The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-31
COMMODORE STOCKTON.

We return our thanks TO TINS geniieino" 'o'
q copy of his speech on Harbor defences'
which ne was kind enough to send US.
The occasion upon which this speech was
delivered was the following:
In 1912, Congress passed an act authorizing
abe Secretary of the Navy TO contract with
Robert l.. Stevens of New York, gentleman
of most eminent skill as nautical construc-
tor, for the LuIding of war steamer, shot
and shell proof, principally of iron, and appro.
priated therefor the sum of $3.50 900, and early
in the ensuing year, Mr.. s. entered into con-
tract with Mr.. Upshur for that purpose. MIR.
Stevens gave the required security, and was
proceeding with his work, when he was stop.
ped by Mr.. Henshaw. In 1874, another con-
tract was made with MIR. Mason, and in 1916
she work was again stopped by MIR. Bancroft.
Another contract was made with MIR. Mason in
1845, and the operations of the contractor were
again suspended by Mr.. Preston. All these
} interruptions have of course cost Mr.. Stevens
vast deal of money.
The committee to whom the subject was
referred, reported in favor Of continuing the
work, as prescribed by the act of 1872. In ia
vor of this report the commodore made the
. speech now under consideration, representing
in strong terms, the necessity of defending the
harbor of New York. pointing out the impos-
sibiIiry of doing so with land batteries alone
against steamers, speaking of the great atten-
ton paid to their navy by England, France,
and Russia, and showing that we are now in
a more defenceless condition comparatively,
than we were when the war Of 1872 broke out
If Commodore Stockton can succeed in
Congress from the all-engrossing subject of
President making, and fixing it upon the sub.
ject which he has here introduced, he will have
proved himself public benefactor. 1t is won
derful TO us, that our legislators do not see
what is going on in the world among those ma
tons with whom we are at any time liable to
be brought into collision. 1t is strange that
they should be altogether Indifferent to the in.
tense anxiety, with which Great Britain watch
es every indication that the dominion of the
seas is about to pass away from her, and be-
come the property of her children on this side
of the Atlantic. 1t is passing strange, that the
intense excitement which the triumph of the
America, the voyage OF the Water Witch,
the achievements of the Collins line have Gre
ated in England, and the causes which lie at
the bottom OF that excitement, have been en-
tirely overlooked. What is more common,
than for one ship to beat another What is
there in such an occurrence under ordinary
circumstances, to attract the attention of so
august body as the Parliament of Great
Britain, or to supply the whole English press
with themes to comment upon for weeks at a
time n Why nothing. 1t is the fact that Great
Britain has discovered our SUPERIOR y in that
art which has made her thus far, the first of
nations, that has occasioned all this hustle.
Do not our Legislators see, from these indca-
lions, where the fears of our great rival lie !?
And will they not be taught by them, to apply
1.-The proper energy, in order that those fears
may not be vain.
AS matters are at present, we have the largest
commercial marine in the world, with the ex-
ception of Britain alone, and we are inferior as
a naval power even to Russia, who has, COM
paratiyely, no commerce on the ocean. Eng
land has two hundred steamers (public ships
and she has commercial marine of nearly
thousand, which can be converted into war
vessels. What have we to oppose to this force?
The best sailors aud officers in the world, with
no ships to put them in! The best ship build
ers and mechanics on earth, with no nppropria-
tons to build public ships Ifwar, should, to-
morrow, be declaredb by Great Britain, she could
sail up to New York, burn the city to the
ground, and return, comparatively, unhurt-
She could play the same game along our
whole sea-coast, ald we could have no means
of preventing it. We lie, indeed, at her mercy
as we did in 1912, and she has it in her power
to infict wounds upon us which it might take
years TO heal.
We hope this vessel will be constructed. and
that if it should prove fit for the purpose. a
whole fleet may be built after the same fashion,
We learn after il shall have been finished, i,
will be able to sci large squadron at defiance.
From the immense speed with which il is to
move, ii can always keep its own distance
From the immense size Of the guns it is TO car
ry,t will be able TO keep out of shot of any
thing that floats, and to sink dozen men-of.
war If necessary. 1t is to be bomb and bullet
proof, so that while it can sink whole SQUAD
Irons at leisure, it can neither be burned, sunk
nor boarded. Commodore S. thinks it ought
to be called the Invincible. That may do for
the first one, but we claim that the second
should be shfistensd "The Devil" Let us
have one for every harbor; for land batteries
though good against sail vessels, cannot sion
q large feet of steamers.
The Commodore expresses himself warmly
10 favor of protection to iron and coal. as +,
means of national defence. The following M.
Tagraph, with which we shall close this notice.
seems to us Little singular, coming from De.
mocrat, and will, no doubt, elicit large
amount of comment:
Bat / may be told advocating the policy of
encouraging the promotion of the production