The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-16

.This does not include ships in ordinary and those
building. Add these last to those ahoat, and we
have grand total of 104 line Of battle ships, mounting
72 100 guns and sc fgates of from 36 to So guns
emitting smaller class frigates and inferior craft
The above does not include the lines of steamers |
between the European and American continents, nor |
does include steamers kno,un to belong to the Chi
ma feet. These last not mentioned In the United
Service Journal for January.
Sir John Barron abiding to the natural ambition
of Young naval Power like the United States thus
speaks of their notion of outdoing the rest OF the
world, by building ship of enormous dimensions
cit was" he remarks, ga kind Of boast that the
Pennsylvania of 5000 tons, was the largest ship IN
the world. We seem determined, however, to out
Aso her, by building four ships of 3,lOO tons each
the Royal Frederick, the Royal Sovereign, the Vic
toria, and the Agiers; and when to these we add
the Howe, Britannia, St. Vincent, Caledonia Royai
William, Nelson, Prince Regent Waterloo, tilber-
MIA, Neptune, Royal George, St. George, and Ira
falgar, (l3 ships Of 100 guns each) besides OF lOO
guns of lO4 guns of 80 guns, 10 of "a guns, and
4 Of 80 guns-making 20 of these fine ships-it re-
aures no small degree of impudence to proclaim the
British Navy in state OF decay and her shlPs lne-
ror to those of any naval Power"
The dock-yards, he says, abound in every descrlp-
ton of stores masts and spars already made for 80
sail of the line enough ready to be put together Tor
so sail of the line and topmasts, Tor the want OF
which France is SO much distressed" enough Tor
hundred sail of the line {" 1t is added that of the
principal Stores the dock yards contain enough fer
six years consumption On LIST January, 1859, Eng
land had forty-one post-office packets and other
steamers. Since then the number has been greatly
increased and of these, the writer aforementioned
tells us, " there are none of our foreign packet
steamers into which may not be placed two o.
pounder guns either for shot shells, or even 81
FOUNDERS - and we may rest assured that within
two months or less after declaration OF wal, the
ocean will swarm with English armed steamers
England has, of late years, expended large sums In
fotfying Bermuda, within two days sail of the coast
From the extensive preparations there making, she
no doubt intends it for rendezvous Tor her Heets IN
the event of a war with the United States and, from
its position would greatly annoy our coast, and the
commerce between the North and the South. Work
shops for repairing engines immense coal depots al
ready formed and still increasing, castings for machln-
ery &C. are we'll calculated to rouse our susplcion
and puts US the alert against these warlike move
ments.
Although would appear, on a superficial view, al
NEST impraclicabe to forify coast like that OF the
United States three thousand miles In extent yet this
objection ia removed by the statements furnished In
the comprehensive and elaborate reports of naval and
military officers convened various occasions during
the last twenty years. The substance of these re-
ports will be found imboded in communication
transmitted by the War Department to Congress on
the 18th May 1910, document No. 2O6,) and TO
which we are indebted for many of the arguments and
facts herein presented. DESTROYS of calling the at
tepon of the House of Representatives to the propo-
sition herewith submitted, of an eminent engineer,
defence
tee believed that they would not be doing an unac-
ceptabe service by presenting summary view OF the
subject of national deences; more especially, as the
plan now under consideration forms connecting
nk between the navy proper and the permanent Tor
tifcations of the country From the document above
referred to- we have made many extracts, since its
length will prevent it from receiving that attention
which it well deserves.
However public confidence in the system in
progress may for tme have become disturbed by the
suggestions emanating from high official source,
(SeCretary Cass's report LIST Oath Congress-
Senate document No. $685. the opinion now very ge
neraly prevails among those whose pursuits best
qualify them to Judge correctly, that the proper plan
of defence both the of safety and economy,
is not employ any one class, (the navy, for In
stance to the exclusion OF others, but to avail our.
selves of one ALL according to the peculiar clrcum-
stances of each position to be protected. And fatal
would be the error into which should fall IN adopt
ing the opinion earnestly incucaed by others, that
aided by extensive works OF internal Improvement
with steamboats, railroads. &c, we should mainly ie-
" on the army and militia TO guard from the incur
sons of an enemy. To say nothing of the made
quacy of such means, the expense would far exceed
the extravagant estimates of the most extrava-
giant schemes of defence proposed, and certainly
the amount required TO complete that which the Gov
eminent has adopted including, ALSO the sum already
expended In l64O, the Secretary Of War, In treat
ina of this subject tells that it has been already
demonstrated that the expense of employing suffi-
Gent body of troops either regulars militia for
period of sir months for the purpose Of defending the
coast against attacks and feints that might be made
nv an enemy's fleet would ereeed the cost of erecting
al e permanent ,oorks deemed necessary for the de-
fence Of the coast. One hundred thousand men, d.
x;,Ied into four columns would not be more than su
6cient to guard the vulnerable points Of maritime
frontier If not covered by Qualifications This amount
Of force which would be necessary against an e1Ped
ton Of 20 600 men, if composed Of gulars would
-. n. r.,;or &20 nO0 OO0 and il of militia about