The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-06-19
A Steam Navy.

upon the Joint resolution authorizing the com
peion of war-steamer for harbor defence
Mr. ToUCEY made the following observations
zone point is eetted in my mind. This elemen
of steam must be brought into the navy of thii
country. 1t is indispensabiy NECESSARY There
is not city upon the coas; there is not State il
the Union upon the Atlantic board or upon The
Bay of Mexico, that lie not directly interested in
the measure; and we should be behind the age fl
(which we live were not cheerfu'ly and readily
to go forward and avail ourselves of it. | say
there IS no choice, 1t must be done; il will be
done. There Is only question TO the manner
| in which it shall be done. / would refer to the
| South There ls an excited feeling in the public
mind. not only in this country, but abroadI and
IN case of a war with EUROPEAN power, the
coast Nc lett deienceless! Is it not important to
| them? Ia it not important to every portion of the
| country bordering upon the ocean, and upon the
Mexican gulf? Is it not important TO the whole
country that you should have this description Of
naval marine, that in a few days could be sent TO
amy point upon the coast for its security? Sir, |
dislike to the vessels of enemy riding ga fely
in our waters, month after month, and year after
year, in the event of war. We have seen it once.
! hope VIC shall never see it again. And how arc
you to avoid it? You must adopt this system,
| which has been adopted by all other countries
| having occasion to introduce it, You are now by
the element OF steam able to throw upon any one
point one hundred thousand men where but yes
'terday you could throw scarcely ten thousa nd
On land we have power enough through this in
'strumentahty. What you want, and what you
must have, ia the same power upon the water" +
II IS matter of lust surprise to ali who have
turned their attention to the subject, that SO
little has been done by the National Legislature
In the navy proper for steam navigation The
idea of sending ship-of war to sea, without a
full or an auxiliary steam-power, is pretty much
obsolete In all the large maritime nations ex
cept our own. In all naval and military ope-
ratons, whether for the transportation Of troops
or supplies, certainty If not celebrity of move
ment is Indispensable. For celebrity paddle
wheel steamers possess an admitted ADVANTAGE:
but they cannot keep many days at sea, in con
sequence OF their large consumption of coal
The space which the coal occupies infrnges
upon the room desirable for the accommodation
of passengers and cargo. But propelicrs under
favorable conditions of wind and current make
nearly as rapid passages as paddle heel
steamers, and they may be relied upon, except
q
lated certainty of transit. They are compare
lively inexpensive, for they not only consume
little coal, when employing their steam power
but large portion of the time they may safely
count upon the exclusive use Of their sails.
The United States were the first nation TO
give the world specimen of the perfect pro-
peller steamer. For this our navy was indebt-
ed to the sagacity and energy of Commodore
SToCKToH. Ii is admitted that the Princeton.
as war-steamer, has never been surpassed;
and it is probably not too much to say that she
has never been equalled. And yet the Prince
ton has never been reproduced in our navy,
perfect as she was in all her arrangements and
IN all the details of her machinery. The San
,Jdcinto is no duplicate of the Princeton, but in
most respects an original production of much
inferior character.
jealousy Of Commodore STocRroH-a re-
luclance to admit the superiority of his work
and general aversion of the older members of
the naval corps to the introduction Of a power
with which they were unacquanted- said 10
have been the causes which have retarded the
growth Of our national steam marine This is
probably harsh judgment; but, whatever may
have been the cause, it is certain that much
has been left undone that ought to have been
achieved in our navy long before this day.
when our commercial rivals have converted
nearly all their sailing ships of war into steam
propellers, and when a reliance upon the winds
alone is regarded az little less than relic Of
sarbarsm.
We were much struck by the remarks of
Mr. HUNTER few weeks since in the Senate.
IA regard to propeller steamers. They exhib-
tied an acquaintance with the subject which
We did not expect from one who had not made
1t particular study We are grarifed to find
that the new Senator from Connecticut is so
thoroughly impressed with the importance of
improving and augmenting our steam navy
and the application Of steam propulsion to naval
and military purposes. With the aid of the
practical knowledge and skill Of Senator
STOCKTON, we should think that these gentle
men might accomplish great deal in supply
ing the admitted defects Of our service. and IN
placing the United States in this regard in a
position which leading commercial power Of
The world ought to occupy.
Gorrespond,ncc