The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-04-02

nave 10 be completed, and they can he as we'll
,"'shed now As at any other time. We honestly
oe'e'e' In their present condition. they would
inevitably TALL into the hands of an invading foe.
we ask our honorable Congressmea, or, as they
sometimes have seen iii 10 style themselves, the
servants OF the people, To examine their maps,
and consider well the location of Forts Monroe
ana calhoun See their commanding position,
and tell us what ncalculabe injury ,nioht MT
oeiall our country, if they should fall into the
nahos OF our enemies VIVA, is the condition of
our Navy Yard at this timed We have two
shiPs on the stocks that ought to have been
ia"hched many years ago. We have many ships
'hal require TO be repaired, and must be. beG re-
'hey can again be sent to sea and we haven
very many skilfnl mechanics idle for want of en-
ploymen' We ask, are you doing justice to our
common country, and To these men, whose ser
wants you profess 10 be 2 Why will you not act.
ana mat speedily, on the recommendation of the
PRESIDENT? We tell you in sober earnestness.
'na' should war come upon us and find ms in an
unprepared state, from your neglect for providing
the means, or from neglecting to appropriate
adequate means for such purposes. that you will
"oiea''er ne discarded by the people, whose conf
oN"'" Jou VIII nave abused.
but let 1t be admitted that we shall have no
war. Does il follow, of consequence, that we
must permit Qualifications to tumble down.
ana our ships of war To rot at our dock y,rds2
we Know that this is not the policy of our Gov
eminent We know tina, it is the desire of the
country, at large, that We should have NAVY
suilicient to protect commerce. We have
plenty OF brave and skful officers anxious for
employment. They desire sea service, and the
country is willing that ships should be bull, in
order that they may be thus employed. Thew
entered The service for the purpose of being en-
p'oyed IN our national vessels, and il is the duty
oil The Government thus 10 employ them or to dis
pense with their services altogether for i, is well
known that we have entirely too many Off
GERS Tor our number Of ships
we repeat, we are the friends of the NAVY.
We should be pleased to see all of our officers
employed In their Legitimate sphere, and we will
go as lar as any to bring about the desirable re-
suit; and we shall be as open in our dennncia
lions against those who are endeayorino TO thrust
and Keep themselves in situations which of RIGHT.
should he held by civilians alone We can tell
our Congressman that the great mass of people
wv NV" So"SiuoiiIS lHIS suOJect-that, IN future,
1t Will have an important bearing on all of our
elec'ons--and that you will have either TO build
more ships for your officers, or reduce their num-
Der down to the number of your ships. We can
tell you that the great injustice under which the
worklngmen of this country have labored for
many years back, is now producing such an efrcc,
as will hereafter deprive all from power OF pat
ronage, who will not respect and maintain their
rights.
We can assure friends in Congress, that
this feeling is not confined to this section of our
country; it Is spreading in every direction, and
they may be assured That the injuries inflicted on
the working classes will cause them to be- united
throughout the length and breadth of our wide
extended country We then call on our friends
In Congress, to act speedily on the recommends
lions Of the President. If we have no war we
shall have our ships and Notifications in good
order, and our industrious and worthy mechanics.
now ont of employment, will be benefited by YOUR
liberal appropriations.