Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-09-28
FOX tie Nv VUIHTH
NAvy NOTIONS.

second thought Of the people
Wv yorI SSs TIE ENQUIRER
To Judge .7bel p. Upshar, Secretary 81 the !fsry.
The present position of relations towards 1rea'
Britain seems to exhibit the necessity OF turning an
eve to the actual condition OF the NaVy-on wh'cn
force depends entirely the safety OF our commerce anu
almost much the protection OF our seaport lo"ns'
and incidentally all the important interests OF lhe
Union To the corps of officers, with few exceptions,
no objection be made. They are Tor the most Paf'
intelligent skfu, brave, and every way co,nPe.en.
In the event Of war, seamen no: hndng employ
ment in the commerc marine, from motives OF pfont
and the more enuobling impulses OF patriotism, Will
readily seek the military service OF their country at sea-
By the Official Register there are san OF the ins
| one mounting l4O; seven mounting loo ana three W
onns or heavy cslibre Two OF these the Washington
and Frankiin-that such names should perish are
condemned rs unseaworthy 80 mat we nave only :
line of battle ships There 10 ship OF that class which
has been rare and mounts 81 neEvy guns VI the ID
a,e, of the LIST Glass; two o which carry "a and the
resi- 81 guns three, the JGrd, The Guerree-again that
those names should perish!-and the Hudson are Con
demned. and one the Guerri1f-io paee1tage Of our
Navyhas been some time s'o used as ,ew WOO ="
der Another of the same class has just been launch
ed Congress- some years ago. ordered that frlgate,
to bear the of Paul Jones, and another to replace
the Guerrero should be laid dotcn 1t quite certain
that they have not been thought OF by the Navy
Board So much for the larger vessels. You will see
next list Of 81 soops Of war, varying IRON "a to 10
guns each Two or three of these good for nothing
as cruizing vessels owing to the wretched mistakes
made in their constructions and two or three more have
been armed en- flute and converted into transports, &c
One at least has been broken up So that of corvette
ships the most useful class at vessels especially Tor
our purposes We have not more than 10 to 90 Then
there are some 10 little brgs, schooners, and other
small craft which from the paucty OF their NUMBER
are not worth mentioning; but which, 1t Numerous,
would be as annoying to the enemys merchant ships
as the swarm of hornets issuing From their nest, Is 10
The unlucky wight who has attacked y
! Well at last we come to the modern, and think
undoubted bulwark for the defence of the coasts on
the Atlantic and Guph Of Mexico, and The attack OF
the enemy (God prevent he ever may be , on the
lakes, The two vessels launched tbs summer, at New
York and Philadepha are SAID to be every thing thai
desirable. but we said Of the Fulton, which cost
about as much as seventy -four should cost and yet
when she went to sea, every body said she was not
worth the hot water which filled her boilers 30 IL
NAV be with these, though trust j, may not. Now,
although very good idea has been suggested, that, IN
the event of war; the heavy steamers navigating our
coast and large inland waters may he taken into ser
vice and armed for the purpose Of repuse yet Their
,cantlings &C. are not of sufficient strength TO bear
the weight Of any considerable armament, nor would
thew be able 10 withstand the enemy shot Concur
rent opinion by land and by sea, ems 10 settle tha'
we should augment our steamers atty. yard on
the Western waters for the puposVof their consruc.
ton and depot the place. Tor the reception oil
ordnance and arms from foundry ana arsenal some
where we'll up OH the Ohio river, together with rem
devious for Shipping those nay ao'sr nay
are, as the Irshman would say, perfect merma,ds-
Hundreds Of these boatmen might he procured, ano
would make capital hands, especially Tor the steam ser
vice. Their proverbal love OF enterprise ana novelty
would nstigaie them 10 enst-as they did in the an
,umn of IA IN the New Orleans campagn-to tight
"tbese Brtshers.
As to our capacity to fit out fee, surprising that
all the foreign squadrons safely and there are
NH n WOni
take US a, leas, twelve month to force to prevent
even blockade of Hampton Ro "a thing which
England do any day in The 1t is true we
have some excellent live oak timber IN store, but moi
enough to build force competent % meet the enemy
And as ordnance and ordnance s@es, the hermetca
sealed lips Of the inspector leads one 10 guess ut the'
, condition
In short, the Navy is ike healthy, robust youth
moping and dropping with anguor alter deoauch
and wants only good securing out 10 be right again
We have the finest timber in the world abundant ma
terrell in store for armament, and class OF men Iwho
never can be surpassed upon the ocean Then, why
not apply the remedy at once But what IS the
remedy. All there the doctors differ. There is
net man in the service, from the venerable officer
, at its head to the young gentleman who has only
yesterday quilted mammas apron string, and who has
lust read through the Navy List who does not sport an
opinion Of his was quite amused last year WIN
a Young friend, whom knew mildly and who from
large promotion had suddenly and Unexpectedly been
hoisted with lieu.enancy. In the steerage he was
ultra radical and Democratic, perfect loco ieco-ont
with the "sheep skin and the sna6 came arstocracy
f and when he becomes
- "The lone ehefaln, who majestic stalks,
lSilent and feared by all"
nv life on on he II be roy aist TO the core-So much
for politics OH board ship o.
II has bee matter Of observation, that where there
is no certainty of rewards and punishments, 1t IS dh-
cult to "de6ne the position relatively OF vice and VIZ
5 tue Thus, in the Navy none knows exactly where
he NAV be tomorrow. Some one Of his juniors, by
l,ha 81 pf rms
thong the law expressly indicates his rank and post 10
be below him. One officer is arrested, tried and &C
Quilted perhaps privately rePrimanded; another tor
the yery same offence distant place, undergoes The
sentence of court martial, suspending him from The
service for 2 or years Captain commits a fault and
is punished slightly-a Lieutenant gets himself INTO
trouble and he gets pretty but wo to the poor
little Reefer-Good bye 10 all his visions of Nelson
: and Decatur Well, agan-The regulations are one
day this and another day entirely different and touch
ing all Of subjects, embracing morals, religion,
rigging running and standing guns, sails, spars, Stops
gunners' stores, uniforms. There have been three
changes in the last ten yearsand then, TO crown the
whole, how old Barron, Hull, &c, and master Mid
shipman Gary, dress their hair and shave their
Boards In case, the Secretary of the Navy says,
shall not interfere with the senisnce of any court
martial-Let the law take its course. "But my good
Sir. this is extraordinary case quite unusual in
the SERVICE and, you have yet had little expert
ence in these matters, allow me to explain it. mo,
: Sir; no. Sr-sic Uoto, SIC jbco And, in week al
ter have hedrQ-lnousn 90 hHOlc acl-tuo>
he absolutely did intimate to another officer, that his
sentence should be reversed although the were
almost IDENTICAL neither being for any moral derelic-
tion but for military offence which, with both
being in the defence Of their honor had they not
= committed, would have brought down the scorn Of
> their brother officers and their countrymen every
where One has feelings Of pride and honor as sail,
or and trust always will have; and, though he be an
officer,
"a mans for a. that"
The first of these individuals, although his conduct
was (uneeiaD approved by all his brother officers
The other will, learn with great pleasure, have his
commission returned to him-but he is Lieutenant
rold Ia difference And any at all familiar with the
personal history Of the service, will endorse my asser,
ton, that many many instances Of prescriptions and
INSCRIPTIONS and parado1ca conduct and orders, are
Of daily occurrence; much that no officer know'
by what chart he is to steer Now how is II possible
= to draw order from such chaos: How can calm
mild, vet stern and naexble discipline, grow out OF
nnetno.;tv parality and injustice: The consequence