Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-10-25
From the Western Journal and Civilian.
MEMPHIS NAVY YARD AND WESTERN RI

CongreSS-the establishment of the new terr
tories and the graduation of the price of tn
public lands-are highly beneficial to the We.
tern States, we are constrained to declare tha
in our opinion, the more vital interests of thi
region have been not only neglected but active
ly opposed by the legislative and Executive dc
partments of the government. The opposition
to western interests was manifested on the par
of Congress in refusing 10 make an appropria
ton in behalf of the Navy Yard at Memphis
and in failing to grant lands in aid of railroads
and, by the executive in refusing to sanction
the River and Harbor Bill.
We wish not to be understood as charging
either departments of the government, or anl
| individual, even by implication, with design
! deliberately formed, to iniure the Western
sources. But we affirm that by obstinately
adhering to the policy of doing ali to facilitate
and encourage foreign trade and nothing to aid
the commerce of the interior, a commercial and
financial monopoly has been fostered in the
Eastern States materially affecting every branch
of industry in the West, and absorbing, in no
small degree, the profits of western labor
The improvement of western rivers, and the
establishment of Navy Yard at Memphis, are
to be regarded by the people of the Mississippi
valley as Objects of primary importance. The
Improvement of the rivers is necessary to ena-
bic us to resist the encroachments of the great
commercial and financial monopoly of the east;
while the establishment of the Navy Yard will
compel the disbursement of at least small
portion OF the public money west of the ALE
ghanies. These facts are understood and fully
appreciated by eastern men, and hence their
obstinate opposition to those measures
The Navy Yard at Memphis should not be
regarded as a local object: it is an important
part of western system of commerce and
finance, and the most remote inhabitant of the
Mississippi valley is interested in its establish
meHt We are gratifed to learn that portion
of the citizens of Memphis have taken what we
regard as a correct view Of the subject. We
trust they will finally ard utterly refuse to ac-
cept of the public property upon the terms of
fered by Congress, and invoke the Valley States
to unite in vigorous effort to obtain the neces
sary appropriation to carry on the work
Much has been said and published to dispar-
age the policy of establishing a Navy Yard at
point so remote from the Gulf; and objections
will doubtless continue to be urged against the
location by those opposed to the interests of the
Western States; but we are persuaded that every
we'll informed unprejudiced mind must admit
hat the establishment OF Navy Yard at a
suitable point west Of Cape Sable is impera-
lively demanded, in a national point of view,
rs means of defence, and that no other place |
combines as many advantages for such an es- |
Adjustment as Memphis. This location. we
believe, was first suggested by Lieut. Maurv: |
whose opinions touching naval affairs are enti |
led to as much respect as are those of any man |
y his age The pr9RsofSSlti9n was disguised has
hat day the mercantile ard financial classes of
he east had not conceived the idea of absorb
NO the entire commerce of The west through |
he agency of railroads. But regarding the
9ulf of Mexico and the Mississippi as their
,reat commercial highway to the Western |
States, it was natural that they should favor
Measure calculated to protect the transit OF
commerce on that route. Their connection
With the west by railroads presents the subject |
n a new light and it is now their policy to op- |
pose every measure calculated to facilitate the !
of commerce on the Mississippi !
md its tributaries, or give security to ITS transit
lcross the Gulf Will the people of the Mis- |
issppi valley submit to this policy without an |
,ffort to resist 1t?
AS additional evidence in favor of the loca
ION of a NAVY Yard at Memphis as means of
rational defence. and the advantages of that |
ocation in comparison with other places, we
,opy the following extract from a communica
ion bv Lieut. J. n Brown, U. S. N, in answer |
o certain inquiries addressed to him by the |
citizens of Memphis.
US. NAVY YARD,
MEMPHIS, Aug. %, 1854.
Gentlemen: l have received your letter of the !
18th inst, requesting from me 'succinct state
nent of the advantages and importance to the
nation at large, but more especially to the South
md West, and to our Gulf defences, of con-
,tructive Navy Yard at Memphis"
While am convinced that | cannot do JUS |
ice to the subject will try to answer, briefly, |
o the spirit of your letter.
It seems to me that Memphis offers "advan |
ares to the nation," for constructive Navy |
ard from the fact that it is situated in the very
,enter of the greatest supply of materials fol.
hip building in the known world. These ma
erials can be drawn together here at less cost, |
perhaps, than to any other point in the Union.
Memphis has also the advantage over every
,ther proposed buil1ing point, of being, under |
Ill circumstances, inaccessible to an enemy;
lence materials which are not "perishabe" or
which may be preserved for years, could here be |
safely accumulated Memphis is also nearer
he shores of the "Mexican Gulf" than any of
our Atlantic Navy Yards; it presents too in its |
superior climate advantages as a building sta !
ion over either the extreme North or South. |
In whatever enters into warlike preparations, I
should be based upon the contin |
yency of actual war. In time of war with an
enemy superior to the United States at sea, the |
Memphis Navy Yard is the only one which |
could readily, and safely, draw to itself, by wa
er transportation, every thing requisite for
building and equipping ships or steamers. In
point of economy this would be most decided |
advantage" many of the materials for ship |
building being so unwieldly as almost to pre-
,lude their being transported by land. These
ire some of the advantages which, it occurs to |
ne, "Memphis presents as constructive Navy |
Yard." in National point of view. i,
To the South and West its importance seems /
he greater, the more we reflect upon the sub
ect. In time of war, the Pensacola Navy |
Yard could not certainly be relied on, either as
place for building or repairing ships; because
hough the entrance to Pensacola Bay is well
guarded, the Notifications are there so placed as
o offer little defence against land attack upon
he Navy Yard.
With such a feet as the English now have in |
he Baltic, acting on the Gulf against us, moth
ng less than an army, outside of the FORTS |
could save the Pensacola Navy Yard from de-
'truction-and that Y ard DESTROYED, we should |
nave from the capes of Virginia to the mouth |
IF the Del Norte, two thousand or more miles |
IF Southern coast, without the means of build |