The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-19
NO. 1868.
srsTE OF EUROPE-EAvAL POWER OF THE
UNITED STATES.

UNITED STATES.
Telegraphic despatch in our last paper
stated that private letters received in New York
from Liverpool, announced that war had been
l.,I.red by England and France against Rus
~. Whether the intelligence by the next ar
,;,,I shall confirm this report or not, We GER
,,;,lv shall not be surprised to sec all Europe,
ere long, involved in general war. What
al be the bearings of such an event upon the
.oIstions and interests of this country?
In the protracted and fearful conflicts grow
ina ant of the French Revolution, it required
~ the wisdom, address, and steadfastness of
,or ,rcatesa statesmen to preserve neutral.
,,,t,de towards the contending Powers. The
,.,s-ions and antipathies OF our own People,
tbc utrigues Of Foreign Governments, and their
-. violations OF our maritime rights, made
:. most difficult and delicate task to maintain
sr,i, = nosition And yet neutrality was clear
J., .ur dutv. Justifab!e as was the French
Revolution in The beginning there was nothing
:, ,,.a ,yars that followed which could justly en-
+. tho qympathies of this country with either
of tine great contcnding parties. 1t was then
NOR, . struggle for existence on the part of
rrauco tlan Tor the !baty cf Europe on the
al ., England. Both Powers were infiamed
i, ,ho worst passions, and conducted the con-
,f,t rccklessIy, unscrapulOusly, and In utter
disregard Of the rights CT nations
p While our position enabled us to reap rich
harvest from the carrying trade, our weakness,
and want Of any Naval Force exposed Us, to
o.. ,io,t fragrant outrases. Oar ships wero
,lu,!.rcd and confscatcd our flag was vlo-
Laced: our seamcn were impressed; the nation
Ms is-ulel 10y the armed vesEels of England
m .ering Cur harbors and committing petty
ats Of depreciation.
ljn.ing all this time, the idea Of building a
NAVY wa Indignantly secuted by the Demo
,ra,ic Party and by the South. 1t was regard
.l a, o.e OF the mcst m;schicvous of all Fed
err! notions. Thomas Jefferson regarded it
With peculiar aversion, as repugnant TO Demo
s;..i.c Institutions He and his Southern COM
patriots prcielred retiring from the ocean alto
se.hcr 10 building up navy to protect COM
mrloo Rather than go to war to defend
maritime rights, let every ship that sails from
cue shores be sunk! exclaimed fervent
orator frola tho Plantation region and this
-shool of statesmen prevailed. Here and there
was 3 Struggling vessel Of war, which was ad-
nan;shcd to run for shelter whenever the Brit
IN were about, but navy was not to be
tolerated. Commerce was to be its own pro-
lection. Ii violated, non importation acts and
e,nj4rgoos would bring the trespassers to terms.
As for guarding the coast, gun-boats would
per form that service. So Jefferson reasoned
and acted, carrying on a commercial war, at
the expense Of commerce; econOmiZing and
paving off the debt Of the country, but leav-
my it without defence, while, 10y habitual sub
MISSION TO fragrant insult and wrong, he in
vted aggression, and by embargoes and non-
imp yrtation acts, only aggravated the hostile
feelings already existing. During his entire
and that Of Madison UP to the
declaration Of War, in 1912, this anti-nayal
ro.icy prevailed to such an extent, indeed, that
omly few months before the breaking out Of
lhc Wal, the Democratic majority in Congress
refused to vote even the petty sum OF $500, 900
10 retit Two or three frigates; and Immediately
after war was declared, it was seriously pro-
posed. in Washington, to retain at home the
i've frigatcs, two s!ooIs, and five brigs-of-war,
our only naval force, in apprehension Of their
capture shoult they venture 10 put TO sea
We never read this chapter in our history,
without feeling of deep humiliation. If, in
stead Of paper protests for dozen years, a
war Of cmhargoes, and the farce Of gun-boats,
We had built, in the beginning of troubles, an
efficient navy, and put it in active service as a
sen police, to watch over our ships and sailors,
It would have done infinitely more to prevent
war, than all the long-sutfering and long wind
ed memorials of Madison and Jefferson We
did not want 4 navy for purposes of war, but
for police purposes. England and France saw
that We had none; our commerce was n tempt
lag pre-; the naval necessities of England
we're urgent; american ships could be violated
wiLh IMMUNITY, American seamen impressed
without danger, and 80 we were plucked by
both fo"ors, till absolutely driven by despe-
ration at last, 81 resort to arms A moderate
bat active and efficient naval force would have
probably prevented that accumulation Of
wrong, which finally provoked this calamitous
event
Has History no lesson for us AS we said
m the beginning of this article, the Indications
i"reshaiow u general war in Europe What
may be its varying phases, no one can predict
At first, Il struggle between the Western ma
lions and the overshadowing Despotism of the
T. ,st, Revolution may burst forth at any mo-
mcnt, and substitute war Of Principles for q
war Of Rival Interests, in which the Parties
now allied may be divided, and the Parties
now antagonistic may be united. Meantime,
onr dag would float on every sea, our ships be
ireighted with the products Of all chimes.
Questions like those which sprung up between
F-anoe AID England in the beginning of this
century, might be revived neutral rights mig hit
he AGAIN drawn into controversy. IA matter
al lact, the war Of 1912 determined no ques-
ton connected with these rights nor has Eng
land or France ever disavowed any of the Of
fsnSivo professions they then set up : so that
we may again be called upon to vind:cate the
rights and privileges Of neutral nations. What,
then, Is the best safeguard against the repeti-
ton OF insults and oatragcs which would inevi-
tally lead to instant war; A respectable, an
eil'iert and active naval force, ready to pro
t'et cur flag against violation ON every sea,
against assaults which would only be attempt
81 Shen IMMUNITY could be hoped for. II
would be madness to burden the resources OF
tic country with building and maintaining vast
sqnadrons to match those Of England and
France. We DO not need them nor shall we