Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]
[graphic][merged small]
[graphic][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

CHAP. XXXV.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NAVY.

1827 and in many other respects showed herself defective. Mr. Whitney declined. to accept her, and in reply to the remonstrances of the builder justified his action by the opinion of the Attorney-General, who, after reviewing the whole case at length, gave it as his opinion that, in view of all the premises, "no contract exists between Mr. Roach and the United States, and that the large sums of money which have been paid to Mr. Roach have passed into his hands without authority of law, and may be recovered from him."

Mr. Roach was at the same time building three other vessels under a similar contract, the Chicago, Atlanta, and Boston, and the result of this decision so embarrassed him that he made an assignment, and the ships were taken over by the Government, and the remainder of the work that had to be done on them was carried on by it in Mr. Roach's yard and by Mr. Roach's men.

The transaction was made the spring of violent assaults on Mr. Whitney, who was accused of using his official power to crush a man well known for his Republican principles, and to throw obloquy on his own predecessor of office. In his report to the President he asked for an appropriation of over thirty-five millions of dollars for the coming year, as against thirteen millions in the fiscal year expiring June 30. Public sentiment is undoubtedly on the side of a reconstruction of our navy, which was our earliest pride, and which so nobly sustained its own renown in the War of Secession at Mobile, New Orleans, Vicksburg, and elsewhere. But glorious as were the achievements of our old navy, the style of the fighting ships of those days is obsolete to-day. During the last thirty years everything about them has changed-model, material, machinery, armament, and equipment. The ram and torpedo have come into existence, and new forms of guns, with new explosives and new projectiles, have already rendered useless the ships that were deemed unassailable a few years ago. We start with the lessons to be learned by the experience of other nations, and our skill and inventive faculty will easily put us in possession of a fleet inferior to none.

The majority of the Senate was Republican, and was, therefore, not inclined to accept President Cleveland's nominations to offices requiring its approval in the unquestioning spirit which a Democratic body would have exhibited. It used its power not only to delay action on the nominations sent in to it for confirmation, but to raise a direct controversy with the President respecting the reasons for the removals he had made and the appointments that he recommended. In his inaugural address and his subsequent declarations immediately following his inauguration, President Cleveland had stated and restated that no removals would be made by him "except for cause," and however adroitly he might interpret this phrase so

« AnteriorContinuar »