The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-10-11
HI NAVY.

There are always a set of Reformers in the
world, who are eternally striving to place them
selves on the top round of the ladder, that they
may cry out, Here am I!' but not being able
to do it by the beaten track of safe precedent and
experience, they let drive their thunder bolts at
the existing order of things, and endeavor to des-
troy that which ages have set its seal upon as
good. Like Erostatus, who fired the Ephesian
temple, they endeavor to acquire fame by des-
'rroying the proudest monuments of wisdom and
art. We were led to this remark, by observing
that there are some discontinued spirits among
"us, who are endeavoring to set the hearts of the
people against the Navy of our country.
We received an extra a day or two since, pur-
porting to come from the Christian Citizen,
published in Worcester, massachusetts, we sup
opose,) containing a letter of Elihu Burritt,''
the learned Blacksmith, who has taken up a SEN
tence of Joseph Surge. another notorious Adolf
zionist, in England, (Burrilt it will be recollected
has just received the nomination of the Abolition
lists of Massachusetts, for Lieutenant Governor of
g that State,) in which he undertakes to show, by
figures, that Navies impoverish, rather than aid,
commerce. We will not undertake to refute so
palpable an a~bsurdity. We only ask, what OBJ
ject have the Abolilionists in view in DESTROYING
our Navy2 We acknowledge that we cannot
see the bearing of this high handed move. We
copy two sentences introduced by Burritt, in his
article. The first is from Joseph Surge, and is
the base Of Burritt's communication, 10 the follow
ing words
g" know something about chartering and in.
suring ships, and | do not hesitate TO say, that if
the whole of the navy were scuttled tomorrow
and sent TO the bottom of the ocean, | could 90 to
iLloyd's and insure ships and cargo without pay
ing one shilling more premium, and could char
ter vessels to any port of the globe without pay
ing any more freight"
The second is the words, according to Burritt,
" of an extensive ship-owner in this country"
and, il a veritable person, we will venture to say,
is a rank sbolitionist, who having made his for
tune is now willing to kick down the ladder by
which he rose to wealth.
" If we had not a single ship, we could receive
and send away every thing we wished to buy and
sell, by foreign vessels, which would do their own
fighting and instead of charging our commerce
with a farthing for naUaL protection, would carry
all our freight at a cheaper rate than is now paid
for the same service"
The fate of China is a sufficient argument, il
any argument were necessary, to overturn this
absurd doctrine in the United States. Jefferson,
once, we believe, entertained the idea that we
could get along without a Navy, but very soon
gave it up, and became one Of its strongest ad vo-
Gates.
Burritt says these two paragraphs are =" singu-
larry coincident." We cannot see their coinci-
Adence. Surge goes for s~cutting the Navy Of
GreatBritain-our "extensive ship-owner'' would
drive our commercial marine from the face of
the ocean. The coincidence is in the fact, that
if both plans were adopted, the carrying trade of
the United States would be carried on by Great
Britain, who could then fetch and carry what she
pleased for us, and Joseph Surge, with his non
combattant faith, could enrich himselfby engaging
in commerce without foreign competition.
We 90 for a military marine, commensurate
with. our astonishing commercial marine, which 10
nearly az extensive as that Of Great Britain, and
in ten years more will surpass it, while we do
not number one gun to her ten'in our Navy. Oar
tonnage at present, of all vessels engaged in for
siRn and domestic trade amounts to 2,I58, 602,
while that Of Great Britain amounts 10 3,04S, 17e.