The National Register.
London, England, 1811-03-10 00:00:00

148

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Suppose, you think you will be able to defend them.
Were this merely a supposition sprung from the
inspiration which an Imperial Editor, above
.all
others, nuist feel when he reflects that he possesses
the meaes of realizing at least part of the political
dreams which his occupation creates, I should allow
it to pass mmoticed. Blit you asrure me, you have
not only a vague idea or hope of forming a navy of
I'2o men of war and 200 frigates, which even then
would not be equal to one half of my naval force,
but that the time when it will be completed is
seen, calculated, and not far di.,tant." You then
condescend to enter into an explanation of the
means which would enable you to carry this great
design into execution. But here your political
blindness again betrays itself. You say the possibi-
lity of having such a navy arises from the particular
situation of your empire and the vast extent of its
coasts : these reasons, favourable indeed to the
building of ships, render less the probability of
your ever forming a powerful navy. Ships without
number may be constructed in your ports on the
Adriatic, the Mediterranean, the British channel,
the Zu yder sea, the German Ocean, and the Baltic ;
but they must be collected before they can become
firds. Were they all built in the British Channel,
or the 'Alediterranean they might possibly be more
easily united : but when they lie at such a distance
from each other : when every secondary port only
rs forth one or two, and every first rate
)our, three or four sail of the line in a
ew years, and whilst all the time my squadrons have
the command of the sea, how is it possible that
ye-ti should form• them into fleets? And unless
formed into fleets, how can they accomplish your
ends and threaten my safety ? The number of
my vessels of war enables me to blockade every
port where you are constructing. Let your new
ships appear, and they shall be taken singly ; for let
not vain hopes deceive you. ; my vigilance and that
of my heroic sailors shall never slumber. We may,
for the purpose of crushing your rising navy more
speedily, allow the junction of some of your ships,
and then destroy or capture the whole s4nadron at
once. Sonic, it is true, may escape, but extending
the limits of probability as far as possibility itself,
you will never he able to collect a fleet of upwards
of 30 sail of the line, anumber which it isat all times
in my power to surpass, and which, with even a far
inferior force, my brave tars would have no difficulty
in defeating. No, Mighty 'Emperor, unless you
can dig canals deep and "wide enough to convey
yOur men of war inland from the harbours where
o.they have been built, to your capital, and thus make
it not only the seat of the plunder of the world, but
- of your upstart navy, at a distance of 100 miles
from the sea, and consequently safe from the attacks
of my cruisers, never expect to see your dreams of
naval power realized. Yen may build, but I shall
t ike—and trust me, you will find in the end, that
ships are as unprofitable and as injurious to the
revenue of your Empire as your late Colonis!s.
In my next I shall embrace a wider portion
of your comments, and when they are concluded,
shall continue from time to time to give you whole-
some advice, and endeavour with the pen as well
as the sword, to assuage the raging fever of your
ambitim. Yours, Undauntedly, Jonx

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