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

Inc supremacy OF the Seas
We observe that Mr.. YULEE presented
few days since in the Senate the memorial Of
the contractors for the .Ne,c York and Lirer-
pool mail steam line, praying for some modifi-
cation of their contract, with additional aid
from the Government, to enable them to COM
pete successfully with the British steamers.
1t is to be inferred from the memorial that,
under the present arrangements, the American
line cannot be sustained. The question to be
solved is, whether or not the end in view is of
sufficient importance to induce the extension of
further assistance.
In consequence of our progress in the art of
navigation, we had, few years since, estab-
lished between Europe and America the finest
line of sailing packets that had ever crossed the
ocean. Such was their reputation for safety
and speed, that they very nearly engrossed the
trade between the two continents; and especi-
ally between the United States and the British
islands. The CuNARD line of steamers was
established for the purpose of wrestling from us
this material source of wealth and prosperity.
So important was the object, that the British
government endowed the enterprise with an
immense outlay of capital, amounting, with
subsequent grants, to nearly million of
dollars annually. The experiment proved
highly successful. The vessels were excel
lent, and conducted with exceeding judgment
and skill. For period Of ten years only a
single vessel was lost, and the arrivals and de-
partures attained nearly the exactitude of land
conveyances. The inevitable results were,
that the letter carriage, yielding thousands of
dollars annually, with the transportation of bull
lion, passengers, and the finer and costlier
kinds of merchandise, were almost wholly en-
crossed by the CUNARD line. Thus, not only
was a large item of our best commerce taken
from US, but the high road of travel and mail
communication with the old world was trans
time it was obvious that the two countries had
changed positions-the Americans had lost
their ascendancy, and yielded it to Great
Britain.
The American line of mail steamers was es-
tablished with view to reverse this state of
things to recover the commerce which we had
created, but which had been thus forced from
us to restore it to its natural and legitimate
channels, and, in short, to assert and maintain
American ascendancy where it had before ex-
listed. The enterprise attracted great attention
on both sides of the Atlantic, and especially in
England, where it soon became theme of ma
tonal interest and inquiry. When the Amer-
can steamers got under way, and demonstrated
not only our capacity to excel in beauty of no
del, but to contend successfully in the race Of
speed, the people of the three kingdoms seemed
to start as from profound lethargy, and to cry
out that the sceptre of the seas was in danger
of being wrested from the accustomed grasp of
Britannia.
From this time the British press teemed
with articles calculated to excite the fears and
rouse the pride Of the nation to meet what
they deemed an important crisis. The beauty,
speed, and success of the American craft gener-
ally, were portrayed in vivid colors; in some
cases they were even exaggerated, as means
of straning the national spirit up to the emer-
gency. The columns of the London Times,
Chronicle, .Ne,cs, &C., either lightened with
ominous prophecy, or Numbered with disastrous
fulilment. Many of these articles have been
spread before the American public. We quote
from another paper devoted to maritime affairs,
and therefore high and technical authority on
this SUBJECTIVE London Nautical Standard,
January 4-for the purpose of showing, in pre-
else terms, the train of British thought, feel
ing, and policy, developed by the competition
of the American line Of Atlantic steamers. 1t
may be well to premise that the editorial motto
of this paper is as follows: "Whosoerer COM
Diands the Sea, commands the Trade Of the
World, ,chosocpcr commands The Trade Of the
World, commands the Treasures Of the Worid,
and consequently the World itself" 1t is
through such spectacles that the British peo-
pie read such passages as the following:
"Many times has voice been raised, as
warning to commercial men. TO put their house
in order, and not wait until it be too late. We
coming events casting their shadows before them,
and predicted that their supinencss would, II not