The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-05

Il is to be regretted that while the English and
French governments, and other foreign powers,
are constantly making improvements in their ma
val forces, our Government remains comparatively
inactive the subject. Ii is true that, as means
of promoting the efficiency of our navy, the Nava
Committee of the, House Of Representatives last
summer recommended the adoption Of scheme
for converting all our armed sailing vessels into
screw propellers The object however. Of this plan
was only to give facility Of motion TO vessels when
in, action, and to enable them TO change position
without the aid of the wind. This plan is under
stood to have been extensively applied to the Brit
ish navy, where ships of 100 guns have been fitted
with screw propellers; thus enabling them upon an
emergency to be able to contend with regular
steamers of less force but of greater activity The
same improvement has been adopted by the French
government; and this being the fact, no vessel
henceforth. however immense or solid her con-
struction, that obeys no other impulse than the
wind, will be Of much use in naval combats. For
instance. the ship ofwar Pennsylvania, which
could probably sink any other ship of war aoat in
a fair battle, broadside to broadside, would be
dered useless in very short time in action by the
steamer Mississippi, or any steamer Of her clnss;
for, while the leviathan lay helpless hulk, the
steamer could choose her own distance and posi-
ton, and open her batteries her adversary with
American, writing from Paris to Boston contem-
porary, Gays:
.sThe efficiency of the new application of steam
power to line of battle ships by the French, as in
the of the 'Napoleon, 10 deserving of the at
tention Of our nautical men. This ship carries
men, some 800 tons Goals, besides her stores;
steams 10 miles the hour, or l3 knots; sails
markably fast, making seven knots in light winds
when vessels usually 90 about four, and has her
ma lnIlt If achO NJ car hot a
have no side wheel steamers even that could COM
pete with her, and with her double power of steam
and sails she would be match for q small squad
ron of ordinary vessels. Another of still greater
power has been launched at Cherboarg."
The numerous occasions which have lately arisen
for the employ ment Of steamships of have very
Justly excited public attention and solicitude, and
our inferiority in that arm Of public defence is
daily becoming more and more manifest. When
difficulty arises calling for the intervention of our
vessels Of war, instead of having fleet to despatch,
shall have to send one two ships of war
one steamer. The steamers Princeton, Missis-
sippi, Saranac. and Susquehanna, and the propeller
Massachusetts,, have performed more real service
during the past six years than the whole navy be-
side Our two largest steamers are the Susque-
hanna and the Powhatan. They are twins, 276
feet long, $500 tons burden, have side wheels,
two engines of less than $50 horse power each,
and mount guns equal to twelve Paixhans, from
10 to l2S pounds callDre. Inc enormous engines
and machinery take up 30 much space that compa-
ratvey little is left for the and none to speak
Of for troops. The French steamers the Charlie
magne and the Napoleon, and the British screw
propellers the Agamemnon and the Prince Albert,
mounting from 80 to l2O guns each, are capable OF
Transporting 900 troops in addition to their COM
pleInent of seamen. Such vessels as these must be
more than a match for any force. or all the force
the United States could muster to oppose them
In the matter of model we probably perfect
as any other nation. What we want is more force
and the introduction of screw -propeers; and we
trust our Government will be more alive to tho
subject in future. , .... .-%E..,
We know that in our country there are strong
prejudices against navy; but ours lie essentially
a commercial nation, and we are peculiarly ma
Rhine people. With Great Britain, France. and
other of the leading powers of Europe watching US
with eagle eyes, and resolved that Spain shall re-
tain her hold Of Cuba, while many of our coun-
trymen are determined Cuba shall not remain in
her possession, 1t is no time to look with quiet ac-
quiescence upon the navy we have. II is in the
number and character of ships, crippled for even
respectable peace establishment, and yet the last
Congress, with millions of surplus revenue in the
treasury, cut down one. half of the estimates of
the Navy Department. We need lines OF steamers
between California and Asia, the Sandwich Islands
and the American Pacific coast Wehave already
on the Pacific immense amount OF commerce,
| and 1t 10 every year increasing in amount and i'm
portance. 1t is increasing also in Europe, and
must continue to grow until the naval song Of
America must be what the national ode of Eng
land was in the time of Nelson: 81.
"Our march is DER the mountain wave,
Our home is on the deep"
Especially must thosc who support the wholesale
extension of .sthe area, :" and the annexation Of
call the world and the rest of mankind, cease to
keep navy not only behind the age, but infc-
rior to every first-class power in Europe.