Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-07-14

compared ana CONTESTED tHelr respective anu
peculiar advantages. Other ports have some
fthe advantages III equal degree; but IN the
aggregate of advantage none can stand IN
competition with ihat port. This IL not the
tu,e nor pl,ee tor the particular detail, com-
psrison, and contrast, proper for u full Illus
jrstiou OF this fact; but few OF ,ts prominent
"ud' more peculiar and pre-eminent advanta-
GEES may now be Indicated.
None then can compare with il for depth
and safety OF lis waters; safely insured by tho
boldDcs Oi It's shores, It's freedom from shoals
and sunken rocks, its excellence of anchor
age erorad, all combined with facility Of in
eNess and rgr--- 10 and from the ocean, and
that 10 the largest ships of the line: facility
always existing, at all tunes existing, never
Ia be impeded by the distractions Of ice, ana
never 10 be denied Ia that, M It Is To all
other ports on our coast during the prevalence
Of certain winds; aud those The most tcinpes-
tuous' and disastrous OF all others to navIga-
ton on our coast, and the most imperiously
demanding the protection Of some harbor.
Look at New York for instance, and in
comparison: her waters only admit the ingress
aud egress OF frigates, and not irlgates oi the
largest class st all times Of tide; these must
wait its high flood. Her bars lnterpose de-
lays to their egress and iugress; delays al
ways injurious, and, under gwen circumstan-
ccs, would be dlsnstrOus--mlght be fatal. 1t
is Il port, then, incomlnodlons M Il station,
for lligaes: FOL ships of the line cannot bs sta
nor harbor 10 fly to for refuge. In the last
war one of our frgntes got wound in pas
sing those bars that crippled her for The cruise.
and disappointed all her expectations. Yet
what immense sums have been expended tor
our naval establishment at New York, while
nothing has been expended for one at Rhode
Isldnd-a luee, nationally considered, SO
much more Important; as il we haI forgotten
10 remember that New York, though import
ant, is moi the country.
Those Narraganseu waters are at point,
too, in relation to tho whole Atlantic from
tiey, which gives it a decided advantage over
every other for sending expeditions 10 sea
for the protection Or relief of any part OF the
coast. or for naval war on the ocean. 1t Is
the vantage ground for commanding and rul-
ing all tho operations os naval warfare. Then
it is susceptible OF dcfences that will render
1t lmpregnable; giving safety 20 all within It's
waters against any asssllng force. The plan
of defences projected under the admnistra-
tion of Il gentlemen now an honorable mem-
ber Of tins body. if completed, would give It
this security. This safety to our fleets while
within those waters is combined with this
singular advantage, that they could not be
rhut in and confined there by blockade, for
1t ID incapable Of being blockaded by any
fleet however superior.
Add to all this, that these waters abound
with sites for every species Of naval estub-
lishment and of naval preparation; placed in
that happy medium between the extremes Of
heat and cold, as to be of all others in the
world the most favorable throughout the year
to health and to labor.
On smaller scale. 1t is another Egean
sea, with Islands as beautiful, though not as
celebrated; and here let my partiality add,
with daughters vylng III beauty with the To-
man maids.
In saying all have said in favor Of that
station, and in giving it a preference to all
others for n naval establishment, but speak
after our most skiltul naval engineers; but
repeat what have learned from their reports,
and from our most eminent naval men, with
whom have frequently converssd on this
SUBJECT but express their opinion; their
settled thoir undivided, their unanimous o.
pinon; an opinion enlightened by profession
al science, aud mntured by experience, by OBJ
servatioD, by frequent comparison, and by
long reflection; an opinion in which truth her
self must be presumed to speak.
IL is true, the Secretary of War, mere
military man; eminent, if you please, as a
military man; eminent, know, for other mer-
It's, hut still mere military man, stepping out
OF his own appropriate province into the
province of the Navy, dlssents from tins u
plnion; and for reasons that show how little
entitled he is to revise their opinion, To re-
Judge their Judgment, and overrule it, The
Secretary represents that the enemy might
find at Gardner's Island, in Long Island
Sound, or at Buzzard's Bay, in tho Vineyard
Sound, an equivalent substitute as a station
for the waters Of Rhode Island; an idea that
never in all time has once entered into the
head of any one naval man Of our country, or
of any other. venture to say, that to every
naval man OF our country, or OF any other,
acquainted with these waters, the idea would
appear preposterous. | must doubt whether
the Secretary has ever seen tho waters OF his
substitutes; or, if so, whether he Is at all ad-
vlsed of the requisites Of II secure station for
fleets ith their limo of battle ships. The
waters of Rhode Island would be a station
permanently secure, year M and year out, Tor
the largest fleets with their line of battle
ships. Can this he prcdicated of Gardner
Island or Buzzard's Bay? Those places may,
and do afford d temporary summer station Tor
single irigates or small squadrons; but did
either ship or squadron ever attempt and dare
attempt to winter at either? Never As n
permanent station for fleets with their line Of
battle ships, such an idea never has and new
er would enter into the head Of any naval
commander.
Again, the Secretary represents that If the
enemy took possession Of Rhode Island with
r superior feet, he might easily be driven of
by the land forces that might be concentrated
aud rapidly brought to bear upon that point.
But what do our naval engineers nnd naval
men say on this point? They say:
at II 4 4 n =
ing state IA to defence, an enemy would
seize it without difficulty. and by the mid of