Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-20

upon any part OF our soil which might promise sue
| cess to his enterprise, would be armed with four
| fold power of annoyance. Ofthe utim,te result q
such incursions We have reasons to te afraid; but
even ~ the best event, war upon own soil woGl'
be the more expensive, The more embarrassing, are
the more horrible in its fleets, by compelling us p
| the sime time 10 oppose enemy in the heiC
and to guard against tcnp,s to subvert our soeii
systems
| Heretofore we have found in the shallo-ness o.
| many off waters security. To n certain extent
! against invasion Ivy sea. So lone maritime
were conducted in vessels Of large size and great
drausht we had little to npprehend from them cS-
eepi at few points, and those were susceptible %
adequate defeuce on land But this security eau
no longer be relied on. The application OF steam
power to vessels Of war, and the improvements
which have recently been made IN artillery, des
tined In change the whole system of maritime war;
Steamboats, Of light driusht. and which may I've
easily transported crsoss tue ocean in vessels OF
larger class, may invade at almost any point Of
our erenuei co,st, may penetrate the interior
through our shallow rivers, and thus expose half our
country TO hostile attacks. Tae cecrty with which
such vessels could escape, and the pTouitnoss with
which ;hey could change the point oi attack, would
enable a enemy, with 4 comparatively Inconsder
able force, 20 harraSs whole seshoarj, and to
carry all the horrors Of war into the securest retreats
cfour people. The etcc, Of these incursions would
be terrible evcrywherc. but in the sou hem portion
of our country they might. and probably would, be
disastrnuS IN the extreme.
IL is obvious that war thus conducted mus, la
successful TO ~ great extent IN spite OF all the
dttcncCs on land which we could con,rivr. Moth
in- less than the conversion % half country into
. military garrison coIld protect US psan.t Il. Such
IS the exposed condition of our country, such is the
character OF our institutions, and such the position
of our people that population Of twice present
numhcr, under the best possible military organ'zi-
ton. would avail us bu, little. Whilst the combin.
ed Powers ut the world could not subiuc us. even
secondary naval Power could avoid our land deicn-
set armies at defiance. and ptosecuei against
US war intulrraJ'y harrassins and disastrous.
TIE single question, then, which we have to de-
eide, in reference to this subject, is where and by
whom shall those battles he fought, which may
hereafter become necessary IN defence OF our pro.
pity, our institutions, our honor, and lives
Shall We meet the enemy upon the ocean, with Ireu
trained and disciplined for contest or suffer hun
to land upon our shores, trusting a scattered and
harasSed people u eTpel him from their farms nnd
their f-esides THIS question ndmts OF bui one
answer. But 1t is worse than die 10 suppose that
all those high interoS's TO with have alluded
he adequately protected by our present naval ogcs.
Four thou'1nd niles OF exposed and like coast,
a foreign commerce scattered through the most dis.
tant seas, anu domestic tTAde exposed alike upon
the ocean end upon our interior waters, are, IN
effect, surrendered 10 the enemy, when they ere
trusted TO the protection o: some twenty ships IN
commission.
Il these views be no; altogether deceptive, the
policy of increasing our navy, without further de-
lay, IS oovIOus. Hoo far Il shall he N TeasCd, 10
wisdom of Congress will decide. Looking 10 l,ls
tie chief, Il not the only adequate defence Of our
county against those wars Of ncurSions from " hCh
so mach evil IS TO DC apprehended, respectfully
suggest that we cannot safely stop short OF halt the
naval force Of the strongest maritime power IN the
world. Our policy IS peac', ana we do not pro-
pose TO ourselves wac of aggression any case,
except so far may be necessary measure OF
defence. IL Is not probable 'hl. any nation could
detach from other service moe than one fourth OF
us whole n2vAl force, 10 attack US upon own
coast; that after dcducting such part of own
force could not employ at a. and such part
we should be compelled 10 employ elsewhere, we
might rCasnnaOiy hope to Tepcl from our shore any
ma l'ime Power, with only halt rs force IN SHIPS
With less than this, our fleets would serve only 10
swell the lrumphs and feed the cup'd ~ Of Our
enemy. IL is better to have uOns At all thln to
have less than enough. am aware that this great
increase OF naval power Cannot be effected in any
snort time. propose II only The object al when
our policy ought TO aim, and towards the aitnin-
ment OF which your measures ought TO be steadily
directed Anannual appropriation, as liberal as the
means OF the Treasury ~Ili allow, will IN a few
years accomplish all that is desirable.
