The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-11 00:00:00

(From the Times.)
The naval display which gathers this morning to the
magnificent harbour of Portsmouth aid the waters of
the Solent no inconsiderable portion of ;he population of
this metropolis, and of the southern coutties of England,
is such a spectacle as hardly any man living has wit-
nessed, and no one living could witness elsewhere.
Larger armaments have doubtless been assembled on our
coasts during the war, and on the eve ofthe great naval
expeditions which have given to the British flag its im-
perishable renown ; larger fleets have ploughed their way
homeward, shattered with sea-fights and encumbered
with prizes, from the memorable conflicts which left the
British navy sole mistress of the seas. But, even in
those days of effort and of glory, the navy never pre-
sented a force comprising, in a comparatively small
number of ships, such a union of strength and skill as
may
The bs
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undeservedsuccessive
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wasted expenditure and abortive experiments, we have
now reached a point of excellence from which we
look down on all that had been done before. The
Duke of Wellington and the Agamemnon, which
will respectively lead the port and starboard divi-
sions of the squadron into this day's mimic battle,
are by general consent the finest ships of their
class which have been launched from our yards ; 20
and, as a sailing three-decker, the Queen will support 20
comparison, without disadvantage, against any rivals. 50
The main deck of these colossal vessels is the most 20
striking picture which the eye can behold of the stern 10
preparations and order of war. Armed with guns far 10
exceeding in weight of metal the greatest power of our Sotz
ships of the line in the early part of this century,—
with guns directed with a nicety and precision which
enable a three-decker to point her broadside as easily
as a sportsman aims his fowling piece,—such ships
would bring into battle a force which no enemy has
ever yet encountered, and which probably no vessel
afloat could sustain for half an hour without entire
destruction. But, in addition to these improve-
ments and augmentations of marine artillery, a new
power has been harnessed to these huge batteries
of the ocean, and the fanlike motion of a brazen
fin, revolving by the force of an engine placed below the
water-line, enables the helmsman to guide and place his
ship, against all the accidents of wind and tide, with as
much ease and accuracy as a battery of field guns.
Naval tactics are the art of placing a vessel or a column
of vessels in the manner best calculated to insure the
destruction of the enemy, without enabling him to bring
his full strength to bear on the ships opposed to him ; and
the perfection of seamanship is to accomplish these ma-
noeuvres, in spite of the two most variable elements in
nature—the wind and the ocean. The steam propeller has
conquered these obstacles, Henceforward the movements
of a squadron may be regulated with all but entire cer-
tainty, and the spectacle which many thousands of our
countrymen will this day witness would hardly be pos-
sible without the powerful means of propulsion recently
applied to the largest vessels in the navy. Some years
ago, when her Majesty reviewed a fleet of nine sail-of-
the line at Spithead, under Admiral Hyde Parker, it
was thought imprudent to attempt naval manoeuvres in
so contracted a space, and the ships, though under all
their canvas, remained at anchor. The movements of
the present review will be of a far more real and decided
character, and will give a most lively picture of the
grand and terrible specta. cle of a naval action.
It is not, however, ad a demonstration of the progress
made by our naval architects, our gunners. and our ma-
chinists in the art of war that this scene is most attractive
to us. To Englishmen the Navy is the symbol of
Empire. That long and glorious tradition of heroic
daring which runs through our naval annals is identified
with all th it has made this country what it is. We
owe to it that power of discovery which has explored
distant coasts and planted our flag on conquered isles ;
we owe to it that means of action which renders the
people of this small kingdom denizens of the globe ; we
owe to it the extension of trade, the acquisition of wealth,
the amazing spread of our language over lands upon
which the light of civilization has scarcely arisen, and
the diffusion of the great ideas of Christianity and free-
dom. It is because, wherever the wind blows and the
power is known and respected throughout the world.
ship
-of
objects, that our national
principles,
nfle
widelypwles s,
extended,aaßnrdi t itsoh s
is
pursuei
this influence, and so great is the
t iha te
maythe
comespectacle to pro toefc tto-day
e
Cowes, but a political occurrence, the significance of
terroriis
not oaf
meret his Englishsummer's name,pa pastime
which will be understood in every cabinet of Europe ;
among the yachts of
and among the spectators of this scene there are some,
at least, who may learn, that if foreign governments
imagined the martial spirit of the country to have de-
clined, they were egregiously mistaken. We have no
doubt that the language of the peace societies and
Leir very shortsighted leaders has in this manner

led us to the verge of the very danger against
which they professed to guard us. They lave not I
succeeded in relaxing the vigilance or the energy of
their countrymen, but they have spread abroad a
false and mischievous opinion that the English people 1
are so absorbed in free trade and material prosperity
that no cause, however momentous, would rouse them
to war. That is a delusion which, as far as the prepa-
rations of the navy are concerned, it is well to remove.
This squadron consists of vessels several of which were
on the stocks twelve months ago ; the crews have been
raised by volunteering, under highly unfavourable cir-
cumstances, within eight months ; and, while our flag is
well represented at the Dardanelles by one fleet, the
Queen of England, surrounded by all that is most illus-
trious in this nation, is reviewing another fleet in the
Channel. No doubt the existence of this mighty force
imposes on the rulers of such a kingdom increased
responsibility that it be used within the strictest limits
of moderation and legal right. But it is the existence
of such a power which enables them to speak with
authority when the occasion requires it. It is sup-
posed that, because Admiral Dundas has not passed the
Dardanelles, nor Admiral Corry the Sound, the Rus-
sian Government is the less conscious of their influence?
Is is imagined that the force of these squadrons has not
been felt where it was needed—in the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg and in the Conference of Vienna ? The
answer is obvious ; these preparations for war, and
the alacrity of the people of England to obey
the old call of resistance to injustice and vio-
lence, have taken by surprise those foreign statesmen
who measured us by the standard of Mr. Cobden's
p-.triotism ; and the maintenance of peace, to which
we now look forward, is mainly due to the existence
of a naval force, not used for any purpose of pro-
vocation, but ready and efficient for every necessary
emergency. In the present state of Europe, we
are satisfied that the maintenance of a consider-
able force afloat is one of the chief guarantees of
our security, and of the tranquillity of the world.
In other countries you may see an array of troops,
horse and foot, far outnumberin g the gallant b
maytalions at Chohham —in other countries yf
witness the attack and defence of
the
fortresses ar
stronger and more scientific than Chatham ;
bu
evolutions of a steam fleet of line-of battle ships, manned
and manoeuvred by British-seamen, can happily be seen
England alone. It is the result of what ages of
courage and skill have given us for
the defence of those great principles to which in evil
days this island still affords a refuge. God grant it be
a perpetual refuge ! and that, while we retain our supre-
macy in naval war, that power may never cease to be
exercised for the defence of justice and. the maintenance
of pace