Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/511

 it. Commander Ringgold was appointed, and his constituted one of the handsomest expeditions which has ever sailed from an American port.

But if this was the ground for the removal of Ringgold, is he the only one upon whom a survey took place? No, sir; I found in the course of my examination that Captain Du Pont had at Rio Janeiro a survey upon his health, when he started for the East Indies, and arrived at that point in command of a beautiful vessel—a little ticklish, it is true, in managing, but one of the neatest craft in our navy. He found it necessary to request a survey. It took place, and he was condemned as laboring under a chronic disease, in which he had taken a relapse, and his life was in danger if he prosecuted the journey. He came home. Since then, I believe, he has got along very well. 1 have heard of no relapse. As it was a "chronic disease" then, I suppose it must have remained so forever, and has never left him. Here the very same man passed judgment on Ringgold, who had himself labored under a survey and condemnation. These are the farts. It will be found that from the very first moment when Ringgold called for the survey under which he was condemned, up to the day when he sailed home, his correspondence with the commodore of the squadron contains as sane and pertinent letters as I have ever read from any gentleman in my life. Yet he was condemned, deprived of his command, and sent home a prisoner. These are the facts. From what I know of that gentleman, personally, if I had to sail on board a ship, there is no one in the service with whom I would sooner risk my life and personal security than with Ringgold. As to his habits, they are irreproachable; as to his chivalry, it is unquestioned. His family have given evidences of it. He is the brother of the gallant Major Ringgold, whose blood was drunk by the thirsty soil of Palo Alto, and who fell a victim for his country's honor. But that was no plea in his behalf. He was too elegant a gentleman to escape the condemnation of this board.

Lieutenant Bartlett, who was handed over by the venerable Senator from Delaware to the tender mercies of the Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Slidell], is another officer who is a striking example of the influence of prejudice against men of merit and capacity. There is something peculiar in his case, and the Senator from Louisiana has arrayed the facts and given us the secret. He told us that, being a connection of Commodore Perry, and seeing a certain correspondence, he felt an interest in the matter; and what is the whole of it? Most strange, indeed, that he should have felt that Commodore Perry's honor was about to suffer, when I think that one of the most honorable acts which any gentleman could have done is the one that was imputed to him by Lieutenant Bartlett. It will be recollected that on one occasion Lieutenant Bartlett met Mr. Parker, and being shown a letter written to Mr. Parker that seemed to indicate a disposition entertained by Commodore Perry, favorable to the disrated officers, it made a deep impression on his mind. He sought an interview with Commodore Perry; and what was the consequence?' It resulted in a very unrestrained communication on the part of Commodore Perry to Mr. Bartlett, which was transmitted by Mr. Bartlett to a friend, to whom he wished to administer consolation—not with a view to have it published. That friend inconsiderately sent it off, and it was published. Thus it made its appearance in the newspapers. A mind heated, encouraged by the denunciations of Commodore Perry of the action of that board, would naturally recur to the most striking portions of that conversation, and identify them with any circumstance that held