New-York tribune., 1841-12-18
THE TRIBU N L.

The NAVAL OPERATIONS or THE REVOLUTIONS.
Notwithstanding the extreme and rarely paralleled
inclcmency Of the weather, very respectable audi
ence listened Thursday evening to the lecture of Dr.
SPARKS upon this interesting topic. 1t was com.
posed Of rapid sketch of the progress Of Lcgisla.
ZION in Congress- and in the Assemblies of the sew
eral Colonies with reference TO Navy vivid de
.criptions of particular engagements and person
al sketches of the most successful commanders.
Before the commencement Of difficulties with
the Mother Country the Colonies had no vessels OF
war. Indeed none needed: for ali their
commerce was with Great Britain, whose direct
interest it was to ford to it adequate protection;
aad had they been necessary they would not have
been able 10 procure them Some of the Colonies,
however bailt for themselves armed vessels Tor the
wo.f ,ld purpose of fighting their cnemies and OF
Sefsn ing their coasts and trading vessels against
tne buccancer.. Massachusetts early as l745
had fl I'd out naval expedition against Louis
bureh. In l775 the Legislature of Rhode Island
authorize the building of two armed vessels and
Connecticut made beg inning about the same time
But three DAYS after the battle of Bunker's Hill
Massachusetts, resolved u fit up several armed
vessels. owe sf which captured the British schooner
Marguerite at Machias, Me. jeremiah O. Brien, was
the victorious commander and Joseph Wheaton
had the honor Of pulling down the first ilag cap
tured BY the Colonies.
AT the earliest stage of the difficulties between
England and her Colonies, the latter could not
without an open declaration of war, for which
they did not feel prepared, fit out fleet Dr
aggression upon British Commerce. The British
forces were then in Boston, and Gen. Washington
took the matter into his hands and thus
lieved Congress of its embarrassment. His in
sructens were in general TO that the liberties
of America received no detriment. Before the
end of October, l775, six schooners were fitted
out under his orders to cut OFF the British sup
plies The instructions TO their officers were
carefully guarded, and the soldiers on board were
treated as detachment Of the regular Army and
not as forming rart Of marine force. These
ships, however, were not very successful although
several valuable prizes were taken
Congress had US yet taken no steps toward the
establishment, of Navy; but public opinion was
fas, squirting them on, and in August l775, the
Legislature of Rhode Island recommended the
measure to Congress. About this time Massachu'
sets fitted out two prvateers, justifyng this war
like step by the language Of their Charter which
allowed them to make war uron the common eHe
mv-and they held the King and his Ministers to
be the common enemies of England and her Colo
MES.
In December Congress, resolved TO build 10 more
shps of war. which were placed under Com Hop
kins His conduct not praiseworthy ana
Congress censured him. Amends were made how
ever BY the brilliant deeds of Arnold upon Lake
Champlain. In April, l776, Congress authorize
several priyateers to make war upon the British
Commerce, and continued gradually to increase
her NAVY The number of vessels IN the Amer
can NAVY during the Revolution is not known A
report in the British Parliament stated that the
Americans had captured 733 vessels and twelve
and half millions Of property. lhls was IN me
third wear of the war. American priyateerS how
cred about the coast OF England, Scotland, Africa,
the West Indies, and every land visited by BRUSH
vessels.
The lecturer enumerated some OF the most tor
unare and successful commanders, among whom
were Barney, Waters, Tucker, Nicholson faul
Jones. &c, and gave interesting sketches OF the
life and exploits of each. The affairs OF the Navy
wore at FRS, managed by two Committees-the
Marine Committee whose duty it was to see 10 the
building equipping and furnishing OF vessels and
the Score, Committee who were to direct their
operations at sea. These were afterward absorbed
in Board of Admiralty which had the iu'i con
troll of the Marine and abolished IN January
1881 10 give place 10 the Secretary of the Navy
who held the post which was then created. After
our ,,,a,v Of alliance with France the Navy dc
olned and for some nine years we were without
any naval force The wrongs suffered by our com
merce from pirates and the insults offered Dy the
belhgercnt powers OF Europe, at length convinced
Congress Of the necessity of providing agSinS
these evil. by the establishment OF a Navy, wnicl
has since steadily increased in power and VIII al
wavs defend the rights and protect the honor OF TIT
Country.
VIRGINIA SPECIAL ELEcrloS-The Richmond
ENQUIRER gives the following as the the late
Special Election for Members of Congress- in the
Spot,svlvanie District formerly John NJ. Patton 5