The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-12
The Atlantic AIaiI-steam.r1.


The article which we publish in another col
umn from the pen of Col WEBB, copied from
the New York Courier and Enquirer Of Thus
day, will be read with very general interest.
There is little doubt that the competition be-.
tween the British and American lines 81 steam
ers on the Liverpool route is destined 10 be
severe and bitter one-fjr Englasd will not
yield the superiority upon the ocean without a
struggle; but we must confess thar We were
hardly prepared 10 believe that such means Of
opposition would be resorted 10 as are described
in the opening paragraphs OF Colonel NrHs's
article.
There is one expression in the article that
seems to us calculated TO mislead the public
mind. and to divert the credit of our present
system of ma-steamers from the quarter 10
which it belongs. We do not think that II can
with propriety be called the policy OF the
late administration" The most that Mr..
PoLK's administration ever did in the way OF
encouraging it was to adopt il after II was
started and established by Congress. Mr.. Polk
at no time alluded to il in his messages until
after the act of lS47, providing for building
four war steamers, and accepting the PROPOSE
tons of Mr.. COLLINS and Mr.. SLoo for the
Liverpool and Chagres lines. The enterprise
was, SO popular. the. necessity and wisdom of
tho measure were so obvious to the nation,
and met with such general acquiescence and
approval, that Mr.. Polk was very ready and
willing to accept and appropriate the credit Of
it for his administration.
1t was as long ago as lS4l that the attention
of Congress and the country was first called to
this subject, by report on the Home Squadron,
made to the House of Representatives from
the Committee on Naval Affairs, by the Hon.
T. BUTLER KING. This was the first of that
series Of reports on subjects of naval and com
mercial interest by which Mr.. KING has ac-
quired reputation for practical craftsmanship
of which any man might be proud, and has
most honorably identified his name with the
history of the country. In the report of lS4l ,
he gave brief account of the then infant poll
cy Of Great Britain, for keeping atloat and ac-
lively employed upon our northern coast, and
in the West Indies, large number of steamers
of the largest class, many of them with their
OH the OlHtIs al all llIlltS
ready to receive them. To this report was an
nexed copy Of the West India mails contract,
made On the Goth March, 1910, between the
British government and the Royal Mail Steam
packet Company; appended to which was a
chart of the West Indies, the Isthmus of
America, and the lines of proposed Steam Mail
communication Thus a view Of the whole
system was submitted in brief space, and 50
obvious was the importance Of adopting some
legislation on our part corresponding TO that Of
the British government, that the Naval Com
mittee authorized Mr.. king to accompany his
report with the following resolution:
''Resolred, That the Secretary of the Navy is
hereby directed TO inquire into the expcdiency Of
aiding individuals or companies in the establish.
ment Of lines Of armed steamers between some Of
our principal northern and southern porte, and TO
foreign ports; 10 advertise for proposals for the Is
Enlistment Of such lines as he may deem most
important and practicable, and report to this
House at the next session Of Congress"
This was the first movement in Congress in
behalf of the American mal-steamer policy.
President TYLER presented it subsequently to
the consideration of Congress- and after it was
finally adopted and carried out, by the passage
Of Mr.. KING's war-stcamer and mail-steamer
act in ISL. the late administration for The first
time manifested the slightest interest in the
measure. II required six years to bring Con
gress up 20 the sentiment Of the country on the
subject. The final passage Of the bill, how
ever, was with almost the unanimous consent
Of both Houses, and was due 10 the judicious
and active management Of the measWe by Mr..
KING, and the efficient cooperation on this oc-
caslon Of Mr. MILLER Of New York, and Mr.
DoUGLAs ILLINOIS, then members Of the House
Of Representatives.
10 adopting or prosecuting this policy, there
fore, Vino administration is no follower in
the footsteps Of Democratic Predecessors-for
the policy was VINO before it was Democratic.
and is now VINO in spite Of its having been
Democratic. II is true that the late Secretary
Of the Navy, Mr.. PREsros, in his annual re-
port took ground against the system, but we
believe that in this opposition he found but few
TO sympathize As far as we have been able To
feel the pulse Of the country, we believe that it
beats in sympathy with the sentiments ex-
pressed by Colonel WEED, in the article TO
which we again refer our readers in another
column Of this mornings paper