The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-07 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1852,

Speaking of the political superiority arising out of
the geographical advantages possessed by a maritime
state, Lord BACON has observed, with his accustomed
wisdom and more even than his accustomed senten-
tiousness—" To be master of the sea is an abridgment
of a monarchy." CICERO bad already implied the
same truth when, in writing to ATTICUS about Poet-
PET'S preparations against C2E;AR, he observed that
the opinion of PoMPEY was manifestly identical with
that of THEMISTOCLES, seeing that he considered that
whoever possessed the command of the sea held in his
grasp the reins of imperial dominion—" Consilium
Pompeii plane Themistocleutn est; putat eniw, qui
marl potitur, eum rerum potiri." The opinion of
BACON, the opinion of CICERO, the opinion of Poet-
re; the opinion of TIIEMISTOCLES—aII combine to
force upon the recognition of the British Government
the necessity of maintaining our marine pie dominance
over the zest of Christendom. The dictates of self-
preservation, indeed, point imperatively in the
same direction. That motive of itself one
might conceive would be sufficient to induce the ad-
mivistzators of Ecgland to cherish with the utmost
conceivable assiduity the energies of its naval power.
Yet, not sc—it hes only been by the most reiterated
appeals made to the patriotism of party that the en-
deavours of the ruling Cabinet have been directed
towards the development of the latent resources of
the great national profession. Happily, however, on
reviewing the progress made of late years in the ad-
vancement of the maritime forces of the world, it is
gratifying to observe that the improvement discern-
ible in the Royal Nsvy of England is more than pro-
portioned to the original superiority of Great Britain
at the commencement of the puce thirty-seven
years agone. Nevertheless, this advantage has
been gained solely by the pertinacity with
which the necessity of change after' change has been
thrust upon the attention of the authorities at the
Admiralty. The reluctance of these officials, it is
scarcely necessary to remark, has been for a very
considerable period proverbial I
OctogenariansAndnoh
wonder.ave
Fur while several of our marine
been left at full liberty to wander about the dock-
yards razee-ing this vessel and that, tryin xcessively comical but, we regret also to observe
ex-
cessively expensive experiments upon frigates and
three deckers, a civilian has too often been placed
-
at the head of the board of Lords Commissioners. It
was among several of the most important sources of
satisfaction to the country on the resignation of the
Whigs, that the Admiralty was at length placed one,
more under the command of a distinguished naval
officer--a sailor no less eminent by his position and
no less respected for his character than his Grace
ALGEENON PERCY, the Duke of Northumberland.
Altogether, therefore, affairs at the Admiralty may
be regarded as holding out to the nation the happiest
prospects as to the still further development of our
maritime resources, as well es to their prospectively
improved organization. We may hope, before long,
under these agreeable auspices, to hear somewhat less
about calling out the awkward squads of a cumbrous
and shambling militia, for the nonsensical purpose of
defending an island, the security of which (under
Di vine PROVIDENCE) ought to depend, of course, upon
its sea forces, and especially upon its marine artillery.
Once let the Royal Navy assume its natural position,
and we shall find no reason thenceforth for anxiety
as to the accidents of invasion. Let that branch of
the public service be regarded as by right it should
always be regarded, as the most national and
the most essential to the
existence of the British
Empire—and we Shall
never have the time of the
Legislature squandered upon the discussion of hasty
and inefficient measures for the protection of the coast
by hurriedly drilled and clumsily accoutred bands of i
civilians. What England requires n the way of
defence against the possibility oa an
fige
any warlike incur-
sionae bht th -
is—not troops of amateur soldiers
to
ra e
invaders after they have landed, but--h
hearted, iron-handed Tars of Old England
to prevent
their landing at all, and so by the most effectual
means secure to the country the blessings of
unin-
terrupted tranquillity.

Hitherto, with colonial possessions scattered all
over the world—stretching northwardA beyond Hod-
acl's Bay up to the emtremity 0% the Arc!ic regions,
southwards hey'nd New Z-mand to the furthest
limits of Victoria Land, westward beyond New
Brunswick to the coal deposits of Vt:ncouver'6 Island,
and eastwards beyond Gibraltar and -Valetta and Ce-
phalonia to, the rice-fields of Hindostan, and the tea-
depi.i's of H0ng.411.6.:.
.77--,p45., and the spice-treasures of
Borneo—hitherto, rim
notwithstanding the enor-
mous extent and scat situation of her territorial
acquisitions, England has been enabled to maintain
the security of her position and the integrity of her
dominion. She has done this simply because of her
almost involuntary regard to the necessities of her