Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-12-28

y wy, which is trry Indigenous aud distinct
from every other. The Independent char
acter % the nation is .narie:sl'v visible in
the genius cf its navy. The classes of our
sbips. their form, cons,ru;iio III armament,
and equipment. hare been tested by expe.
iience. and fopad to have been happily a.
dapted to our circumstances, compelling
the enemy either to employ ships of the line
AGAINST frigates, or to construct a cew class
of ships. Their efficiency and perfection
have sxtorted the praise Of the enemy
The author before quoted. Says" the car
ronades l saw on board the United States
brig Argus, were better mounted, and the
vessel more complete. than those in the
British navy; and she was uncommonIy
well maneayered."
Our ships are excellent, and all in good
condition. The classes are few, and so uni
form that, without Inconvenience, the masts,
spars and equipments. Of any one Of a class
Will serve, indiferentIy, for any other Of the
same class. All the new ships. Of each
rite. are of the same class, and are abso.
lutely similar in all their equipments, and
IN the dimensions and proportions of their
bulls, masts. spars, &c. This strict SINH.
lArity should be carefully preserved, upon
every principal of convenience economy,
and efficiency.
Ttmber, which forms an object of much
solieitude in Great Britain, deserves the
particular attention of the department, the
reorganization of which will doubtlessly be
made to combine the necessary talents and
means to provide for every branch of the
service, by a seasonable, diligent, and ju.
dicious collection. in secure and convenient
depots, of all the materials which enter into
the construction and equipment of ships of
war.
When i. is considered that one seventy
-four gun slip requires two thousand large
oak trees. equal to the estimated produce
OF nifty seven acres, the importance of ses
curing, for public use, all tha valuable
species Of oak, which is found only on the
southern seaboard, is sufficiently obvious.
Dock yards, ~foundries, smitheries. and
arne ries; in safe and eligible situations, are
Indispensable appendages of so Important
and growing an establishment. These
always collect the best worknen. and as
private Interest cannot interfere with the
execution, the materials aad workmanship
are better, and the work is performed
with more certainty aud regularity than
by contract with private individuals, whose
works, in some cases, may be so remote
from the seat of demand, that the trans
portation may cost more than the article
There issanother branch of the sery;ce
which appears to me TO merit the ser;a,,s
deliberatien of the legislature, with regard
to the establishments OF somc regular svs,em
By ws.icl the voluntary enlistments fo,. ~
navy may derive occasional seinforcem.n,
from the services of those seamen. Who
pursuing their own private occupations. are
exempt. by their i~tinerant HABITS. from
Euhi'c service of any Kind. In my Vie
here would be nothing incompatible with
the Tree spirit of our institutions. or with
the rights OF individuals, if registers, with
a particular descriptive record, were Kept
70 tue severai districts, of all the seamen Der
longing 70 the United States, and provision
made by lay for CHASING and calEnr into the
public service, in succession. for reasooable
stated periods, such portions or classes. as
the public service nigh. require, and IL any
individuai, so called, shoald be absent at the
time, the ext in succession should perform
the tonr OF duty of the absentee, who should,
on ma retprn be liable to serve his original
tour, and his substitute be exempt from his
succeeding regular tour of duty.
Ia the military service, should the RANKS
not be hlicd by recruits, the deficiency Of
regular force may DO made up by drafts Of
militia to assemble at a given tjae and
placee not so in the naval service. il des
Ponds, exclusively, upon voluntary enlist
ments, upon which there is no reliance for
any given object, at any time or place.
Hence, the most important expeditions may
utterly fail, though every possible exertion
shall have been made to carry them into
effect
If we examine, with due attention, the
~natare, extent, and Importance Of the ob
jects involved 10 the administration of naval
affairs, and contemplate, in the history OF
ages past, the unsuccessful, though indefati-
gable labors Of legislation, science, and &C.
MUS, 20 perfect the system, we may learr
to appreciate with mole accuracy, and che
IRISH with liberality. the life Of study, obser,
walton. and experience, required 10 arrive
even at moderate attachments in a science
which. though familiar in the estimation o
all, is the most complicated, critical, and
interesting, hat has ever engaged the
attention or Influenced the destinies of ma,
tons. My sole object is 70 invite the at,en
ton and liberality of the national councils
to the requisite ialests and qualification, foI
the cherishipg and rearing to maturity, the
vigorous plant, around which are entwinet
the affections and confidence of the coun.
try
All these objects appear to me to be in.
tiDately connected with the re vision of thu
civil I'd ADMINISTRATION Of our naval affairs. thu
executive branch of whica should he con.
Quoted by persons Of enlarged views, col
lectively combining all the practical know
ledge and professional Intelligence which
these Important, diversified and compre.
heosive subjects. obviously require.
We have a good foundation upon whici
to raise adurable superstrncture I; and con
GLIDING thatthat system Cannot be RADICAL,
wrong, @hIch has produced such favorable
results, / should be unwilling to hazard