Washington sentinel., 1854-04-06


II they exist al all, IN u six-months' trial. But
ship may look well and work well for not onl,
SIX months, but for few years, in the construc
ton OF which very defective material has beer
| used, and very imperfect workmanship has been
employed. Ships may mol be thoroughly tried Ill
! after service so long that few would agree to
\ wait ior their money frr great a length OF time
Leave this question, then, you well may IN the
hands of faithful and intelligent Secretary OF
the navy. He will enjoy Tor lis investigation
many advantages which We do not possess, and
will bring TO It's decision all the aids which he can
command. lie will probably call upon the lead.
ing shpbuders in the United States; upon Dom
aid Mckay of Boston, the builder Of the celebrated
but ifited Great Republic; upon Webb, OF New
York, who has recently been employed by the
Il Emperor Of Russia 10 build ships for his navy;
upon Steers Vanderbilt, aud others, TO furnish
plans, specifications, and prices. lie will forth
with despatch TO Europe one OF the best construc-
tors in the United States, 10 investigate into the
models, plans, &e., of the best ships OF England
France, and the other European nations; he will
cause estimates OF the cost of construction in our
own yards and when the most ample information
has been obtained, he will be prepared 10 say
whether il is better 10 build all these vessels by
contract all in own yards, some in one
way and some in the other. In my judgment il
is the part of wisdom 10 leave this question where
the bill leaves it, in the hands of the Secretary OF
the Navy. In explaining this provision OF the bril-
4 | have incidentally, and | hope sufficiently an
swered the objection which is made by some 10
the construction of new steamers, growing out oi
the failures which have occurred in The last few
years, in the working of steamers which we have
bulh. repeat, however, that those failures grew
out Of dsfeSts ia the steam machinery, not in the
vessels themselves; and the form OF contract
ployed by the Secretary Of the Navy will almost
certainly prevent such defects in the future Ger
/ tainly they may be ard should be avoided in this
/ country, as they are now in others. England, as
/ has already been remarked, after many failures
/ and tl
construct good propelers for purposes, has al
last fully succeeded, and so have France and other
1 European nations. Surely we are not prepared
10 say that while they succeed We must fail II
we need vessels, we must build them. or attempt
Il, notwithstanding past failures: and this brings
4 me 10 inquire whether we need this addition 10
our war vessels. | shall argue that do need il
from several considerations; and ii some of them
shall appear simple and commonplace, l hope they
Will not be less influential and effective on that
account, provided they carry truth and reason
Il with them. Let me first state few well known
facts IN our recent history, tending 10 show the
actual need OF greater number Of vessels in our
| navy.
When Mr.. Filmore's administration determined
TO send squadron 10 Japan, il with great diff
hculty and after much delay that vessels of the
proper description and in sufficient numbers could
be detailed and collected for thatservice. In the
mean time, the intention to send out the expedi-
tion went abroad, and reached the European ma.
lions; WHO are our rlVals IN commercial enterprise
They were thus thus notified 10 prepare 10 dis
pute with us every advantage which might re
suit.
To come to later event, we all remember tha,
when the Hon. K. j. Walker appointed com.
missioner 10 China, he was said 10 have accepted
the appointment, and 10 have held himself IN read
mess 10 proceed on his voyage out, whenever a
government vessel could be furnished 10 convey
him TO his destination but none could be prepared
Tor the trip tl!l after weeks and months OF delay
he actually changed his resolution. and determined
not 10 go, preierring 10 refund the outfit rather
than 10 be held longer in uncertainty.
Let me cite another fact. Captain Walker was
permitted 10 collect a company on our Pacific
shores, 10 advance into Lower California. 10 sub
vert the Spanish rule there, and 10 establish re.
I public Of his own ALI this has occurred recently.
IN the broad face ofday, and in defiance of all the
desires oiihe government that our neutrality laws
should be held inviolaie. 1t has happened because
7 we lack sufficient naval force in the Pacific Our
, squadron there consisted of two vessels. With
this We had TO protect our ghts endangered in the
region of the Sandwich Islands, and TO discharge
all our duties of every kind, protective and police
I on the coast Of California.
Later still, during the present session Of Con-
| gress, news arrived here that The steamer San
Francisco was in great distress, and likely 10 per-
| ish, without speedy assistance. Thousands OF
anxious eyes turned 10 the navy, and thousands
\ of ihrobbing hearts impored its interposition
What was the shock which was produced when
effects, that the navy had no vessels for the ser.
vice. And now we owe 10 English courtesy a
work of humanity which should have graced our
own navy. But let me proceed to another species
OF argument. In all discussions something must
be conceded as startingpoint. In will scarcely
be denied that we must have navy, and that we
have never, in years past, had too large one. If
| may assume this, everything which ask will
I follow.
! Let me take view of the navy as il has stood
u lie
! of contrasting its strength, and the need which
existed for II, at those periods and al the present
4 The proper purpose of a navy is to defend our
/ coast and 10 protect commerce, and its
I strength should be proportioned 10 the need. Ia
! king with these data let US proceed with the
proposed examination.
so early as 1879 We had upwards of thirty YES
sells, and law had pa ssed Congress 10 authorize
the construction OF six more. With their COM
pletion our strength in vessels would have been
but little less then than now. Then we had about
five millions Of inhabitants, and now about twenty
nve millions. A corresponding disproporon
would appear upon comparison of our com.
merce and tonnage at the two periods. But | will
select later period in our history for a more ex.
tended and more exact comparison with the
present.
In ISL Judge Lpshur who was then Secretary
oil the Navy represented il to be feeble for our
necessities, and urged its increase with that rare
ability which characterized all his efforts may
my Judgment, an abler man never, in the country,s
history, filed that place. Surely no ADLER virrnan
ever did. In 1912, he reiterated his recommenda
tions, but left the department without seeing
them carried out. He was transferred 10 the
higher position of Secretary Of State, but did not
lose his anxious desire for the prosperity and in
crease Of the navy; and it was while he was out
on an excursion with the President of the United
! States, his successor IN the Navy Department
and other gentlemen, witnessing some ex experiments
on board the then new steamer Princeton, that the
sad accident happened which deprived the coun.
try of many honored and useful citizens besides
\ HIMSELF and which, if il had taken him alone,
would have been a calamity ever 10 be dcplored
by all who admire greatness Of intellect and purity
Of principle, dedicated with sngleness OF purpose
/ to the country's best service.
From the time that Judge Upshur made his last
report till the report Of the Secretary of the Navy
! Mr.. Henshawl in 1S33, but little change took
place in the number and character Of our YES
sels-efwar The Princeton was completed, and
brought into service, and some smaller vessels
viz one frigate, two sloops-ofwar and one brig.
But these constituted, doubtless no part OF the in.
: crease which he was urging because they had