The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-07

against foreign competition. He had always
been the advocate of protection; and if the
principle could be extended 10 all similar enter
prises, he would go for the proposed protection
10 the Collins line. He objected to the special
character Of the proposed legislation; but if it
could be made general, he would willingly sus-
tain it, in view Of the principles which he had
always entertained and expressed in reference
to the protection Of AMERICAN LABOR.
MIR. HALE was in favor Of rendering the ad
ditional aid required for the American steam
ers--and this, too, for reasons which had not
been alluded 10 in the debate, but which he had
worked out for himself in his reflections upon
the subject before the Senate. He believed, in
the first place, that it is the manifest destiny"
Of The United States to meet Great Britain and
conquer her on the element which she has al
ways claimed as her own. He had always
considered that it was the manifest destiny"
of this Collins line to be sustained by its Gre
ators, and to accomplish splendid victory over
our transatlantic rivals. For this reason he
should support the amendment But again, it
had been officially reported to the Senate that
the expense of sustaining a first class steamer in
The navy was some 5000, 900 year. This was
as much as the United States paid for the sup
port OF one of these Collins steamers. The naval
steamer went abroad, and was mere thing Of
show and pageanlry, doing no useful service,
but remaining on some foreign station, to no
better purpose than that Of furnishing the scene
of idle ceremony, or Of entertaining some semi
barbarous potentate. These mail steamers were
continually employed on service that tended
TO advance the civilization of mankind, and that
commended itself alike to the judgment and
the heart. they both were equally expensive
10 the Government, he should be disposed to
sustain the mail-steamers in preference to the
naval steamers; but they were not equally
expensive, for the mail steamers were not
only rendering all the time essential service
10 mankind, they were continually pouring
treasures into the Golfers of the country.
We should not omit to alude to the remarks
of Mr.. BELL, who preceded Mr.. HALE, and
who spoke for few minutes with great power
and effect in favor of modified grant TO the
Collins line. He had reasoned out for himself,
from the known elements in the case, how and
why it is that the American ships were more
expensive than the English, from their supe-
rior size and power, and from the enormous
first OUTLAWS necessary to the construction of
the enlarged machinery indispensable to the
success which has attended them. He was
willing to extend temporarily the assistance
songht-for a year or two-till the matter
should be fully tested, and it should be ascer
tanned that the augmented compensation was
indispensable to the maintenance of the line.
We understood the Senator to express himself
in favor of Mr.. BADGERS amendment, as
reasonable compromise, which would enable
Congress &c keep the matter within its control,
and adjust the amount of compensation to the
exigences of the case.
Governor JONES moved to reduce the COM
pensation proposed from s33, 900 to $4,000 a
voyage. and during the tendency Of this propo-
sition the Senate adjourned.
The debate Of the day was interesting and
important 1t developed, we think, strong
to persevere without flinching in the contest in
which we have become engaged, and to vindi-
cate before the world our claim not merely TO
divide with Great Britain the empire of the
seas, but to establish and maintain an absolute
supremacy. Deeply should we regret the mar
row and short sighted policy which should abdi-
cate the dominion we have acquired, or which
should huckster and haggle about few thou
sand dollars more or less, in view of the with
drawal of our flag from contest in which i,
has woa such distinguished honors.