The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-24


But let them make out their case fhey succeed we
shall not he the last 10 denounce Judge Up.hur ard
if they fall they must wear the guilt OF having CON
rbuled 20 much, as has this violent and indefenslbe
outbreak familiarze the public mind with The horn
bic chimera OF dissolution Of the Union
So far a. Mr.. Bolts is concerned the charge AGAINST
the Secretary is virtually reracted since that gentle
admits that even he will not accuse Judge W.
shuI of seeking dissolution OF the Union long
he the head of the Navy ,and drawing from the
national purse six thousand year admission
which, whatever its weight Illustrative Of the Secre
tary spredominatng love of mammon, Is yet all sufi
clen TO discredit, as II qualities the naked chage.-
For who cares now, what were the opinl, ms Of the
private Individual in the days of notification when
every Southern white man saw, or fanced he saw, in
the measures of the Government without national
encroachmen on his political rights and within from
the movements o. Northern aboltonism an appeal to
the knife of the slave 10 leap at his masters throat
IL Is too much to expect camness in such an atnos
phere and large allowance should be made for the ul
traisms of the day, on both sides
II is with Judge UpshuI's sentiments as Secretary
Of the Navy, that have an Immediate concern il
Is in his conduct and opinions in that relation alone
that the people feel interest, and in that already
recited, Mr.. Bolts himself has up To The rescue
But it was not To discuss this question that be-
gan this article. Our business instead is with the Re
olt of the Secretary of the Navy, to which we have
beng induced 10 by The denunciaons heapei
upon lis author in Congress.
We seek in vain, in this admirable paper for e>-
ueHce OF us dutAOf Dlds toward ulsunOn, HUuln4
rather in every line the characters of hearty path
oiisIn. policy is recommended that addresses itself
at once to the prudence and foresight of the National
Councils. The value of the Navy as the right arm
OF the National defer ces is forcibly urged. And the
gradual increase of our Naval power, which he in
sites, is plainly shown to be Indispensable for the
protection abroad, of and growing commerce
at home, OF our -four thousand miles OF exposed
and lake coast It's present lnadequacy TO which il
udlcousy illustrates by comparison with the Ma
of Great Britain and France, FL
pared with England and France, the two principal
commercial nations of Europe, it is found that Eng
land with much less than twice foreign tonnage
has than eight times many vessels Of war
exclusive Of steam ships; France with only one.trd
of our foreign tonnage has more than five times 5
many vessels of war" This should be argument
enough. 1t should, indeed be decisive, nasnuc as
we may say, in the language Of the report there il
believe that is the settled policy ottA
Government to increase the Navy as rapidly as the
means at its disposal will admit"
Washington may have been Judge Upshur's chief
exemplar. That great man in his address to Con-
gress in December 1893, says There is a rank due
to the United States among nations, which will be
withheld if not absolutely lost by the reputation Of
,ceakneS. If we desire to avoid insult we must be
able 10 repel il if desire to secure peace one
of the most powerful instruments of our rising pros
perity il must be kno,cn that at all times ready
for rar." Let suppose this to be the text and We
will furnish comment. Adams urged the establish
ment Of efficient Navy, and the only pause in tie
policy Of gradual increase of the Navy from tie
date of the Congress of 99, down TO this day. was
the period of Mr.. Jeferson's " Gunboat' schcmc
which was soon abandoned inefficient for the pur-
pose of harbor defence
John Adams Madison Monroe, John q. Adams
Jackson, Van Buren,, and Tyler how much soeyer
they may have differed other questions Of Ma
! tonal Policy, were of one mind this one 1t is
remarkable how earnestly and uniformly these Nari-
Gus administrations urged the value of our Navy as
a means of defence and invoked the aid of Congress
E,r ThpSp We Nat,
running through period of forty-three years with
I the repeated appropriations by Congress, made III
conformity with them, we suppose may be safely re-
garded indicating that 1t Is the settled policy OF
! the government to increase the Navy as rapidly as
the means at its disposal will admit" The conclu-
sion is irresistible. The Navy, moreover, is The
means upon which alone the country can rely TO es-
cape I" the reputation OF weakness, against which
! Washington warned us, and to repei the insult he
i would have us avoid.
/ The weakness and strength OF nations are things
of comparison at best; and while we are strong il
our resources strong against Spain, for example We
are feartully weak in comparison with Great Britain,
and her nine ships of war 10 for Judge pr
shur has understated the disparity OF force between
the two Navics. w
Are we then feady toracar2' are table to re-
pel insult and aggression, which England may offer
backed by nine ships to our one Nay, are we not,
the rather, submitting 10 both at this momeu because
| Of our reputation OF weakness ~
| Let the concluding declaration of Lord Aberdeen
to the American Minister'S protest. give answer
He says in substance, to Mr. Stevenson, that rights
mutually conceded by. France and England for thew
i common convenience, ought to be agreeable to ting
United States though not conceded by treaty stpull
tion but if they not, why is for the Unit States
alone to determine what is due to a jus, regard
for the National dignity and rights IN olhel words,
England having nine ships OF to one, VIII rs
sumo to prescribe laws Tor the United States long
as they are unable to assert their rights and rank
among nations Irilllng as this matter appears IN
Itself il conceals a vast wrong.
| We thus i'll the precise attitude to which the
wisdom of Washington looked acknowledgement OF
our rank among nations by "the reputation Of weak
discriminating to insult and aggression because
we are not cable to repeln thenl-threatened with
rupture with Great Britain because we are not
| 'ready for war
What is the duty of Congress then but to carry ont
vigorously the 4" settled policy Of the Government
during the last thirty years; to make that policy the
basis of all action in regard to the Navy, and 20 az
the more vigorously in view of the present exgcncy
resulting from the aspect Of relations with Great
| Britain.
The subjects of dispute with that Government al
ready difficult are daily aggravated and muIupied
While there is a possibility of peaccahlc adjust
ment OF the question at issue the probabilities are That
we shall be plunged into war, and that too, speedily
1t becomes the people, then to meet the crisl., %
weigh the subject Calmly and to be prepared Tor the
event We deprecate war, we deplorc ITS mlserlcs,
and fear its countless mlschefs, but we look beyond
temporary ills. Our local interests may forbid war
but local interests should be subordinate TO tho
rights and interests and the honor of the Ma on and
we cannot consider the first while surrounded
by warnings that we must step Ivy step Yield Our
rank among nations" prepare for an armed vlnli
cation of the National rights
We are surrounded by such signs and al such a
moment the report of the Secretary of the Navy pos
sesses absorbing interest for every American cl-
! tizen
We shall have more TO say Of the details Of Secrr-
! tary Upshur's policy in another number. +
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