The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-09-05

derness of seas,' and beset with every
variety of danger, presents nothing but
one vast image of dstended imbecilty.
Our Republic, on the contrary, great
in extent, yet compact by The contigui-
ty of its parts, freed from the presence
of dangerous neighbors, and covered
by contented people, exhibits On this
side Of the north pole, what Russia does
on the other-a power, by Its magnl-
tude, formidable to all, yet. from posi-
ton, assaiIablc by none. For this rea-
son it is. that pronounce our navy
greater, relatively to the necessity for
its use, than hers; because, whilst hers
must be scattered wherever she has q
colony exposed, ours has but one shore
to guard, and that shore lined by mil
lion of armed men, who, in defending
it, defend their own homes, families,
and laws.
So true, sir, is this my conclusion,
that when, by her refusal to evacuate
Malta, she had violated the treaty of
Amiens, and provoked a renewal of
the war with France; when, in conse-
qucnce, her soil, yes, her very being,
was threatened with INVASION, and
when, in this extremity, she was COM
PEELED to cry aloud for all her sons to
defend her-yet even then, she was
unable to collect into her own channel,
a naval armament equal to that which
her great enemy had found means to
create and to bring into that channel,
within the three years after the destruc-
ton of the French navy, at the battle
of the Nile. 1t was then, and for that
reason, England called back TO her aid
her war minister, Mr.. Pitt. 1t was for
that reason that he, Immediately upon
his second accession to power, demand
ed of parliament, and received, grant
of twelve millions of dollars, as secret
service fund, with which he subsidized
the half of Europe into coalition
against France, and thus, drawing off
Napoleon from the channel to the field
of Austerlitz, compelled him there, to
battle, instead of upon her own soil, for
the empire of the world. Nor would
this have saved her from after invasion,
but for the fortune Of her heroic Nelson
at Trafal gar, where he destroyed the
new navy of her enemy.
But, sir, it is said by everybody, and
believed by the thoughtless, that steam
navigation has increased the relative
naval power of England. This deny,
and affirm, on the contrary, that it has
diminished that power, first, by dis
pensing with one-half the seamen hith-
erto required for the direction of the
same amount of maritime force; and
secondly, by rendering England her.
self more assailable from the continent,
than she ever was before.
Sir, the naval power of nation de-
pends upon the number Of It's seamen.
and that upon its commercial ncviga-
ton. Conscriptions, as in France, en-
Iistments, rs in England, volunteer en-
rolments, as with Us, may promptly
bring armed men into the field, whom
a single campaign will perfectin all the
discipline of veteran soldiers. To do
this, nothing but money, and the author
ity ofregular government, are required.
Not so with seamen. They are to be
created before collected together. No
money, no public authority, can man a
feet upon the sudden outbreak of war,
if navig l:ion has not provided seamen
before. The half of lifetime spent in
the experience of the winds and waves,
is essential to the production OF these.
If, therefore, at the beginning of war,
a nation has but a limited commerce,
the number of its seamen must be llml-
ted, and limited also must be its means
of manning a navy. Under the old
system, therefore, the great superiority
Of England over others in commerce
and navigation, gave her correspon-
ding superiority in that description of
force which nothing but commerce and
navigation could produce. If, for IN
stance, we suppose, what was really
the fact, that at the commencement OF
the war which followed the peace OF
Amiens, England had foreign com.
merce four times greater than that OF
France, she was, for that reason, able
to man navy four times as large as
her enemy. Nor was it in the power
of France, had she possessed four times
the revenues of England, to have over
come that disparity of naval power,
because money alone could create no
f seamen; and because, in all the world
, beside. there was then not enough, had
she enlisted them all, TO give her ma
val equality with England. But under
the new system, this state of things no
longer exists. BY the aid of steam IN
, navigation, one-half the seamen hith-
erto required to directa given amount
of floating force is now all sufficient for
5 the same object. And now, therefore,