The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-28

of independence with republican America With
fraud, corruption, fire, and sword, you will com.
pensa te England with conquests IN the East and
within half a century they will surround the
world, and the British flag shall wave over pro-
vim covering five millions of square miles, and
containing one-sxth of the inhabitants OF the globe.
Nor shall you lose your retaliation upon your an
cient enemy for she, in the meantime, imbibing
aud intoxicated by the spirt OF revolution In her
American utilization, shall overthrow all authority,
human and divine, and, exhaustipg herself by
twenty-h five years of carnage and desoaton
tbrnug bout continental Europe, shall at last sue
cumb TO your victorious arms, and relapse, al
ter Intellectual struggles, into the embraces OF
an ingloTous military despotism. Yet, not
all thcse unsurpassed conquests
and triumphs shall you enjoy no certain
complete dominion. For, on the other hand,
wild beasts aud savage men and uncouth man
ners shall all disappear on the American con-
tinent; and the three millions whom you now
deep'se, gathering 10 themselves increase from
every European nation and island, Will, within
seventy hive years, spread themselves over field
and forest, prairie and mountain, until, in your
way to your provinces in the Bahamas, they shall
meet you on The shores Of the Gulf Of Mexico, and,
on your return from the Eastern lndies, they will
salute you from the eastern coast OF the Pacific
ocean. In the meantime, with genius developed
10y the influence OF freedom, and with vigor called
forth and disciplined in the subjugation Of the
forest and trained and peril cted in the mys-
teries Of ship building and navigation, by the
hardy pursuits OF the whale fsheries under either
pole. they will in all European conflicts, with
keen sagacity, assume the relation OF neutras,
and thus grasp the prize OF Atlantic commerce
dropped into their hands by fierce belgerents.
in the midst OF your studies and experiments
ia hydraulics, steam and electricity, they will
seize the uppractised, and even incomplete in
NcHiiuns, and cover their rivers with steamboats,,
and connect and bind together their widely sep
aracd territories with canals, railroads, and tele
graph6 When long interval of peace shall have
come your merchants, combining a vast capital
will regain and hold for time the carrying trade by
substituting capacious, buoyant, and fleet packet
ships, departing and arriving with exact punctu-
ality; but the Americans, quickly borrowing the
device and improving on your skill will reconquer
their commerce. You will then rouse all the en-
torprise of your merchants, and all the spirit OF
your government, and wrestling the new and mighty
power Cd steam from the hands of your invcterate
riva), viii appiyIt 10 ocean navigation, and lay
ing hold Of the commercial and social cores
pendepCe between the two continents, increasing
the nations to higher civilization and come
into close and intimate relations, as the
basis OF postal revenue, and you will thus restore
your lost monopoly on the Atlantic, and enjoy
it unmolested throug b period OF ten years. Dur
ing that season of triumph, you will mature and
perfect all the arrangements for extending this
mighty device Of power and revenue, go as 10 con-
meet every island Of the seas and every part of every
contind nj with your capital. But just at that mo-
ment your emulous rival will appear with steam
chips still more cspacious buoyant, and fleet, than
your own, IN your harbors, and at once subverting
your Atlantic monopoly, will give earnest of her
vigorous renewal OF the endless contest for supre
macy OF all the seas. When you thought her ex
PEELED from the ocean, her flag will be seen In your
ports, covering her charities contributed TO relieve
your population stricke by famine; and while you
stand hesitating whether 10 declare between repub
lcaDlsm and absolute power in continental Europe,
her ambassadors will be seen waiting every battle
field 10 sau the riumphs Of liberty; and when that
cause shall be ovcrthrown, the same constant flag
sha be in the straits OF the Oar danelles,
ceying with ovations due to conquerors the tempo
rariiy overthro~n champions oflreedom. Look to-
wards Africa there you see American colonies lifting
her up from her long night OF barbarism into the
broad lig h OF liberty and civilization Look TO the
East, you see American missionaries bringing the
people OF the Sandwich Islands into the family of
pations; and American armane peacefully geek
ing yet firmly demanding the rights OF humanity in
Japan Look TO the equator, there are American en-
gineers opening passages by canals and railroads
i<cross the isthmus which divides the two oceans
And last OF all, look northward, and you behold
American sailors penetrating the of ice in
eearch of your own daring and lost nayigators."
