LETTERS OF A CITIZEN. 453 



despite all exaggeration as to cost, despite the misapplication of 

 funds, the changing of vessels, the efforts to foment discontent in 

 the service in regard to organization, the delay in reports, the 

 withholding of specific information called for by Congress, the 

 backing and filling without knowledge, the indecision, the avoid- 

 ing of friends and the caucusing with opponents of the enterprise, 

 the inconsistency in everything save implacable hatred to the ex- 

 pedition, and all those who had done most to promote it and had 

 been longest attached to it I say, when, in spite of all these 

 drawbacks, the enterprise was ascertained to be too strong for the 

 secretary, and that go it must, the federal executive did so far in- 

 terfere as to transfer the final arrangements to your hands. Yes, 

 sir, it was at this time, Jan., 1838, that the final plan of selecting 

 a new commander in sea service (a novus homo), and vessels suit- 

 ed to his dignity, was taken from the hands of the Hon. Mahlon 

 Dickerson, secretary of the navy, and placed in the hands of Joel 

 R. Poinsett, secretary of war. Of the manner in which you per- 

 formed that duty it is my present purpose to speak, and, as it is my 

 right to do, to speak plainly. If I have delayed this duty longer 

 than you expected, though not so long as you had hoped, my apol- 

 ogy for the seeming neglect is, that I desired the public mind 

 should have time to get over, in some degree, the disgust it felt at 

 the doings of your predecessor, before it was again nauseated by 

 an exposition of what you had done. 



Sir, when the announcement reached the public that the final 

 arrangements and the despatching of the squadron had been con- 

 fided to you, a general feeling of delight was experienced by the 

 friends of the expedition. The unnecessary delays and the un- 

 dignified action of your predecessor, so ruinous to the enterprise 

 and so disgraceful to the country, it was now hoped, would be 

 succeeded by a very different policy. You had been in the War 

 Department but a very short time. You brought with you the 

 character of a very considerate man. Intelligence and refinement 

 were conceded to you. The path before you was plain and easy ; 

 and your smattering attainments in science were at least sufficient 

 to render you wholly inexcusable in departing from that path, see- 

 ing that such a dereliction must necessarily be by design. If a 

 fussy air of promptness in the despatch of business had given you 

 the reputation of more ability than you actually possess, the fault 



