The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-07-10
OUR NAVY.

what we now ask particular attention to- is
the fact that every American, from Maine to the
Rio Grande, from the Atlantic to the mouth of the
ooIumola, is deeply interested in the protection
OF the commerce of the country. Atths time,
when the glorious results of free government are
extending our limits not by conquest. but by the
solicitation of those who would be American ci,i-
zens, and thereby exciting the jealous apprehen-
sons and tyrannica hostities of the Monarchies
of the Old World. it behooves us to be prepared
tor any and every emergency. If we would pre-
serve honorable peace, let us be prepared for war
And 1t needs no prophetic ken to foresee that il
war does come, it must be mainly waged upon
the mighty deep" Here then, let us be pre-
pared. We have an abundance of gallant and
patriotic officers now in the service, who on
ly require an opportunity, TO enact again the
scenes of Erie, Ontario, and Champlain, and
show, again, what American valor and seaman
ship can do upon the oceans broad expanse. We
say let Congress make more liberal appropriations
Let vessels be constructed, and employment Civ
en- to these noble champions of our naton:s rights,
In this appropriate sphere. Let our flag float on
every sea in manner worthy of our greatness, and
the interests and honor it should protect This
is true economy in relation to the matter, rather
than the narrow policy of reducing every appro-
prlatlon for every department of our Navy down
to The lowest possible standard, upon the stale
pretence of economy and retrenchment What
would we think of the economy of the man who
would allow his property to 90 to ruin rather than
incur the expense of keeping it in repair, and
mat, too, when the whole work of repairing
would be done by his own sons, and all the mo-
ney paid for the same would still be retained bv
and circulated in the family? Yet such was the
boosted economy of our last Congress. We
speak what we do know when we saw. that in
our Navy Yard very many of the public BUILDINGS
are suffering much, and rapidly diminishing
in value, for want of repairs, painting, &C., &c..
to secure them against the ravages of time and
the weather Nor is this all; there are sew
eral vessels now lying in our harbor which are
every day deteriorating in like manner, from the
same cause. All who know any thing of the
matter, understand perfectly, that vessel living
In harbor, not in commission, nor in proper
state of repair, is injured at least three, and we
might say five times as rapidly, as when proper
ly conditioned at sea. Why not then abandon
this false economy and real wastefulness of the
public treasurer Why not have our NAVY Yards.
and our vessels kept in perfect order and also new
vessels constructed and sent to sea, prepared in
every part of the world to meet and maintain
our rights with the most powerful marines in ex
istence!
With the exception of England our commerce
is the most important in the world, while our
Navy is comparatively unimportant. IL is not
uncommon to find, III foreign ports, where our
trade is equally valuable with that of any other
nation on earth, single Jrigate of ours to protect
that commerce in the midst of, perhaps, dozen
French, and twenty English line of battle ships
with corresponding number of the vessels of 9TH
er nations. That such state of things must on-
crate unfavoraby to the security of our citizens
and their property abroad, as well as to endanper
our national honor or national peace is perfectly
apparent. And this may all be remedied by piv
ing employment to our citizens at home and to
our officers and seamen abroad, thus essentially
promoting their interests, and acting according TO
their wishes, while the whole nation will be gain
ers, not losers, by the operation. The money Tins
expended will still be among US, to add TO orr ma
tional wealth, while the manner of its expendi-
ture will have done much to advance our national
security, and remove the danger of thousand
fold greater losses of property, and the sacrifice Of
unnumbered lives, by the recurrence of war with
all its horrors; which to avoid, we repeat again
we must be prepared for.
Let the next Congress, which will be decided
ly Democratic, and particularly the member from
our own District, see to it, that the great inter
ests of the country are properly regarded and let
the means be literally placed in the hands of the
Secretary to carry out his excellent views on this
subject.
WOODBURY. ON JACKSON.
The Hon. Levi Woodbury. in his admirable