The republic., 1851-01-28

slowed by Congress upon the COLLINS stsamenj
and to what she has given she stands ready to
add more. The applicants need not go to Par
lament; it is only necessary to satisfy the
Board of Trade to insure additional millions for
this object. An English gentleman, recently
discussing the subject, adduced this fact as in
suring the final triumph Of the CUNARD line,
particularly as he counted upon the supposed
reluctance of an American Congress to grant
money to this and kindred objects!
Yet, fully appreciating all these advantages
on the side of the British steamers, we have no
fear as to the result. In river steamers we
surpass all other nations in ocean steam navi-
CATION, in the milder latitudes, we are also with
out rival No other ships can compare with
our lines to the South, to the Gulf of Mexico,
and from Panama to San Francisco In sum
mer navigation of the Northern Atlantic, COL
LINs's line is at least equal to CUNARD's; fthere
be an advantage it is on our side We now
speak only of speed; in comfort to passengers, in
taste and general arrangement, we have an ad-
mitted superiority. In the winter navigation
the only point in which our inferiority can be
pretended-twoo of Coz LINs's line have run short
of coal, owing doubtless to a want of experience
as to the use of it on the part of the engineers
For the first eight years the CUNARD line stop
ped at Halifax and always took in coal, which is
only what these two ships have done, each in one
instance. Even such accidents will not be likely
to occur, after this experience. Thus far,
CoLLINs's line has been more successful and
less subject TO accidents than the CUNARp
line in its early history As to the Atlantic,
her fate not being known, she is not fit sub
ject for present speculation. The Great Bri-
tain went ashore in Dundrum bay, twelve
hours out of port; and the Columbia, Of the
CUNARD line, was wrecked off the Bay of
Fundy. So some accident has doubtless hap
pened to the Atlantic. We believe, however,
that she is still afloat, and will yet fulfil the
happy auspices of her early career.
We have little space in which to consider
the aspect which this question of superiority in
steam navigation bears upon the prospects of
our own country and Great Britain. Of the
six hundred ships Of war forming the present
Brish navy, about one hundred are steamers,
oSoiAhS Viz VeiCc VI lAuuCl, hVCuSoI, DdSliiSk,
Bloodhound, Bulldog, Firebrand, Fury, Goliah,
Spitfire, Terrible, Viper, Vixen, Volcano, &c.
To this euphoneous list must be added her mail
steamers. Such force is doubtless sufficient to
master the other navies of Europe, and thus, if
America were out of the way, Britannia might
still assert and sing her dominion Of the waves.
That in this condition Of things, John Bull
is chewing the cud of bitter fances, there can
be no doubt. We regret to see, in the British
press, train Of ideas and suggestions which,
if indulged, may again crimson the ocean with
the blood of the two kindred nations. The time
is past when mankind will endure the idea Of
an iron Gibraltar, steamihg over the world, and
making every flag that flies the play thing Of
Britan's iron will. This notion Of supremacy of
the seas-of triumph on the one hand and humil-
iation on the other-should nevergo beyond com
mercial rivalry. And it should be the effort ofall
good men divest this, as far as possible, of any
embittering tendency. Yetitis certain that, by
the manner in which that subject is discussed
by leading papers in England, that statesmen
there are looking beyond commercial superiority
to their ancient maritime dominion; and it is
equally clear that, in the greedy pursuit Of
this object, the people of England are
returning evil for good, toward this country,
in respect to the existing competition. The
British steamers to our own ports have met with
universal favor; our steamers to British ports
have been the objects, and to some extent the
victims, of conspracies, to which the press
have been, in certain instances, party! We
do not expect by this article to arrest or modify
these practices; it is due to truth, however, to
put the facts on record before the country