The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-28 00:00:00

sul's house 1 Surely, Sir, the Hon. Secretary must have been
dreaming when he talks of England having the superiority of
the seas, and is so angry with Captain Craufurd for honestly
avowing the contrary. How can it be that England has
any superiority, when the English at Vera Cruz observed
such a French force and only one British packet present ?
Perhaps the Hon. Secretary in his cooler moments will explain
this paradox. Sir J, Barrow is also very angry at the soi- disant
Flag Officer's' not making known to her Majesty's Government
any information he might be possessed of, and for exposing what
he calls the nakedness of the land, earnestly and repeatedly in-
viting friendly Powers to invade us.' Is it possible that Sir J.
Barrow, with all his voluminous documents and returns of
diforent kinds, can suppose that other nations have not the
same advantages, and do not know exactly the unprepared
state of this country ? But has the Secretary forgotten the
letters written to Lords Melbourne and Palmerston, &c.,
some months ago (and afterwards published) by Captain Na-
pier, in which, without mincing the matter,' that officer laid
open the state of the dockyards and all their deficiencies, our
unprotected state, and the necessity for increasing the navy,
and that we should not be unobservant of the proceedings of
Russia. In his letter to Lord Palmerston, September 12,
1638, he remarks—' It appears to me that Russia is the power
that ought to excite the jealousy of this country.' We know
she has a fleet of 12 sail of the line in the Black Sea, and
t early 30 in the Baltic, with four montlis'provisions on board, and
is it right that we should have only three 74's weakly manned in
this country, and three 3-deckers not manned at all ? It was
never before known in the history of England during a pro-
found peace, that a foreign Power kept a fleet of nearly 30
sail of the line ready for sea within a few days sail of our
shores without our having a fleet to protect us.' I assure
your Lordship that our present defenceless state is talked of
in many circles, and I wish to bring it under your considera-
tion.' In another letter that gallant officer says—' lam sick
of hearing that we have no cause to be afraid of Russia ; sup-
pose France had a fleet of 30 sail of the line at Cherbourg
ready for sea should we be comfortable ? The Baltic is only a
week's sail from our shores, and we are called alarmists be-
c.:use we complain of our defenceless state.' Again,
speaking of our Mediterranean squadron, be says—
' They could not arrive in England in sufficient time
to prevent London from being pillaged.' There is
great cause for alarm, and no part of the east coast of
England or Scotland is safe in the event of a sudden
collision with Russia.' Would any experienced naval officer
venture to engage this Russian fleet with men hastily got to-
gether, most of whom had never seen a ship of war, who had
never seen a gun, or handled a cartridge, a sponge, or a ram-
mer in their lives ; with only half his complement of marines,
or perhaps with none, for they would probably be wanted to
join the army ?' What would Sir J. Barrow have more than this ?
" Now, Sir, it is useless to go through the whole of the
self-sufficient Secretary's abusive publication, with its lengthy
detail, its aspersions, virulence, and calumny, in which he has
not disproved any one material fact brought forward by those
e brim he contemns. It is truly to be regretted that Sir John
Barrow could bring himself to frame so scurrilous a produc-
tion, and to show such contempt for naval officers of rank, cha-
racter, and long experience, whose opinions surely might be
considered to have at least as much weight in the scale of
public opinion as those of a civilian.
" I am, Sir, your very humble servant.
" A FLAG OFFICER OF HER MAJESTY'S FLEET.
London, Jan. 24, 1839."