Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-08-20

fore Tuesday last. The President was invited on board ON
Monday, and was highly gratifed to find her in such sd-
mirable preparation. When the President reached the
deck, Captain Ballard, the commanding officer, having
first ordered a broaIside to be fired in honor of The occe-
sion' pointed out to The President the flag OF the Command
er-in-Chiefo OF the Navy al the mast head, and told him
.hat ne resigned all authority over the Delaware TO him.
The President said he would make haste to restore the
command to one so much more experienced and capable;
but he confessed that nothing could give him more plea
sure, than TO stand upon her deck on a day of battle, aud
witness the gallant bearing OF the noble ship and her bravo
The Delaware is one of the finest ships Of war in the
world. Her complement OF men is about a thousand, and
oil guns, one hundred and eight. One OF the tiers are Of AZ
Founders. The waves that beat upon the side OF this first
rate line Of battle ship, in The Roads, did not move her
more than II would mass OF grante--and the firing Of her
6roAdsides did not shake her more than the Fortress on tho
Point is shaken by the discharge ofits guns. The people
oil the United States may be justly proud of such u repre-
sentative oil their power, on the other side of the Atlantic.
Nothing could add more 10 The grandeur of what has
been Justly called the .dmerieon Mediterranean, than
the elevation OF the Castle at the Rip Raps-the rising Of
this giant ofthe foo1, from the waves, as contemplated by
Commodore Warrington, Commodore Elliott, General Ar
INSTEAD, General Bernard, General Swift and Major Me
kee, the Commissioners and Engineers, in whose design
the work originated. The ancients tell US that Venus
rose from the sea, but it would seem a much filter ele-
ment, 10 give birth to the god Of War; and never was
there a notler scene, or a nobler temple, than that sppro-
priated for his cradle, by the American people, at the Rip
kaPs. he will appear here, not like the goddess OF Love,
oorhe' IN a smell upon a summers sea, but upon a tower OF
strength amidst the noise OF restless surges-a fit emblem
oil the American people, whose martial strength belongs
ahke to the land and to the ocean.
II is a circumstance worth notice, that the materials for
the structure Of the Castle OF the Rip Raps is drawn from
most oil the commercial States of the Union. In walking
over the piles with the Superintendent, q day or two since,
he pointed out to me the drab grey granite Of Maine-the
whltish blue AMI the black speckled granite OF Connect-
cut-the red freestone of the same State-fhe sky blue
granite from near West Point, New York-the iron stone,
Tor break waters, IRON the same State-the pied granite Of
the Susquehanna-the deep blue OF the Little Falls of tho
Potomac-and the ash -colored oil the James River.
In this edihce, then, which is TO form a strong hold in n
central position, TO defend our great naval depot and to pro-
lect our naval power over the ocean, and especially TO af-
ford a place OF refuge TO the commerce of the nation, each
commercial State may point TO a portion of the blended
strength which ii has contributed TO the common structure.
IRON its use, as from lis or gin, the Castle of the FEDERAL.
sailants, it should run up with the ensign of .the Federal
Union," the watch. word sit must be preserved" In
the days of the MIX Contract, the work was called Cas-
tie Calhoun. IL was, then, a mass of disjointed fragments
oil stone-ond the little masonry which has been attempt
ed was followed by a yawning fssure in the wall of the
extremity. II will now be taken down and re-
built under auspices which will secure it against such
fractures, and when it thus becomes the STAY and bulwark
OF the Union, it will have very properly lost The name of
Castle Calhoun.
The President has had a forty two FOUNDER very caro-.
iuhy finished for the purpose of making a trial Of lis power
IN comparison with PAS and 32's, 10 ascertain the most
suitable cannon Tor this position. a very interesting ex-
pertinent, made by Col. Eusis by tying the guns at diff
ierent elevations, resulted in proving the Presidents gun
Gas II IS called at THE forl 10 be the best. 1t threw its shot
at least a mile and a halt from the parapet OF The Fortress.
before they struck the water. The whole space between
the Kip Raps and Fort Monroe is entirely within the range,
and completely commanded by this gun. Yours, sc.