The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-10

builder pleased, and we woald build another in
New York, the owner of the fastest to have both
This challenge, we learn, has been accepted by
Messrs. Thomas Tucker 4 Co., shipbuilders, of
Liverpool, in the following terms
On mature consideration Of your correspondents
letter from New York, OF the 26th ut We have come
TO the discrimination and beg leave to propose We
can be backed by any gentleman in England, TO &C
cept the proposed challenge OF the Americans to
struct sailing ship of doe tons, any size they
may think proper TO build TO be unrestricted with re-
gard 10 model scsntlDg kind, or quality Of the mate
rails; the ships to be possible Of the
dimensions, according to the old atmeasurement for
English tonnage all the mssts yards aud spars, from
mensions. The ships to sail in ballast Of such kind ss
the respective builders may consider most advantage
ideal line the of the water as NAV De most
conducive 70 their sailing qualities both ships to be
allowed given time In order TO and their power trim
&c, and II the starting point 10 to be from England
the time the American ship in crossing the
Atsntic TO count Tor the English ship on her trial
trips. The commander OF each ship to be appointed
by the builders who choose their own officers and
men sais cordage provisions and ell other ineiden-
tai arrangements. 4 given time to bs allowed ter
building the ships we should say twelve months at
least II be perfectly understood that the ships
are 10 sail rom Eueope to the East Indies and back
g make circuit Of the earth If the Americans think
proper.
There is no doubt that these gentlemen will be
backed by some enterprising capitalists in Eng
of the seas will take ace as as the two ves-
sells are constructed. Some eighty or ninety thou
sand dollars were subscribed in New York for the
purpose of building the American ship, and in all
probability the remainder will be collected as soon
as The acceptance OF the challenge shall have been
| made known.
The imporsanc OF this great ocean race Will be
as great as that of the rivalry between the British
lines af sta y mill ho
part of the friendly contest which has been going
on FOX some years past, between the two nations,
FOR the supremacy of the season the part of Eng
land TO ho'd her own, on the part OF the United
States to be G, the head of the maritime and COM
mercial nations of the world. Both will exercise
their ingenuity and their means, in their exertions
TO succeed but it needs no prophetic power to
tel hch viii be the victor Il is The manifest
destiny" OF the gn:ed States to become the great
est ard mo: powerful nation that ever existed pro-
yded we are true to ourselves and avail ourselves
| OF tAe great advantages with which We are en-
| dswed. Under the free navigation laws, the COM
mercial marine of the two countries will be placed
/ on an equality. With our superior models-mcdels
! which have attracted the attention Of the whole
| world-can there be doubt of our oltsripping all
| rivals Can there be doubt that we have not, "a
! great extent, always doae SO At the present
time our commercial marine, of all kinds, is greater
than that of England; and, henceorth, the disparity
will become greater, year by year, in favor of the
United States. England is endeayoring TO retain
The trade with Asia, in light and valuable goods
we are striving to take il from her. As if It were
an omen of the future, and o. the success of the
United States in the struggle, the clipper ship Otien-
tai made passage so expeditions as 10 create a
sensation throughout the whole of England
Our clipper ships are fighting their way to favor,
and superior are they 10 English vessels in SAIL
ing, that the British government has recently CHI
tered one of them-the Romsn-to convey troops
from London to Bombay, ia India and an Eaglish
house have contracted for the building of clipper
ship, of eleven hundred tons, by our New York
shipbuilders.
We hope that nothing will occur TO prevent this
test of skill in building ships, and in navigating
them, from beng tried. There is. we are sure,
public spirit enough here to raise the sum neces-
cary for building the American ship, and We hope
that enerprsing merchants will no. be back
ward in making up the balance ,hairemains uncol-
lected. The trial would engage the attention Of
the whole civilized world.