OF what de-criyllon OF vessels our navy oush; 10
be conpos 81, IS i,stion Of Ell: importance, and
one which we are compelled - dec,ue with refer
ence TO the pric of other countries. Doubtless
a very large part 0t ought TO consist IN steamships
ExuerIsDce EsS : own hat these vessels may be
rendered perfectly safe a; sea, and that they my be
cunsrruc 81 6, -dLpL them, 10 other pecs, TO
purpp.es Of VIZ. - tnair great usefulness the
word IS hal s.rkng proof m the recent opera
tion. ct Inc Bntsl guagrpn on the coast of Syria
troops tronspo.:et = distance OF two thousand
miles over Tie o-eru, and were engaged IN hattie
IN Asia Minor the sixteenth day after .caylng
Eng and. This and other ilcmiiIcs afforded by this
class Of vessels were 50 great and effective that the
AUmral declared hat "hIs success owing 10
the efficiency OF h!s steamers" We may well pro-
fit 10y the lesson raus t'Ggtt us. respectfully sug
gesl, however, that 1t would not be wise in to
engage very extensively IN the construction OF
Steamships Of Of the largest class at thls time.
Initiating the example Ui England, our wis,st poll
cy would lie to aid the private enterprise Of our
citizens IN constructing picket ships, TO ply between
this country an! foreign pur.s. These should, of
course, be constructed TT them for war pur-
poses, and shou be held subject 10 the nd OF
the Government, upon equitable conditions. There
will, in all probability, be enough Of such vessels to
answer all the purposes for which steamships of the
largest class would BE- required, and they would be
furnished at comparatively small cos, to the Go
veinment Improvements are daily made, not only
IN steam machinery, tut in the prO9eIrg power
applied TO steam vessels. Experiments are now in
progress which promise Important results IN these
respects, aud II would probably he JudlcOus not TO
expend large sums N the construction OF steamships
for distant cruises unl these results shall be made
known. But the same reasoning does not Apply to
steam vessels Of smaller class, destined for the
iefence OF our coast aud harbOrs. These ought
not, under any circumstances, to he delayed TLey
would De piruculaTIy useful on Tie lakas and IN
the Gulf OF Mexico. On the axes they might b,
adTaDt- gcOusy employed, under prOCer regulations,
in the revenue service. They woUd be peculiarly
ada pied 10 the Cult Of Mexico, IN consequence OF
Tho Gains and currents which prevail there, and OF
their greater facility 10 making hGrbor in the violent
tempests which are common IN that latitude, There
u, ~ truth, but the single h1IJCr Oi Pensacola m
" hch ship Of large dnusht can find shelter, al.
though there are many which aftJrd sufficient depth
OF water for steam vessels Of the proper ze These
vessels should be built Of white OAK, reserylng the
live oak for those Of different class.
Steamships have been built IN Europe altogether
Of iron. As far as the experiment has been mode
II IS understood to have been successful recon.
mend that IL DC made here also, with Of east one
vessel Of mciium sLe sufficiently lar.o 20 BiIDrd a
fair test, without exposing too much 10 he hazard
Of failure, The great abundance OF that mlterial
found IN oil parts Of our county affords Us every
facility which can be desired; and our workmen
will soon acquire, II they 90 not possess, the
requisite skill IN converting Il into vessels. We may
thus acquire cheap and amOsl impershable nava!
force, Will, 40 the same time, we lfFOfd encourage.
meat u some Of the most useful branches Of our
home industry.
Ia my opinion, there IS no necessity nj present 10
increase the number OF our line-oi battle ships
Some ol those which we now have would be more
useful u cut down 10 rigates Of the largest cliss-
There is, even IN the present condition OF the ser
vice, pressing demand for sI1Ops of war, briggs nd
schUOnerE; and recommend that suitable number
Of them be Immediately built. Not less than ten
are necessary, even IN the present condition Of our
Navy. One q them should be kept in commission
and ready Tor servcs at ouch Of our principal poris
and this may be done without any considerable ad.
| diional expense, Jsoiuse they will always be pre-
| pared TO perform q variety Of duties, for which the
Government now pays high prices 10 merchant YES.
| sels. Moreover they may be built Of such tlmber
as is rgeeie N tho construction Of larger vessels.
| II rs proper that We should have some of our YES
| seis always ready Tor sudden emergencies, and
none ore 50 cheap or so convenient rs brss and
schOOnCrs.