Sir. this stupendous vision has become real. All
this momentous prophecy has come TO pass. The
man yet lives who has seen both the end and the
beginning of its fulhiment. IL is history. And
that history shows that this enterprise ofAmerican
Atlantic steam navigation wisely and even
necessarily undertaken, TO maintain present
commercial independence, and the contest for the
ultimate empire Of the ocean. Only word shall
express the importance Of these objects Interna-
tIonal postal communication and forei gn commerce
important domestic maiis and traffic.
Equality with other nations In respect to those in
terests Is important az freedom from restriction
upon them among ourselves. Except Rome-which
sUbsltuted conquest and spoliation for commerce
nation Was ever highly prosperous, real great,
even truly independent, whoee foreign commu
nicatiUns and trsfhcs conducted by other
stntes; while Tyre, and Egypt, and Venice, and
the Netherlands, and Great Britain, successiveiy
becoming the merchants, became thereby the mas
ters # the world.
But the learned and honorable chairman Of the
Committee on Finance raises question on war
like feature OF the enterprise which hss not yet
under our notice. Departing, after the most pro-
found confederation, f. ON the ancient ma val policy
which separated the National Ocean Police from
the Natiuna al Mercantile Marine, Great Britain con
structs all the steamships employed in her postal
EcrviCe; 80 that they "good, substantial, and
G fhcienr'-of such model and strength as TO be
III and able 10 carry guns Of tho largest calbro uscd
on board OF her majesty steam. vessels of and
they are subject to be taken in emergencies by the
government at cost for the public naval service.
And in this way Great Britain is pidy and sead-
lily building up new and peculiar naval force,
which will always be in complete condition and
ready for effective use. The same principle was
adopted in the contract with Collins and his s-so
ciates and the evdenccis complete that Il has been
faithfully sndfuly carried out. The honorable SEN
ator denies the soundness Of the principle itself
nod insists that merchant steam. vessels cannot be
constructed go to be practically useful for mar
tisl purpose. reply, fret, that having, on such
careful examination and with such weighty exam
pie, sdoptcd the principle, could not nov
trial, long hope to be delayed that it is errone.
Gus. Secondly No ship-of war, however con-
structed, s adapted 20 all the e1igenccs Of naval
service; while thcse steamships are certainly
adapted TO some Of them. Commodore Perry or
the 18th Of February, 1852, reports to the Secretary
81 the Navy that these steamships (of the Collins
line) may be converted at an expense Of $40 900
each into steamers Of the fret class; and that
each Of them could carry four l0-inch Ps1hain
guns pivots fore and aft OF the weight Of those
in the model-ship Mississpp; and ten inch Pax
hahn guns on the sides; and that THE armament
would not incommode the vessel; and that in
the general operations Of MARITIME war, they
would render good service; and especially that
from their great speed. they would be useful as
despstch vessels and for the transportation Of
troops, being always capable Of attack and de-
fence. pnd Of oyerhauling and cscaping from an
enemy"
The Secretary Of War reports TO the Senate, on
The 10Th Of March, 1852 that the readiness Of the
steamers 10 be used at The shortost notice their en-
pscity Of being used transports for goods and
munitions u var, and their great celebrity Of mo
ton, enabling them 10 overhaul rchanttnep and
at the came time escape cruisers, would render
them terrible os Ruerrillas Of the ocean.
Thirdly. Great Britain has already more tbnn
two hundred and fifty steamers armed and capable
Of armament. What would be our situation in the
emergency Of a war, il we were unproyided with a
similar force for defence and aggression,
Bot. fourthly. The warliko sdnpt,t;,, ~ a.,