The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-17


son, We look forward with pleasure 70 he period
whea they wlll be- reaswsd
DEFENCEs 90 fiiE GULF on MEXICO,
With sy,sw 20 enable oar readers 10 form
correct estimate 81 the course proposed by the
Navy Department wsth reference 20 the de-
fences 81 the suit of Mex,co. we gtve s~low an
extract from the Secretary rrpo1i on that sub
jeci. The document - SO .xcelsens throughout
that we feel unwilling THAI any portion Of u
should be- withheld from the public eye, and
| the whole OF The paper;
/ am deeply Impressed with the sbsoluts Necessity
OF adequate naval Free 10 protect
the Gulf 81 Mea,co. The month of the mississippi,
Tar commerce is concerned 10 not Al the kaxs
1t IL ia the psss between Cuba and FLORIDA
The trade winds and the gull stream setting from
the to the wes, iof td the passage of vessels
the south side ot Cuba they under the necessity
of following the course ol that stream and passing
int the Atlantic through the Gull %, Florida. Hence
the tire trade OF the M,sslssipp and IL tributary
rivers, with this exception oi the small portion of II
which carried with the cowntres the and
south OF the Gultcf Mexico is at the mercy OF what
ever power may happen TO command the Gulf Of Fio-
rda Two steam tTgates actively employed, are sui-
fcent for this purpose Il follows of course that the
commerce ola country large enough and fertile enough
TO support population half great that Of Europe
may be destroyed by any maritime powell al cost too
small to be worthy of calculation.
The unsettled condition of the governments of the
former provinces The Gulf of Mexico, requires that
our trade the interior OF tina, gulf should be protect
ed by suitable naval force Hitherto we have had no
quadron cruising there, although this Department
has had frequent occasion TO send single ships in
der TO vndicate the rights aud redress the actual
wrongs of our citizens. There is but little probabi-
ty that better systems OF government. insurng more
strict respect the rights of friendly nations, will
be established in any shorl time. We may therefore
properly consider the existing state Of hings among
other reasons, for establishing permanent force to
be always ready to act in every part Of that gulf
l agree with the Commissioners Of the Navy that
this force ought consist almost exclus ely of
vessels have asst ned some for this opinion
in my annual report In addition these, and those
assigned by the Naval Commissioners l respectfully
suggest that such force could render the in-
portant services in execution of the laws 1t
is well known that smuggling 10 great extent is
ried on & rough Lakes Borgne and Ponchar,rain ard
that the revenue servre, now OTganized il unable
prevent it, Should that service be intrusted TO The
Navy, is contemplated, and as in my opinion,
highly advisable those waters would be at all times
| completely watched and guarded without any addt-
ton the present of that service, and t., the
great increase of The public revenue.
Should this policy be adopted, the necessary means
of carrying it out must of course be provided 1t will
be necessary IN the first place. 10 construct suitable
avy-yards and docas for the building and repairing
of the requisite vessels We cannot properly rely
present establishments the Atlantic coast, for
this work Their distance requiring great loss Of
time to each them and the dangers Of coast nav
CATION, conclusive objections to any such arrange
ment. | agree with the Commissioners of the Navy
that fol- all the ordinary purposes of the gulf squadron
the navy-yard at Pensacola is altogether sufficient
That yard, however, is yet unfinished and requires
| considerable expenditure of labor and money, 10
put it in proper condition for all the uses for which
1t is designed No Other need be constructed ut any
place the Gulf of Mexico. Ii is however, worthy
of consideration, whether such establishment, up
on large scale, ought to be made at suitable
point the Mississippi river. Such location would
enjoy at least decisive advantage over all Others
adopted, in its perfect security against all attacks
from enemy. There are other reasons, however
scarcely less strong, which recommend 1t to favor
will be In the midst Of popuous and fertile country
Astounding in wood water provisions and all the
necessary materiel of navy. 1t seems now TO be no
longer doubtful that non ships will answer all the rur-
poses coast and harbor defence and probably, also
of ocean cruising. 1t is the wish Of this Department
to construct many vessels as possible OF this ma
teral This is desirable, not only account OF It's
superior durability and cheapness, but because, by
extending the of it, the Government would afford
well deserved encouragement to the industry OF large
class of people, and aid in developing and bring
ing into action most important part of our counlrys
resources. Supplies of iron to any extent, may be
afforded by means of the Mississippi and its 'Iibua
ries; and this, too, at comparatively small cost OF
trans poration 1t is also worthy Of remark, that
rope wax connected with such establishment,
would be of immense value To the hempgrowing re-
gion of our country. AT present. That necessary com
modify is burdened with heavy charges, IN order to
reach our Atlantic markets, which operates as very
serious encouragement to the cultivation of II. The
country which now supplies It, and which needs only
suitable encouragement, to supply IT to every ntedu
extent for the most part convenient TO the Mlssis-
sippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers, so that the contem-
plated establishment wosld afford ready market easy
of access at all tines and costing but little TO reach
it, This would render the material at once cheaper
to the Government, and more valuable TO the pro-
Queer
Hence it may be assumed, that no position could be
selected in whole country presenting so many adj
vantages for all the purposes now contemplated, as
some point on the Mississippi sufficiently remote
from its mouth to be safe from all enemies, and yet
not remote to render an approach to the ocean
either difficult or tedious. Such an establishment,
together with that now at Pensacola, would afford all
needfu facilities for fleet of any size cruising IN
the Gulf of Mexico the neighborlng seas.
The next subject to be considered, Is the formation
of depots of fuel and provisions There ought to be
several of these at convenient distances, along our
own coast. For provisions, Pensacola alone would
suffice but the supplies of fuel will be more speed
iIy exhausted convenient sources of fresh supplies
ought to be provided. The cost OF these supplies VIII
be but little increased, by multiplying the places OF de-
poste Coal does not decay and no other protection
for it is required than cheap wooden sheds small
guard may be necessary to secure 1t against thieves
but there is little danger that will be stolen In
country which abounds in wood, and where wood is
the common fuel. In my opinion not less than four
depots of coal are necessary Adverting to the re-
port of Lieutenant Powell for the comparative fac-
tiles Of the different points embraced in his survey,
recommend that these depots be made at Pensacola,
ST. Joseph's, Tampa Bay, and the Dry Tortugas. AT
the two first named wood, water, and fresh provis-
ions can be easily obtained; at the third, wood and
water may be bad and the fourth is recommended
by the convenience of its position. At all of them
there is sufficient depth of water, and easy access
Al .zcx I,,,