Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/520

 the retiring board. I except none for useful and efficient service—he is certainly equal to any.

Mr. President, a controversy arose in relation to a book which the venerable Senator from Delaware imputed to Mr. Du Pont. I have informed myself in relation to it. It was a book written on the defenses of the country, and for which Sir General Somebody Douglas complimented Lieutenant Du Pont. I believe it amounted to a pamphlet, or something about that size, and was circulated broadcast. Some one wrote him a letter about it. I do not know for what purpose it was written; perhaps it was the same kind of a letter as that written to Mr. Thorburn. The venerable Senator from Delaware was somewhat discourteous, and used harsh contradictions in relation to my misapprehension of this book, and imputed rather a want of intelligence or a want of veracity to me. I do not know which he intended should be the inference. From his first remarks I supposed that he referred to a book which Mr. Du Pont had a hand in writing—" Regulations for the Navy of the United States." Being informed on that subject, I had, in reply to the Senator's "executive session" speech, in which he inaugurated Mr. Du Pont's fame into the Senate, alluded to the book, supposing that he had the credit of writing but one book; but I am willing now to ascribe to him the credit of writing two books, or as many as you please. Certainly, according to the Senator from Delaware, Mr. Du Pont is responsible for the book to which I referred; for he said that Du Pont never follows, whether old or young, but he leads wherever his country's interest or honor requires him. I presume he would not participate in anything not involving the country's interest or honor; and therefore, as the book to which I alluded was prepared by a board, composed of Commodore Morris, Commodore Shubrick, Commodore Skinner, and Commander Du Pont, I suppose that he should be held accountable for it.

There is a singular coincidence between the principles laid down in his book of regulations and the principles upon which the retiring board acted. This book was prepared by a committee of officers. It comprised two hundred and fifty pages—quite a respectable-sized book. They had it printed without the order of Congress, and had it sanctioned by the then President of the United States. As it was done under a former Administration, and as there were some things rather alarming in it, overturning the principles of judicial procedure, and as there had been no legal enactment in regard to the compilation, it was thought proper by the Secretary of the Navy to refer it to the Attorney-General for his opinion. I have here his opinion on some of the regulations, and I must say that they are of the rarest character that I have ever seen. I have taken extracts from these regulations and the Attorney-General's opinion. I could not bring the whole book here. I am aware that some gentlemen except to my reading extracts not sufficiently copious, but I really think they are. This is at least very demonstrative and suggestive in its character.

The Attorney-General says: "So in the thirty-fifth chapter articles occur on the subjects of courts-martial which are in pari maieria with provisions of the act of Congress, and are in effect abrogatory or emendatory of the same, as plainly as a new act of Congress could be.