LETTERS OF A CITIZEN. 477 



plans having been submitted to Mr. Van Buren, and not only ap- 

 proved by him, but endorsed by you. Unfortunately, however, 

 you had not sufficiently impressed on your agent the importance of 

 making his story tally with your own. They did not dovetail ; 

 for while, on the one hand, you told the country in your proclama- 

 tion the expedition was " altogether scientific," he declared his in- 

 tention to make it entirely naval in point of fact ; but that, as he 

 could not draught a scientific corps from the navy, a portion of its 

 present members would be retained, and the remainder dismissed, 

 under the pretence that they could not be accommodated in the 

 reduced squadron ! 



Let it be distinctly understood, that while T speak of the views 

 of your lieutenant, I only do so to reach your own. I do not deal 

 with the instrument ; I have larger game in chase. You are the 

 responsible man, and to you I address myself. Your lieutenant, in 

 assuming to speak of his plans and his opinions, misled no one, be- 

 cause no one believed that he had any other plans or purposes save 

 such as you had suggested, or as he supposed would please you, 

 though the recorded correspondence between you would, no doubt, 

 lead to a different conclusion. There are many things, however, 

 which no revised record can change. For instance, no prepared 

 document can controvert the palpable fact that you had added to 

 the naval force of the expedition, while the whole country was led 

 to believe that a reduction of one half had taken place. Yes, sir, 

 you made additions to the naval force of the expedition under pre- 

 tence of taking away its naval character, and you sanctioned the 

 reduction of the scientific corps one half, in order to make the en- 

 terprise " altogether scientific !" This logic savours somewhat of 

 the Dogberry school. You seem, moreover, to have been wholly 

 incompetent to appreciate the objects of the scientific corps, and the 

 vastness of the field in which their labours were to be performed ; 

 or, if you were not so incompetent, you have shamefully neglected 

 your duty, and sinned against the light. Choose which horn of the 

 dilemma you please, I will fasten you on one of them, and, as a 

 counterbalance, you may hang your predecessor and your lieutenant 

 commodore on the other. You are entitled to some distinction, in- 

 asmuch as your wisdom and learning has had no parallel since 

 the three wise men of Gotham went to sea in a bowl. 



Sir, under date January 1, 1838, Citizen had occasion to ad- 



