR
REAR-ADNURAL EVANS.

In the letter from ex-senator Chandler TO Secre-
| tary Long of the Navy Department complaining of
certain statements made by Rear-Admral Robley
n Evans in his book A Sailors Log which re-
fleet on Mr.. Chambers motives. when in 1854. as
Secretary Of the Navy. he detached the rear-ad-
miral. then a commander, from duty as inspector
Of the Fifth Lighthouse District the former Secre-
tary OF the Navy first details the steps which led
L the issuance of the order The lighthouse in
specton service is under the control Of the Treas
ury Department At a cabinet meeting in 1854
Secretary Fol2er requested Secretary Chandler to
detach Commander Evans from duty in his depart
ment. Secretary Chandler protested. said that
naval officers had come consider themselves
entitled remain certain kinds OF pleasant duty
FOR terms Of about three years and resisted any
attempts to change their duty prematurely," and
predicted trouble and annoyance for both heads
of departments if the order issued After de-
liberation Secretary Foger persisted in his request
and Secretary Chandler finally aCceled 10 il. The
predicted trouble and At last Secretary FolEer
said that he could not stand the pressure upon him
and asked that the order ne revoked. His reasons
for the original request st held he said but the
opportunities of Evans's friends" could not be re
sisted To this Secretary Chandler replied that the
question had ceased 10 be a Treasury Department
question and had become a Navy Department ques-
tion. and that the order must stand. Continuing
the eX-Secretary's letter says:
When Commander Evans was relieved from duty
he was dissatisfied He should have addressed
himself 70 the President Of the United States or
the Secretary Of the Navy, complaining Of seeming
inIu59Ge and asking for reasons ana redress He
fustice Would hava been dom n him The Presi-
dent and the Secretary had the right TO give to him
due form. 10 complain of those orders To them and
10 no one else. Under our system both the Presi-
ually accessible. by letter in person. - the high
est and the humblest officer and seaman in the
politely give or withhold the reasons for their
| orders acting they may think due courtesy to
their fellow servant OF the government ana correct
military administration require
understood and he defed It. lie deliberately de
cined to act upon IT, and resored TO other and in
correct ana intoierable methods These producing
no results. he chose 70 keep silent and walt for
more than sixteen years without written word
the righting Of wrong which he says. was unjust
distance in time. he enters the public press with
a libel upon the Secretary OF the Navy who IN
proper. straightforward or honorable complaint
when they were issued. But | am still alive, and
desired to have him detached from lighthouse duty
call. His publication Of his libel upon me is CON
duct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman
few more words are necessary Admiral Evans
desires 10 have II appear that he was prosecuted
for political reasons This also is not true. Untl
claimed TO be a Democrat. ! have known Of only
ion az Mr. Cleveland because they were Demo
Gratis. I have never known OF any naval officers
ton on the ground that they Were Repu6licans
The qualification based upon Democracy and per
Commander Evanss behalf Secretary Whitney on
March "A. 1885 restored him TO duty inspector
of the Fifth Lighthouse District on April Z 1885,
with Admiral Belknap, I'm whose behalf DEMOCRACY
had also been claimed. and with Herman Winter
he became "A member Of the board charged with
the duty Of reporting that the Dolphin struct-
urally weak and worthless ship. and he did
his Democratic duty in that connection He has
been recognized and favored Democrat by
Democratic administrations; he has been
prosecuted punished or in any way unjustly
treated by Republican administrations. but has
been given service Of the highest Importance Far
be il from however, to that Admiral Evans
has been unduly favored by any administration.
When examine the aforesaid book A Sailor s
Log" my pride in the glory which came 10 my
country through the naval victories OF war with
Spain is unbounded. and when ! read his frank
admissions that he. almost alone. In 1852. changed
our naval construction from wooden TO steel ships,
and thus originated our new navy; In December,
1897 Induced Assistant Secretary Roosevelt to pre-
mare for the approaching storm Of war;
In 1895 persuaded YOU with Mr. ROosevelts assist
apce o Droyide feet in Cuban waters with
torpedo boat destroyers and guard boats. and.
above all or July 3. 1888 commanding the battle
shin Iowa discovered Cervera's feet coming out
OF Santiago Harbor and destroyed II, feel that
liberal allowances should be made by all true
Americans for any mistakes in the smaller trans
actions OF life which may be made by our greatest
selfconfessed and self-recorded naval hero Of the
war Of