The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-11
The Ocean Naval-Man steamer Question.

ISAAC M. BODlNE, and WALTER ID. THOMPSON.
The Ocean Naval-Mal Steamer Question.
1t Is now about seven years since Congress
adopted the policy of creating steam marine
for mail and naval service. The law passed, We
believe, on the third of March, lS45, directing
the Postmaster General 10 advertise for propo
sale TO construct and navigate ocean steamers
for several routes from this to foreign countries
Proposals were accordingly invited and made
and the lowest offers were those for the amounts
now paid on the New York and Bremen, New
York and Liverpool, New York, New Qrlsan
and Chagres, and Panama, California and Ore
gon routes. The amount of these bids, how
ever, alarmed the then Postmaster General
CAVE Johnson, 80 he declined making the con-
tracts and referred the bids to Congress- re.
ferred all but the bid for the New York and
Bremen route, which he accepted, and thus pre-
ferred the most unproductive and Improbable
Of them all The policy of creating the service
was debated in Congress in the course of the
two ensuing sessions, and the result was the nc
ceptance of the lowest bids thus made for the
other routes. Since that time fifteen ocean
steamers have been built under these contracts
viz the Washington, Herman and franklin, for
the New York, Bremen and Havre line, the
Atlantic, Pacific, Baltic and Arctic, for the New
York and Liverpool line, the Ohio, Georgia and
Illinois, for the New York, New Orleans and
Chagres line, and the California Oregon, Pana-
ma and Golden Gate, for the Pacific line The
Isabel also has been built on subsequent con.
tract for the line between Charleston and Ha-
vana.
At the period when the last extravagant re-
duction was made on oceanmail postage, the
receipts of the government on all the lines for
postage amounted to aboutthe money paid these
vessels for the mails-there was a large excess
tfreceipts in favor of the New York, New Or
leans and Chagres, and the Panama and San
Francisco routes, which went to make up the
deficits on the others.
Before these lines were established the British
naval-mail steamer lines had monopolized the
ocean postage between the old continent and
Me new. The Cunard line between Liverpool,
Halifax and Boston, had the entire control of all
the maids between the United States and Eu-
rope, and the Royal West India mail line, with
some thirteen steamers, engrossed all the mails
between Europe and the Pacific Our govern
ment could not send a despatch to our Pacific
squadron or to Oregon, nor could an American
write letter to the shores Of the Pacific without
sending them by the British West India mai
line, which extended to Chagrcs, if they wantec
them to 60 in the quickest time. Nor coule
American passengers and American merchan
die come OF 60 between the termini o
these vast routes without resorting to thes,
lines of British naval mail steamers, and thu
paying tribute to a British monopoly of oceal
postage, and affordfg n support to vas
and powerful branch OF the British navy. Now
all is reversed. Such has been the superiority
and success Of the American naval mail steam
marine, that not only American, but British and
other foreign mails, passengers, and mer-
chandize, have been secured for the support OF
the American lines, and we now have some
sixteen ocean mail steamers established at little
net expense to the government extending from
the western shores of Europe to the western
shore of this continent, and securing for us moi
only our own mail passenger, and transportation
business, but large portion Of that of foreign ma
tons, in peace-and in case Of war, have in read
ness, at the shortest possible notice, pow enu
naval force. Nay. more than that The ocean
steamer is one fthe latest and most sublime pro
ductions Of modern civilization It's only about
fifteen years since the British steamer Sirius
entered the harbor of New York, after CROSSING
the Atlantic by the power of steam alone. This
event was an epoch-the beginning of a revolu-
ton. 1t was seen at once that the great strug.
gle for maritime supremacy between US and
England would depend much, if not mainly, on
our respective capability for steam navigation.
Inc British government promptly recognized
the crisis and Immediately established the great
aaval mail steam lines between England and
North America, and England and the Isthmus
And forthwith some eighteen magnificent and
powerful steamers marked the Atlantic sea
and sky with pillars of fire by night and cloud,
OF smoke by day. The effect of these lines OF
the intercourse of the two countries was mapi
cal. The speed. precision. and regularity of ar
rivals and departures, gave them at once mo
nopoly not only Of the postage, but of the mos
costly and profitable passenger ard Transports
ton business. Men and women embarked O,
these steamers with confidence that the wnd
and waves of old ocean were at last conquered
and that the perils of the stormy deep had passe,
into romance and poetry. The question Mt ono
aroae whether America would re!inQuish III
new and controlling element of modern civil
cation and power to Great Britain. And it wa
determined BY Congress and by our shippers an
steam navigators, 10 make the contest. Whs
has bcen the result! Why, when the World
Fair was held in London, and all the achieve
-.