Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-21
A Wonderful Discovery.

The London Weekly Times of the 29th of Feb
ruary, has made discovery which, if it has not
enlightened English readers and British tars, has
certainly gone far to convince that information
on American affairs, and particularly naval mat
ters, may be gathered from sources unreliable to
all but the Secretary of the Navy. If the fol-
lowing paragraph does not astonish the reader
it is lot because there is not g. pith and marrow"
in the candid cofession
cit may not be generally known that for some
years past there have been great inducements for
naval seaman to enter the American service Any of
our B Is who volunteer being paid off from our
ships of-war, received board the American lin
are Tcusd theif if6s passsse eSsn them to New
York. On their arrival provided they have certif-
Gates Of ability and general good conduct, they
entered in the American navy, with the rating OF pet
ty cficers"
The victories won on the high seas by Ameri-
can frigates over English vessels of superior
power, during the last war, is thus accounted for
by the Islanders In a conversation between
Cobbett and an English nobleman on the bril-
liant feats Of the American navy, the nobleman
sneeringly remarked, that our success was en-
tirely owing to the prowess of English sailors,
two-thirds of whom manned the American frig-
ates g True, my lord, - returned the radical,
g but you will please recollect that our navies
were entirely manned by Englishmen p He left
the critical nobleman to draw his own conclu-
sions.
One is inclined to suppose that British jour
nalsts, at this late day, when America and Eng
land are drawn so near each other, as it were, by
the power of steam, would be more intimately
conversant with our domestic affairs, and that in
comparing the intellectual requirement of Amer
icau and British seamen, the Yankee would take
precedence over the English tar. A bull-headed
sailor would not be endured as petty officer by
superiors or interiors in our navy. If English
men choose to forsal1e their own flag and enlist
under American colors, it is not from any advan-
tage held out to them over Americans, but from
the fact that as able seamen they are better paid
in the American than in the English navy The
intimation that free passage and victualling is
given to English sailors in American liners, as an
inducement for them to come to America, for the
express purpose of enlisting under the stars and
stripes, will be news to our shippers. We are
certain they are the last people in the world to
throw away their room and provisions for anv
such purpose unless well paid by the Govern
ment. Our navy need never want for capable
and intelligent ssamen so long IS our whaling
fleets are as numerous as they are at present.
g9A bare intimation from government that our
armed ships want men, is sufficient hint for the
gallant sons of the ocean who hunt the levia
thans Of the deep, to at once throw harpoon and
lance aside, and in turn grapple boarding-spikes
and serve guns. The editor of the London
WeeFly Times need not therefore be unnecesla-
rily alarmed. When we cannot find seamen
enough to man our ships of war between New
Bedford and Passamaquoddy, we shall advertise
you of our necessities, and ask for assistance
Until then, English journalists need not be un-
der any apprehensons, but that we shall manag
for ourselves.