The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-15

*This does not include ships in ordinary and those
building Add these last to those afoat and we
have grand total of l04 line of battle snps mounting
70 100 guns and Sc rgaes Of from SO to SO guns,
emitting smaller class frigaes and inferior craft.
The above does not include the lines of steamers
between the European and American continents, nor
does it include steamers kno,on to belong to the Chi
ma feet. These last are 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
" 1t was" he remarks, ga kind Of boast that the
Pennsylvania, of 1900 tons, was the largest ship in
the world. We seem termined, however, to out
do her, by building four ships Of 3,l0O tons each
the Royal Frederick the Royal Sovereign, the Vic
toria, and the Algiers and when to these we add
the Howe Britannia, st. Vincent, Caledonia, Royal
MIA, Neptune, Royal George, st. George, and Ira
falgar, (l3 ships of 100 guns each) besides of 100
guns 3 of l04 guns, of 80 guns, 10 OF "a guns and
Of 80 guns-making 20 of these fine shiPs-it re-
quires small degree of impudence to proclaim the
British Navy in state Of decay, and her ships infe-
rior to those of any naval Power"
The dock-yards, he says, abound in every descrip-
ton of stores masts and spars already made for 30
sail Of the ine enough ready to be put together for
so sail of the line; AMI topmasts, for the want of
which France is so much distressed" enough for a
hundred sail of the line " 1t is added that, of the
principal stores the dock yards contain enough for
six years consumption. On LIST January 1889, Eng
land had forty-one post-ofice packets and other
steamers. Since then the number has been greatly
increased ; and of these, the writer aforementioned
tells u.s. there are none of our foreign packet
steamers into which may not be placed two 66-
FOUNDER guns, either for shot or Shells or even "a
Founders - and 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
foftfying Bermuda, within two days sail OF the coast
From the extensive preparations there making, she
doubt intends It for rendezvous for her fleets In
the event of 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 machin
ery &C. are we'll calculated to SUSPICION
and puts us on the alert agains, these warke move
ments.
Although il would appear, on superficial view, al
NEST impraclcable to ortity coast like hat OF The
United States three thousand miles IN extent yet this
objection is removed by the statements furnished IN
the comprehensive and elaborate repor of naval and
military officers convened various occasions during
the last t~ euty years. The substance Of these
ports will be found imbodied in communication
transmitted by the War Department to Congress on
the 18th MAY, 1910, document No. 2O6,) and 10
which we are indebted for many of the arguments and
facts herein presented DESTROYS of calling the at
ten,ion of the House of Representatives to the propo
son herewith submitted, OF an eminent engineer,
for the defence OF our tho CoHnit-
tee believed that they would not be doing an unac-
ceptable service by presenting summary view OF the
subject of national detences more especially, as the
plan now under consideration forms connecting
link between the navy proper and the permanent Tor
tifications 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 so well deserves
However public confidence in the system in
progress may for ,ime have become disturbed by the
etinnla ana ma nu from n oh
(Secretary Cass's report, LIST 4th Congress,
Senate document No. 293,I the opinion very ge.
nerally prevails among those whose pursuits best
qualify them to Judge correctly that the proper plan
OF defence both the score of safety and economy,
il not to employ any class, (the navy, for la
stance TO the exclusion Of others, but TO avail
selves of ono or all according to the peculiar crcum-
stances OF each position 10 be protected. And fatal
would be the into which we should tall IN adopt
ing the opinion earnestly nculcated by Others that,
aided by extensive works of internal improvement,
with steamboats, railroads, &c, we should mainly ie-
" on the army and militia 10 guard us from the incur
sions Of enemy. To say nothing OF the made
quacy Of such MEANS the expense would far exceed
the most extravagant estimates Of the most eItrava-
CANT schemes Of defence proposed, and certainly
the amount required TO complete that which the Gov
eminent has adopted including also, the already
expended. In isaO the Secretary Of War in treat
ing of this subject tells that "it has been already
demonstrated that the expense Of employing sufIi
Gent body Of troops, either regulars militia, for a
period of sir months, for the purpose of defending the
coast against attacks and fens that might be made
by enemys feet would erceed the cost Of erecting
ali the permanent ioorks deemed necessary for the de-
fence Of the coast. One hundred thousand men, d.
yded into four columns, would not be more than suf-
6cient to guard the vulnerable points Of our maritime
frontier il not covered by Publications. This amount
of force which would be necessary against an exped
ton of 10000 men, if composed Of guars would
cost the nation $30,OOO0O0 and, if Of militia, about