47
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1837-1841
previous to their entering upon the discharge of their appropriate duties." To this effect the Honorable Secretary of the Navy had required of Capt. ·wheelwright, that he should take the oath pre- scribed, as well as the officers under him; and that when the same was executed, they should be transmitted to the Department. Though this order was predicated upon the Constitution, Captain Wheelwright refused to comply with it, and insisted that such was not the practice in the United States-that oaths were only taken by petty officers, and commenced a discussion and corre- spondence with the Secretary, relying upon quotations made from his commission, as he alleged, in which he was erroneous, as well as in the fact referring to the United States. In the documents accompanying this communication, his letter will be found, marked No. 3, by reference to it, and the tone in which it is written, it will be discovered that there is manifest arrogance and a dispo- sition to insubordination. Though the letter purports to be a confidential communication, I cannot perceive any portions of the Naval Regulations of the country, which will authorize a subaltern to insult the head of a Department, or to treat him with such disrespect, as to place at defiance his express authority, and charge him with being subject to the dictation of clerks of his department, by assuming that his communication is confidential. Unless officers employed in the service of their country obey and respect those whom the law has placed over them, there can be no guarantee for the performance of any duty; and when acts of disobedience the most flagrant, and disrespect the most palpable, are permitted, it must always have. the effect of destroying discipline and promoting sedition in every grade of the Army or Navy. If the officer at the head of any corps, is knO\vn to have insulted the Head of Department, to which he belongs, and to disobey his positive order, his subalterns will not only deem the Head of that Department as unworthy of their respect, but they, too, can com- mit violations of law with impunity, and claim the example set by a superior as excuse or justification for their offence. The con- sequence of such a course is, that instead of preserving order and establishing discipline throughout the Army and Navy, it will become, not only a burden to the country and totally useless, but scenes of anarchy and confusion must ensue. In all organized Governments, instructed by experience, it has been deemed proper and indispensable that a remedy should be vested in some power, to be exercised for the manifest prevention
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