Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/522

 Commodore Parker; nor have I known any one who has acquitted himself better, or who has made a more favorable impression on foreigners.

"Commodore Parker had confided to him, during his command in the West Indies, many delicate and important trusts, and in the discharge of his duties on those occasions he displayed great judgment and ability, and I have reason to believe his conduct was most cordially approved of by our Government.

"I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

", Commander.

", "Secretary of the Navy, Washington City."

This is the opinion of Captain Pendergrast, approving and certifying to the conduct of Commodore Parker. If Commodore Parker was delinquent. Captain Pendergrast has either failed to state the truth, or he has done what is equivalent to it—he has concealed the truth. If the Commodore was culpable, he has not told it. What does it amount to? We find that individuals have had charges against them smothered; that they have not been exposed to reprehension, investigation, or condemnation, but that they have escaped through the favoritism of the Secretary of the Navy, and have not been held accountable.

Since the time when Mr. Bancroft was in the Department, we find that there has been a systematic attempt to conceal charges against officers, and not to bring them to trial when they have been repeatedly accused of improper conduct. Successive secretaries, instead of investigating such charges, have permitted them to be suppressed, or compromised, or withdrawn, when it was their bounden duty to see that they were held amenable.

But, Mr. President, my friend from South Carolina [Mr. Butler] made some explanations in regard to a few matters to which I alluded on a former occasion. I referred to some circumstances that took place on the Brazilian squadron at Rio Janeiro. To my statement my friend from South Carolina took exception. Commodore Shubrick, in his letter of October 28, 1846, to Commodore Rousseau, inclosing the survey that had taken place on the vessel Saratoga, remarks that "the Saratoga having been found, on examination, unfit to continue her cruise around Cape Horn in her present condition, he has ordered Commodore Shubrick to report to him (Rousseau) that after having repaired the injuries sustained by the vessel, he may exercise the discretion given him in the letter of the Department of 20th July last."

Commodore Shubrick says further that in the course of her repairs she may be found even in a worse state than represented—if so, taking into consideration the length of time which has elapsed since she was ordered to the Pacific, he should think she could be of little or no service in that squadron. Commodore Rousseau taking this as an intimation, tantamount to an order, coming from a superior for the inspection, ordered the Saratoga back to Norfolk; so that she never joined the squadron as authorized by the Secretary of the Navy, but repaired to Norfolk, and her service was withheld from that squadron during the whole time.

I understood my friend from South Carolina to say, that Commodore Shubrick had taken Mazatlan and Guayamas. Guayamas was taken, I think.