The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-13
THE NAVY.

The NAVY.
~. ssMissouri Reporter" of the LIST instant con-
,.;0s long article the present state OF our navy,
: a,anv Of the views Of which We cordially con-
We think, however, that that able journal
.,.r have been somewhat msled by the paragraph
Quoted from the Pit,sburg Morning Post" IN ref
~. 10 what il terms the experiments" tried by
=. government in the building of armed sea steam
The "Reporter" viii not forget that armed
,..ses Of this description are as yet, OF necessity,
-, only here but in Europe but little more than an
.,.vnsr;ment.n Their construction, and their meth
"A, # nropulsion and armament, form the very
,.s, and probably the most important, chapter IN
-. history of naval architecture. But they have
bean already sufficiently tested by experience, to de-
-.n.,ate them to be of prime and absolute neces-
.;,v 10 the efficiency of the naval arm of any merl-
lime country. No powerful navy can now be with
out them
In tho construction and equipment OF this new
class of vessels, the ingenuity of our countrymen
L. sbown its usual fruitfuness of invention; and
-, government, acting with due elaboration, and
,odsr the best scientific advice, in that very spirit
Of Improvement and enterprise which the "Report
err so urgently recommends, has, Of course, felt it
..,f hound not to shut its eyes to the new and inn
rroved modes of construction which have been sub
mi,,ed to il for examination and trial. In this view,
,he various plans of propulsion invented by Messrs.
Ericsson Hunter, and Lopez, have been tested, or
rather are now in the process of trial, with greater
or less success Certainly, there have been, in past
wears. some instances Of comparative failure. II
WAS not to be presumed that any providence on the
mart of the government could, at first, and in every
ease avoid such result. But, in the case of the
uWster Witch" referred to by the "Reporter'-
tho onlv case in which such trial has been made
under the auspices of the present Secretary of the
Nsyv-we learn from the Navy Department, that
the most satisfactory and gratifying assurances of
complete success have already been received. It is
certain at any rate and the accounts of the depart
men will hereafter prove, that the requisite altera-
lions in that vessel undertaken by Mr.. Loper-a
practical mechanic Of high reputation, no way con-
nected with the naval service, and certainly not
.court favorite"-haye been made under contract,
with the very strictest regard to economy.
We regret to perceive that the article in the ere
porter" to which we abiding, is calculated, in
some measure to leave on the minds of its readers
wholly erroneous impressions as to the course taken
by the Secretary of the Navy in regard to the sup
ply Of American hemp for the public service. The
western interests engaged in the culture of this
staple product have claimed under acts of Congress
passed few years since, that final inspection and
purchase of that important article should be made
a. the hemp depos established at the West instead
Of as heretofore, at our naval stations on the At
antc seaboard. This claim, after careful consid-
Grafton of the acts in question, Mr.. Bancroft in OPP.
position to precedents, has taken upon himsefto adj
mi, and sanction in its fullest extent His instruc-
tons to the hemp agents Of the government at the
West, published some time since in our columns,
show that with his usual promptness, he has taken
immediate and efficient measures to carry his views
Of the law into full effect In his new view of the
law, we believe Mr.. Bancroft to be correct; and we
know that, in his whole course in the matter, he
has been ac,uated by enlightened and most sin
desire to do all in his power to favor and foster
the culture of one of the great agricultural staples Of
the West. We happen fully to know, and we take
occasion once for all to assure the Reporter" that
disregard of western interests is the very last
charge which be brought home to the Secretary
of the Navy or to any other member Of the present
administration.
We embrace this opportunity, now that the topic
is before us, farther to assure the Reporter" that
no administration could be placed in power, which
would be more jealous than the present to promote,
in every possible way, and by every wise reform,
the efficiency Of the Departments of War and of the
Navy The energy with which the force Of these
departments has, under the direction Of the Presi-
dent been handled in the recent crisis of our rela-
tons with Mexico, has already made itself known
and approved by the whole country. To that ener-
gy it is mainly owing that we are not now engaged
in Mexican war. Our ships-ofwar SO actively
and skillfully concentrated at once in the Gulf
and on the Atlantic and Pacific shores of Next
co, and our small army thrown, by wise fore
sight, in sufficient and seasonable force on the
ut points TO command our Texan frontier, have
been, as they should always be in this coun-
try the successful guardians and conservators in our
foreign relations, at once of justice and of peace
The spirit and the ability with which these things
have been done--and well done-give warrant, as
we conceive, that in the farther administration Of
these branches Of the public service all the true in
teress Of the country apperaining to them will be
carefully consulted and il, as the "Reporer" sug-
gests, there be room for. improvement in their or.
ganlzaton, we know no men better fitted, or more
disposed, than the present heads of these depart
ments, to cooperate with the President boldly and
ehectlvelyin bringing about and conducting to o
prosperous issue, any such changes as the country
may require.
CALiFoRNIA.-We have seen another letter from
New York. which canc,,rs Nth 4La a,,o Ill mas