The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-14

steamers alike unsuitable for naval aud f com
mercial purposes, aud having tendency 10 keep
: down those which would suit the demands OF
: trade, and be started by private enterprise, II
/, the government did not interfere.
Fl Now, Mr.. President, ! acknowledges land it
was matter which escaped me when ! was
abiding 10 the sectional views OF the matter
that New York has natural advantages which
; the government should recognize, and which !
> would be the very last man 10 refuse her.
believe that such line II commercial steamers
could be sustained at kew York by the profits
on freight aud passengers and Poslages alone
and would give the hostages to these steamers,
not only there, but elsewhere. believe that
tho effect of this systsm would be that. for some
} time to come, we should have steam lines from
New York only But that would be II tempo.
rary advantage To which abe would be fairly en-
titled IL would result from her position from
her population, from her wealth. believe that
every place aud every city ought to enjoy the
advantages which fairly and naturally belong to
her
am not, therefore, giving up the undsputed
supremacy on the seas to Great Britain. | am
not for DESTROYING the chances of a steam
marine, On the contrary, am in favor OF those
principles and of that system which would en-
able us, most sure y and most certainly, to build
up commercial steam marine upon selfsup-
porting principles. !, therefore, protest against
being held responsible for those conclusions
from my arguments which the Senator from
New York Mr. SEWARD chose to draw from
them. Sir, will not agree to be responsible
for any mans conclusions from my premises or
from my arguments ] am responsible for my
own, and support my views Of the case, not
for the purpose of sweeping American ships
from the ocean, but for the purpose of placing
them more surely, more safely, and more GER
tainly there. II is true, do not believe in this
protective system. never did. | sec no more
reason why we should protect steam engine
because il floats, than we should protect one
which is stationary in factory.
| have succeeded in stripping this scheme of
the pretenses that these ships are fit for war
purposes, or that we would be justified in any
thing like such an expenditure for post Office
purposes, have shown that it is nothing more
nor less than naked proposition to maintain a
steam line by system OF bounties. | know
that the Senator from New York relied upon a
: letter from Commodore Perry, to prove that
these ships might be converted into war steam
, ers. If that letter is to be interpreted he in.
, terpreted it, then | dscredit Commodore Perry
| as witness by his own testimony, which | have
} read and could have read still more. But ]
) have no idea that Commodore Perry meant 10
say that in the true technical sense of the term,
these could ever be converted into war steamers.
} He meant that they could be used for temporary
: purposes; that they could be used to transport
supplies and troops. have no idea that he
could have meant that they can be converted
, into real, effective war steamers, when he wrote
} the letter which has been read. have no idea
of it, because presume that Commodore Perry
J has consistent opinions and find, upon sitting
, the testimony Of naval men, of officers both in
} England and in this country, that when they talk
of these commercial steamers being used for
war purposes they mean only for temporary ser.
} vices they mean for coast Defense for they all
! say that you could not send them abroad that
you could not send them far to sea, as their
Goals would soon be exhausted The naval
officers all say that you cannot trust them for
war purposes, because they cannot carry. in pro,
portion to their size, armament enough. You
could only use them at home, and for purposes
of mere coast defense. Now, | submit that,
situated as we are, we are under no necessity
of establishing, by system of steam moDopo
lies and bounties, and at such an expense, COM
mercial marine for that purpose. We but en-
! blrrass them by the war feature, and we injure
ourselves by attempting to substitute them for
} war steamers.
But the Senatos from New York was not con-
tent with arrayng living testimony against Inc.
Like another Witch of Endor, he called the dead
prophet to the stand BY some touch ofhis nee,
romantic art, he transported us nearly century
back and called up T. !mund Burke to astonish
the world once more with the wonderful range OF
his vision into the dark and distant future But,
sir, | must admit, that upon that occasion he
showed more courage than Saul and more pres
ence of mind than the Witch of Endor; for while
/, I a., l., Dnd ~
have examined that vision, and the best descrip.
ton can give of il is, that the Senator made hin,
prophecy very nearly the whole Of what is con.
tanned in one of our annual documents on
+ '.Commerce and Navigation" Bat he did not
rive the whole Of it. also have seen version
of Tint prophecy--of that vision. The modesty
of the Senator from New York forbade him to
rive the whole of it, can repeat it to you
SIR not like the Senator from New York in
, the very words OF Edmund Burke, but car
rive YOU the substance. 1t concluded somehow
thus:
sand on tina 9th of April, there shall appear il
!; the Senate of the United States man from
$ New York who shall prove to their satisfa ior
0 that he can think rs would have thought, and
, that he speaks as would have spoken and he
!, will establish before the world his title to the
+ character Of the American Edmund Burke"
] r., i
n Senator to give the suppressed passage; for
n am sure it was only his modesty that prevented
v him from reading it. Laughter.
!, There was one point, however, on which
J. would have been greatly gratted, if we could
@ have had little further information from the
# one or the other Burke; and that is, ! should
i, have been delighted if either of them would
it have told US what the Collins line is to cost
IS the government Of the United States before
o we are done with it, Why, unless we get this
It information, ] shall think the Senator from
. New York is but an &c post Eacto prophet after
y all, for the main, the material point, is unan
T. swered.
1t The Senator from New York was kind enough
" to excuse me for my opposition to this amend
b ment He says that my position on the Finance
e Committee, and my habit of watching appro
# priation bills have narrowed my mind. Indeed
Y he says it has that effect generally on persons
placed on that committee. Ifthat is the case, it
k ought to be used as sort of school of practice
n know Of some two or three Senators here who
lp,iuh boya nf / t,ya fro,,,