Morning Herald

Capt. Elliott and the Court Martial.—The Court of Inquiry, ordered to investigate certain charges alleged against Capt. Elliott, by Lieut. Charles G. Hunter, and others, adjourned some months since, reporting, that a Court Martial was necessary. Why that Court has not been ordered, is a matter of surprise to most of the officers of the U. S. Navy. If the Department found it necessary to order a Court of Inquiry for the purpose of investigating those charges, it certainly must have been the intention of the Department to be governed by the decision of that Court.

We have been informed that the Department, after receiving the report of the Court of Inquiry, forwarded the proceedings of that Court to Mr. Read, the Judge Advocate, with directions for him to frame charges, grounded upon those proceedings. He did so, and forwarded them to the Department; but the Department then thought it advisable to refer the matter to the Attorney General, by whom it was decided, that there was no ground for a Court Martial. If this is true—and the source from which it came, in connection with the fact of several most important witnesses being ordered to sea, places it almost beyond a doubt—there is nothing left for the subordinate officers of the Navy, but to protect themselves. They have been waiting anxiously for the result of this business, in order to determine what course to pursue; and hereafter, when an insult is offered, instead of appealing to the Department, where no redress is to be obtained, they will take redress into their own hands—it is the only course they can pursue—it is, under existing circumstances, the only alternative left them; and they will be perfectly justifiable in striking to the earth those dastards who, sheltering themselves under the cloak of rank, take that opportunity to insult and degrade those placed under their command.