March 23, 1861; The Illustrated London News
Mr. Dowes, of Massachusetts, from the Committee of the House of Representatives to whom was referred the President’s message of Jan. 8, has reported concerning the United States’ navy. It appears that there are now in commission, in various parts of the world, forty-eight vessels; that twenty-eight are unfit for service, and not to be repaired under several weeks’ or even months’ time; that the entire naval force available for the defence of the Atlantic coast at the time this committee was appointed consisted of the steamer Brooklyn, of 25 guns, and the store-ship Relief, of two guns; the former being unable, by reason of her draught, to enter Charleston harbour with safety, and the latter being under orders for the African coast. Under these circumstances, the committee refer with much severity to the extraordinary disposition of our naval force, by which it was kept out of the way in a manner which would be injudicious at any time, but which now clearly showed hopeless imbecility or a deliberate conspiracy to give the country into the hands of traitors. The report next takes up the matter of resignations by traitorous naval officers, sets forth in plain terms the name and offense of each of these, and places in a clear light the extraordinary conduct of the Secretary of the Navy in accepting the resignations, concluding by recommending the passage of a resolution of censure upon that Cabinet officer.—New York Tribune.