The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-09
From the London Ndoal and Military Gasete
Naval Intelligence.

reply has not been a tacit, but a laundering com
mentary the inane discourses put forth at the
late meeting at Frankfort. To conceive that this
warlke assemblage of ships and steam vessels was
merely pageant to crafty the self love OF the
President and the vanity of the nation, would be a
great mistake. We are all well aware that the
French nation is ready at any moment to take up
arms, and pour forth her columns wherever their
presence is required; the recent experiment is to
prove that they are nearly as well prepared to put
forward their force by they are by land, and
that they have no hesitation in exhibiting before
their present rivals and former enemies the means
at their disposal Lest any msapprehension might
arise this point, some Of our best judges OF nau-
teal affairs have been specially invited to witness
this display of force, and which, we have reason to
believe, they will not coon forget.
For our own part, we feel grateful TO Louis Ma
poleon for the assistance he has afforded to our ar
guments, when we have urged our countrymen
never to lose sight of the impending danger to our
national security in the present detenceless line Of
sea coast; that, however fattering and apparent
may be the promises OF peace, We should not be the
less vigilant in our precautions
The very place Of rendezvous is suggestive ON that
point The assembly Of this squadron did not take
place at Brcst, Toulon or Rochelle each better cal
culated than Cherbourg for the evolutions of a
squadron; but at this latter port, Immediately op-
poste TO our shores 1t must always be borne
in mind that the construction of this harbor and
arsenal has been carried on for nearly two centu-
ries-not with view place Of refuge for ship
ping in distress, still less a mercantile port, but
simply point from which to threaten England,
and If necessary, the starting point of an invad
ing force The works there have been continued
with intervals since the time Of Louis XIV, and it
is rather singular that they have been more adj
vanced and brought nearer to completion under the
Napoleon ofPcaee, Louis Philippe, than during any
other previous period.
We thus see, at the opposite side of the watery
way, a great port constructed expressly with an
aggressive view against England, and ON which
millions have been expended. Surely II Is high
time for us to consider and weigh well the means
hat he a ue AZ
cordngly. Those officers III our service who have
had the opportunity of viewing the formidable ships
Of tie line anchored within the Digue of Cher bourg,
can best pronounce on their capability and force;
some of them arc represented being stupendous
both in construction and armament, although they
not built on the fancy plan OF MIR. This or Mr..
That, and have not been cobbled and patched to
try to make them sail faster,
We are but too apt to hold our opponents cheap,
and treat their efforts with contempt; but we have
had one or rather rough lessons within the last
few year,, thet should teach us more caution in fu
ture.
The French ships are fully manned and armed
their officers we'll educated, have had good
deal of practice and at the outset OF hosties they
would be troublesome 10 deal with. Their great
disadvantage is, that they have not maritime pop
ulation 10 draw to repair their Losses, have;
therefore their first blow, which is half the battle,
would probably be tho most seyore We may re-
collect that at the beginning OF the first revolution,
(when a great number of our naval officers had
been dismissed emigrated, and we had badly or
ganzed crews the French fleets fought with both
determination and courage, and that they displayed
more Of those qualities in Lord Howes action of the
Let June, than they ever exhibited in any great
battle afterwards.
The FREScH FLEET.-Every improvement OF
which ships capable has been tried with them,
and even TO such points new and very excellent
"stops' on the cables has the minutest attention
been paid. The officers all excellent theorists,
quick and intelligent men, and full of mathematics;
the crews for the most part young, with want of
| w a nd hen lint ma arf
and sinewy. Some Of them conscripts, but that
does not hinder their being jealous and obodient.
Since the republic established hogginR has
been abolished, and minor punishmcnts have be-
come tolerably frequent. They arc served with
about n glass of brandy and two glasses of wine
(oratn0irs) each day. The mcsses small,
the tables uncomfortable; his ship is not the
French sailors home, aud the little comforts OF
having his cans and cups and saucors with him
are not allowed 10 him TO the British sailor,
his traps being taken away and put up af
ter meals below deck. The space for hanmocks is
rather limited, not being more than IL inches for
boys, and Is 70 10 inches for men; but they have
an advantage in possessing leach OF tbcm) asepa-
rate boz, accessible 90 the owner at all reasonable
times; that theft Of necessares and wearing APP
psrel can scarcely occur. The dress they have CO
pied from sltoCethcr-widc trousers, without
braces, tight the hips, white blue jackets,
turn down collar round hat, with the name Of the
ship ON the riband. Perap % they initiate our swag
ger, too. They are too fond Of talking when alof,
but are very quick when out on the yards and han
die small arms with dcxtcrity. II message 10
given a sailor. he takes it direct TO the captain,
whom he generally addresses blunty enough, and
does not send Il through officer The dress Of
the officers does not resemble much that
Of the men, but the same system prevails Of mark
ing grades Of rank by the depth and numbers Of
rows Of lace, by epaulettes, sc. One very ugly
custom they still retain, which is that Of fastening
up their cadets and fnseigno dc rgisseau with al
guillettes and tags like lootmen.
sUBhaUDoUs ASe HARBos TELroRAPHs.-Th The cleo
l.. mot R1xr
likely 10 be applied extensively 70 shipping and other
purposes along and in porte and marlboro; and
with this view II Is intended 20 establish one over
the Mersey between Liverpool and Birkcnhead. It
IL also in contemplation 20 establish line Of wire
communicating with the custom house and chief
shipping stations along the three miles Of docks 30
that in foul ogRy weather the owners Of vessels
may receive intelligence AT the moment any ship
IL at the mouth of the river. Arrangements have
been made by Mr.. Walker, superintendent Of tele-
graphs on the Southeastern railway, for running
waterproof wire for this purpose underneath the
ha rbor at Tolkcstone,
wooLwIrH.-On Wednesday, Admiral Baron
Mackau, Of the French navy, and formerly Minis
ter of Marine. visited Woolvich doc kyard and was
received By Commodore Henry Eden, Mr.. Lang,
and several Of the heads Of the departments. The
gallant admiral accompanied Commodore Eden
70 view the Agsmemnon, eighty guns,
tirely in frame, and 10 be fitted with screw
propeller, and engines of 40O.horse power. He
then visited the building where Nasmyth's ham.
mers are worked at the blsc ksmith'e shop in which
great alterations are being made. Passing along.
side the docks in which we're the Hydra and Alecto
steam vessels, he proceeded to the San Fiorenzo,
fifty, building, and considerable portion Of her
frame-timbers upon the clip from which the Nan.
kin, fifty, was launched After visiting the store
depot and having the Warrior convict ship pointed
out 10 him, aud several details connected with con-
vict labor in the dockyard explained he visited the
/ saw mills and witnessed tho machinery in opera
ton, converting the various descriptions OF timbcrs
usod in the service. At the west-end of the yard
he went on board the Wasp stesm-sloop, prepar
ing for commission and for service on the coast o
Africa. That vessel IL fitted with a screw pro
peller, and Mr.. Humphreys, chief engineer Of the
dockysrd pointed out tho mode in which the screw
propeller was raised or lowered by screws, and
taken up ON deck through the well when requisite.
The Admiral then went to the factory, and in
spected the boiler. makers and foundry depart
ment, the steam engine for setting the works in
motion, and the machinery for finishing the works
Of steam engines. Mr., Lang then conducted him
was evidently wraaasd with his visit,