General Wadsworth,1 Mr. Fenton, and others urgently insist
on some changes in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, of masters who, they claim, are
active partisans. But they made no clear case. Told them, I was opposed to the
policy of removals of competent officers unless for active, offensive
partisanship; that any man was entitled to enjoy and exercise his opinion
without molestation. General W. concurred with me but understood there were
such masters within the prescribed rules. Told them that from any facts I had
received I would only remove Fairion, master machinist, who, it is shown, is so
immersed in politics as to neglect his business, and is a candidate for
comptroller. As he manifests a willingness and intention to leave the service
for another place, I think he can depart a few days in advance without
detriment. This taking advantage of an excited election to thrust miserable
partisans into places which they are often indifferently qualified to fill, I
dislike, and so expressed myself to General W., who assented fully to my views.
Some discussion was had yesterday in Cabinet in regard to the course
which should be pursued towards General J. C. Davis, who killed Major-General
Nelson. The grand jury, it is reported, have ignored the bill in the civil
case. The question was whether the military ought to take notice of the
homicide after the civil authorities declined. Chase and Blair thought the
military should. Stanton opposed it. Seward thought the affair might be looked
into. I remarked that if the transaction had occurred in the Navy, we should at
least have had a court of inquiry.
_______________
1 Major-General James S. Wadsworth, United States Volunteers, in charge
of the defense of Washington, and later an unsuccessful Republican candidate
for Governor of New York.
SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the
Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 1: 1861 – March 30, 1864, p. 178-9
No comments:
Post a Comment