Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-05-24

ing against an abundant treasury, operated
as charm. His mischievous measure:
left the treasury empty and worse thar
empty for in the first year of Mr.. Madi
sons presidency, it was found necessary tc
provide by law for the borrowing of some
millions of dollars to detray "the public
expenses - and in the next for borrowing
some millions more.
But although 10 political questions, az
fecting the general views and interests OF
the party, Mr.. Jefferson was sure of sup
port; yet in other cases ne experienced &C.
casional opposition. Some of his projects
were too preposterous, or impracticable,
to be maintained by his friends. And al.
though he succeeded in getting his gun
boats built; yet as soon as ne ceased to be
President; they 1Vent out of fashion. 1t
was discovered that this favoritc scheme,
for general defence was defective and con-
temptibEe, If not impracticable." And In
the first session of congress under his sue
cessor, Uune 1909 committee OF the
senate reported bill for selling the gun
boats, with the reservation OF a small num-
Der for particular situations. 1t the bill
had become law, and they had been sold,
it is possible they might have fetched a
tenth part of what they had cost the United
States, in the last years of Mr.. Jeferson's
presidency. In this gun-bost project we
see one display of that gentleman's wisdom
and ECONOMY. But the bill mIscarried:
and the cause Of its failure seemed to be
this AS soon as it was known abroad that
the gun-boat system was no longer favored
by the administration--if it was not even a
subject of derision with one or more of its
members, as well as in congress ;--and
that committee of the senate had report
ed bill for selling this species OF naval
armament ;"--the editors OF newspapers
renewed their attack upon them with up.
braiding rdicule. The pride of the 60
vernment was touched; perhaps Mr.. JEFF.
ferson had interfered; or some of his friends
for him to save his feelings. Be this as
it may, the bill was postponed and the
gun boats remain unsold although ex-
cepting twenty.four at New Orleans they
were absolutely useless, were rapidly de-
caying, and were soon to become of no va.
lue. For the Secretary of the Navy re-
ported (and the report was laid before the
senate, with the bill to authorize the sale)
that s. if gum boat is suffered to lie ia port
for one year, without giving her any kind
of repair, she will probably be found, at
the end of that year, wholly unworthy Of
being repaired. ~ take it for granted,
that with the exception of the few at New
Orleans) the gun-boats were not repaired
within that year, nor since and of conse-
quence that they are now worthless.
In the same report, the secretary of the
navy gave his OBSTINATE of the annual ex-
pense of taking care of the gun-boats laid
up" land all but those at N. Orleans were
laid up) amounting to 6fty-four thousand
seven hundred and nine dollars exclud-
ing ten thousand dollars from the estimate
for annual repairs: because presume no
repairs of those 6 laid up" have been made
Thus have one million and some hundred
thousands of dollars been sacrificed to Mr..
Jeherson's vieyVs and 1ehims. And even
the little saving which might have been
made two years ago, has been prevented
by tenderness for his reputation, or the
pride OF those who co"operated with him IN
the original project.
But there is more ECONOMY in this bust.
ness yet to be displayed. In another re-
port, made three days after the former,
the secretary ofthe navy states the compare
tive expenses of building boats and fri
gates: by which it appears, that the former
would cost, gun for gun, more than twice
as much as the latter. For instance, that
frigate mounting Sc guns (42 pound car.
ronades and "a pound long cannop) would
cost $4,000 dollars; and 10 gun.boats
carrying each two guns, $4,000 dollars
and that the building of 25 gun-boats, car
rying each one gun, would cost %, 500 dol.
lars: That to fight Sc guns on board of 90
gun-boats, would require 1860 men; and