WRITINGS OF SAl\'I HOUSTON, 1856
357
of bad habits as among those who have been dismissed. How is the wrong to be remedied? Let an eclaircissernent take place with all of them; restore them to their primitive condition; and then commence a searching investigation, if you please, to decide what is right for the interests of the country. I caught a whisper, as I thought, from the honorable Senator from Kentucky, as to the arrangements for a reduction of the Army. There is no analogy between that case and the proceedings of the late naval board. Then three superior officers of the Army were selected to say who should be retained. They were placed above all motives of selfishness, above all the promptings of the mean passions of envy and malice. They were placed entirely above anything of that kind when the important trust was lodged in them of declaring who should be in the Army of the United States and who should be dropped from it. Let the three senior officers, if you please, of the Navy at the time when this pretended arrangement took place, be selected. Let Commodore Stewart be the president of the board. Let him and other officers who have no motives but the well-being of the country and the honor of the Navy, be selected for the purpose of retaining such officers as ought to be retained and dismissing such as are unworthy to be retained. Then you will have a Navy that will be respectable. Sir, the world is now in commotion; we know not what a day may bring forth ; and never did the country, at any period of its existence, demand more imperatively than at this moment a respectable marine to defend its interests. Never has the day been when America stood on a more important pinnacle than at this moment. Our naval arm must be maintained upon the ocean according to the resources of the country, or we shall sink de- graded among the nations. You will not do this with the present officers. You must reclaim to the service those gallant men who have been stricken off; you must preserve and improve the esprit du corps of the Navy; you must inspire national confidence in this arm of the service; you must not take your officers from those who linger and loiter about bureaus for distinction, and become favorites of the court. Such "carpet-knights" will not sustain you against the marine of England, or any other nation. You must take men of muscle and nerve-men who feel some esprit du corps. You must not take those who destroy the chivalry and the honor of the Navy. You must take men who will sustain the flag of the country; and without such men, dishonor will be attendant upon every effort to give your Navy eclat. If you want your Navy corrected-if you·want amendment in its condition-
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