The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-11
The Navies Of tn. world.

with any European power, II Is evident that II
must be conducted on the sea. Such is the popu.
lation of the country, numerous the avenues Of
rapid transportation, that the Atlantic coast can
be guarded at every accessible point by the inland
population. The application of steam to water
carriage, while it has placed France in dangerous
proximity with England, enables the United States
% line her seabcard with the hardy population ofhe
frontier There is no danger that New Orleans
will ever be invaded again. The thousand steam
boats on her great rivers will come down loaded
with the most formidable troops who ever were
marshalled for battle and the same may be said
OF every port. The world in arms could not land
on our coast men enough TO form even the nucleus
Of an army.
While the soil of our country will never be pol
luted by the tread of an armed foe, our coasts may
be blockaded by the navies of Europe, and our
commerce crippled, if not totally destroyed 1t is
| the naval forces of Europe which we must regard
with deep interest; the increase or decrease OF
their armies cannot affect u.s.
We purpose, from such documents are at our
hand, to give an Inventory and appraisement -
of the navies Of Europe.
First comes Great Britain. While France and
Russia may contest with her for the prize due to
military strength, she stands peerless in her armed
marine. The United States excels her in the num-
Der of merchantmen, but the navies of England
still come up to the poets boast:
britannia needs no bnlwarks,
70 towers along the steep
Her march is on the mountain wave.
her home is on the Deep"
In 1898, at the commencement of that great wal
which destroyed the fleets of France, Spain, Hol-
land and Denmark, the forces were:
Great Britain had 49S ships--of these, 1873 were
NEGOTIABLE ships France had, of the same class
Sc; Spain 6s; Russia SO; Holland IS; Denmark
"a; Portugal 10; Turkey and Naples 10. British
1853; other powers 26S.
At this time, 1850, the British navy consists of
68S ships, (among them SO war steamers of %, l26
horse power,) carrying from one to 100 guns, and
manned by $1,000 able seamen, 1000 boys, and
II 900 marines.
The French navy consists of 400 ships. The navy
lists show 29,993 men, though that is larger than
the number in service. The active force is PIG
vessels, with &c war steamers, of IA, $40 horse
power.
The Russian fleet, in the Black, Baltic and Cas-
plan SEAS consists of 1870 ships and $4,000 msn.
The American navy consists of 68 ships, Of
which 60 are in actual service.
Great Britain has l67 900 merchant seamen,
10000 fishermen the United States, 900 sea-
men, $1,000 fishermen, (these facts are gathered
from the census of 1S40); France, $1,000 ssamen,
$4,000 fishermen
The English authority, from which we gather
some of these details, thus ranks the relative forces
First, Great Britain. Second France. :. Third
United States. Fourth, Russia.
"The American navy is smaller than that OF Rus
sia, but the range of their seas is greater. The
Gar possesses maritime force sufficient 10 guard
49, .zFl. To-. t.. Il n
the American is a pairong guard. Besides, the
timber of the Western Continent is, by many de-
grees, superior TO that of Russia the people are
more hardy and skilful Mariners the discipline is
BETTER and the spirit Of the seamen incomparably
finer"
While we thus copy this compliment to our ships
and seamen, it is but fair to reciprocate, and We
give an American eulogium of the British navy:
"Not port have visited, since left America,
where did not see the flag of England. 1t was
the first flag saw entering the ancient harbor of
Rome, at Civia Vecchia. Again saw it in the de.
serted harbor Of Piteus, where once rode the fleet
of Tbemistocles. first saw the domes and nina
rets of Consiantinople from beneath a cloud Of
dense smoke that issued from British lne-o battle
ships, saluting the Mahommedan ally Of Great
Britain. The first object that met my eye, on
scaling the summit of the Pyramids, was the Cross
Of st. George, which some English traveller had
planted there. Beyond the Cataracts, on the Dor
zation that saw was the English flag, flying from
the mast of the travellers boat"
While such is the naval power of Great Britain,
at this time, it is curious, perhaps melancholy, to
see how other nations have been cut down. In
JS43, the number of ships of the line was Brit
ain, 1875; France, 45; Russia, so; Egypt and
Turkey, 10; America, 10; Naples, Spain. q;
Portugal, 2; Denmark, g.; Sweden, 10. The fleets
Of Venice, Florence, Pisa, Genoa, all destroyed,
and only the immortal fame of their achievements
left; Spain, Portugal and Holland following in the
same course-such reviews as this of progress and
decline, suggest whole volumes of history.
The commercial tonnage of the United States,
by the last report of the Treasury is near 100000
tons. 1t is admitted by British writers that our
tonnage exceeds that of Great Britaint
While the navies of England and France show
vast addition of strength from steam, our own navy
makes but an Indifferent exhibition. The Secretary
Of the Navy, in his last report, gives sir steamers
1t is true, that few steamships employed in the
nail service, are liable to be taken for the public
Use. But Great Britain has still larger number |
# ships at its command. We must encourage the
construction of more commercial steamers, even
hough they should be employed in the Liberia
rade. At this moment, we are far behind France
and England. Either the Government must build
more Ships or assist the enterprising merchants.