The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-12


coast-line Of three thousand miles, by our people
and our enterprise. 1t belongs to us to hold
the mastery of this traffic, not only that we
may reap its harvest, but that we may impart
to the countries with which it is connected our
political and social sympathies. Yet British
competition is certain to meet us here; and it is
a question whether we are to contend with a
people who have mastered us upon the Atlantic,
and who therefore bring to the struggle upon
the Pacific, the conscious power and energy of
conquerors.
Such are some of the public considerations
which are forced upon the mind by the posi-
bilty that the American line Of steamers may be
compelled to surrender. 1t is impossible to con-
slider it as mere question Of individual capital
and private enterprise, Both Britain and the
United States have made the competing lines,
to some extent, national, by direct government
patronage; the vessels Of both are, contingently,
government ships, and that, too, for naval
purposes. Even if we treat the American line
as private interest, and refuse to sustain it on
that ground, we leave it to be overborne by the
national purse and policy of Great Britain, and
in contest which involves our own national
interests to the extent of uncounted millions.
To these general views it may be well to add
few particular facts as to the American line.
Within the short compass Of three years, this
company has built and put into operation four
steamships, Of an aggregate burden of l. 900
tons. The vessels are acknowledged TO be the
finest models that ever floated. Their passages
are among the shortest ever known. They
have met with neither hindrance nor delay, ex-
cept in the winter pass ages here, want Of
experience has caused some Irregularities,
which are, however, now provided against.
One vessel is missing, and her fate being I'M
known, she cannot be made the basis of calcula-
ton here. 1t may be said, in general, that the
American line has at least demonstrated our
capacity to sustain successful and triumphant
competition with the British line, and thus to
maintain the credit of our navigation before the
world.
In the progress of this enterprise the Ameri-
can company have met with unexpected diff
culties. lthas been necessary to construct ma
chinery, and to devise, make, or import tools of
larger dimensions and more massive form than
existed in the country before; all of which may
hereafter be useful if not essential in the event
of war. The qualities of the various kinds of
iron have been tested and the best ascertained |;
thus enabling future machinists to construct
engines that may be relied upon for the severest
ocean service. They have, as above suggested,
acquired by experience knowledge of the Pc
culiar difficulties of winter steam navigation
upon the north Atlantic, and ascertained the
means of countervailing them. They have
thus, at great expense. made extensive expert
ments, and largely advanced the knowledge
and means essential to success in steam naviga
ton.
Other difficulties have been experienced
which are even more annoying. "The con-
test, says the Philadelphia North american,
sis not fair one, and, SO far as the steamships
are concerned, the rivalry is conducted on the
Z side of the British on such principles, and
with resort to such expedients to secure the
advantage, as show the importance attached by
them to the struggle, and their determination
to be victors at every hazard, and at any cost.
In a commercial aspect, the rivalry has been
pursued by them in pitiful, huckstering spirit,
which has infected the press, the public, the
very government, as well as those directly in
terested in the British ships. A great many
sly means have been used to prejudice the
character of the American ships by the cir
culation of unfeunded rumors of defective
6 r. fho, nfsc
thorities threw, as long as they decently
could, the weight of their official influence
g against the American ships; and the imme-
date managers of the English lines have al
ways been ready with the small device Of
reduced freights to drive away shippers"
A few days tince, in an article on this sub
ject, we made statements analogous to these.
They were questioned by the Albion, a British
Colonial Gazette, published at New York, and
relating to the unfairness of the British press,
was somewhat fatty denied. We did not
allude to open statements; for we were
fully aware that, in general. the American
steamers have been praised by the London pa
pers. We had in view such insidious para
graphs as the following from the Liverpool
journal of October IL: ''I'he Atlantic Is ,n,der
examination at New York, and the arctic is to
take her place." Both statements were ut
terly without foundation, and could only have
been the work of invention the sinister import is
too obvious to leave doubt on the subject. 1.-THE
New York Albion will consult its Liverpool
namesake for the last six months, we are as
sured it will find abundance of similar state
ments and rumors, fully bearing out our asser-
tons. The Latin quotation of the Albion,
with its context, importing that the misfortunes
of the CUNARD line had drawn us into an
"ebullition of spite," were too natural and ma
tional to provoke reply. The material parts
of our article are confirmed and established by
the above extract from the North .4n,erican
and, indeed, by the small criticisms of the
Albion itself; for surely it would not have con-
fined itself to fishing for minnows, if more sub