The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-06-05


vessels of bel'ige!enls rot quietly at TIT
whArves 1t is not, then, either for on
commerce or opr navigation that we neet
the navy.
The use of the armed force in war i
for two purposes: TO protect our owl
country and to annoy and distress the enc,
my. LIE. US see which function our navy
discharges, if it discharge either.
The navy is no protection to our homes
to our iresdes to our country, in war
For this we re y on the army, the militia
the forts aud military posts. AnchoreC
in our harbors, our seventy fours compar'
ell with the land battery are very inelfi
cienl; and, surely, sailing over the ocean
they do not defend the country. The
whole navy o! Great Britain could not de
fend us or prevent an enemy from landing
or some part OF our extended coast. VIVA,
could our fifty ships do in this service p
Military men themselves never depend on
ships ofwar for the defence Of the country
which employs them.
On The other hand, the navy cannot Sc
riously annoy the enemy on the ocean. -
Prvatcers, who pay themselves by their
punder, are the most efficient means OF
annoyance la this kind Of glory our ma
Wy would not share 10 any extent; theirs
is the glory, not of stealing, as Of saugh-
ter, without any profit or advantage whats
ever from the slaughter.
In war, our ships of war are but slaugh.
ter houses for American seamen. Those
not blockaded, would sail on the ocean
sing y,-that is said 10 be the best arrange.
men'-nying from the stronger, and chas'
ing the weaker enemy. Now and then,
some Of them would catch fghI-a hard
fght-gun for gun-man for man-and
the issue? about as many are killed on
their decks as are killed on the decks of
the enemy. In The name of God, our
common Father, | ask, Why drag out our
seamen thus 10 be killed, in killing olhers2
Grant a successful termination 10 The fight,
aye, to The whole naval war: let every
ship of our navy capture or sink an enc
my's shIp--let each seventy four kill FIVE
hundred nen-and every frigate, two
hundred men, and every soop, one hun
dred men, would this loss 50 humble
Great Britain, as TO make her down upon
her knees and beg for peace2 Great Brit
ain could lose more ships than we could
possibly fight with in five years war,
and, very calmly go about building others,
Queen Vicloria's throne would not be over
turned. If we were 10 lose The same COM
parative number Of our fighting ships, as
we could in a most successful ocean war
conquer of hers, il would not severely dis
Lress US; we could bear this; she could
bear this. II would not alarm either or
END to bring about peace. The fighting
on the ocean is aimIess and objectless; we
san in no event, seriously, injure the enc.
my, and most probably the extent of the
injury done, would be about the amount
Of the injury that we suffered ia doing it.
1t may be said that we have forgotten
he glory o! this warfare, Tue wreath OF
aureIs tina! would entwine the brows of
more than dozen captains. 1t is most
rue that we have overlooked i, and gen.
erosity should compel US 10 allow this gIo>
ry, for this is all that our fighting ships
ever possibly achieve. Let US then ad-
nit " Glory" frankly and freely. How
o estimate it is the difficulty. A captain
las battered and sunk an enemy's figate,
md his own lrigate is only half torn to
pieces. He has killed one hundred and
en- EngIishmen, and has wounded ffv>
light more, while only 6lty.fve of his own
rev have been slaughtered outright, and
'aly twenty>uine more are ia the cock pit,
NAMED aud mulilated, some slowly dying
VI their wounds, some wrilhing in agony
lnder the surgeons knife. The ocean is
eddened little more by the life blood of |
than by the life blood Of
americans. Most glorious for this GAL
ant Sir for this you sail on the ocean
or glory-your proudest achievement is
he killing of more of the enemy than YOU
ause TO be ghtered Of your own crew,
pon your own decks.
Imagine that between this country and
ONE other country lay broad tract of
and, sandy desert, uninhabited, useful
My us The passage ground between the I
aIions. A war is declared. We send
ut some fifty wagons, armed with swvels
I'd muskeIs. The enemy sends GU, his
va CONS too.
These wagons meet occasionally, and
ght and attempt to destroy each other -
species of guerrilla warfare is kept up.
about as many are killed in the wagons
I one country as are killed in The wagons
the other. What matters who succeeds,
Tho has the little victory? Tears of the
ereaved, it is true, fall; The wall of or
hans 90 10 God and there is sorrow ia
oth the countries at every encounter.-
'm however sanguary this guerilla wars
ire, whatever be the number killed on Ell