The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-07-08
BY S. CLARK
VOL. 2.
Western Europe and the United States.

Western Europe and the United States.
The Paris correspondent of the New York
Times expresses in the following paragraph
an opinion which well informed Americans
in Europe seem to share, that the immense
allied power Of Western Europe is disposed
aud will be encouraged by victories.in the
East. to dictate to the government of this
country, and TO all the nations of the WeS
tern Continent. The Albany Atlas says il
has " from the beginning. entertained some
thing like this apprehension, and regards the
destruction Of the growing commerce ano
the war fleet OF Russia, as the Installation OF
a power on the ocean, absolute IN its will
and wauton in lis unchecked strength and
with which we may be likeliest to come in
to collision. We have not, therefore, in
poked a special blessing upon the guns, the
bombs and the congreye rockets which the
allies have sent into the Baltic to batter
down Cronstadt, and lay in ashes st. Peters
burgh. where Peter the Great laid the loun-
dation of a new civilization; nor have we
reioiced at the bombardment OF the free port
Of Odessa. that other miracle of modern
commerce and the burning of neutral yes
sells lying there
The Times correspondent says
| call your attention to an article IN the
London Times on the subject of French in
reference in any difficulties which may arise
between Spain and the United States
Though cannot go so far as to affirm, with
the writer of that article, that Louis Napo-
leon has positively given assurances to Spain
that she has nothing to fear on the subject OF
Cuba. yet my information points IN the same
direction, and leaves me no reason to doubt
the accuracy of the assertion | have taken
occasion from time to time in your columns,
20 invite American attention to the course
Of France since Louis Napoleon has been
upon the throne, and to what might posi-
bis be her conduct, in case of IA speedy tri-
umph in the East, and of the necessity of
immediate occupation for her fleets. In
view of subsequent intelligence, and of con-
>tantly recurring symptoms, all indicating a
similar possibility, feel it my duty again
10 state my belief that it will not be long
before the Emperor will seek an occasion to
thrust himself between the two Powers in
question. less as an umpire than as a party.
Unless the United States is willing to accept
whatever settlement France may impose on
them by superior strength, they must be pre-
pared to repel force by force. Whatever
impetus the French navy may acquire in the
Baltic and Euxine must have field to spend
it in and what has begun in the East may
be easily continued in the West. Should
that navy be seriously damaged, however, at
Cronstadt and Sebastopol, it need not, of
course be expected very speedily at Havana
or Key West
The annexed letter, taken from the Jour
nal of Commerce, will be read with interest
in this connection; and perhaps it may be
well to state that the naval strength of the
United States, compared with that of the
French, is about as one to three and half
France having, in round numbers, seven
thousand guns, and the United States two
thousand. We have great confidence in the
skill and gallantry of our seamen; but old
TruxtOn or Paul Jones would have hesitated
about engaging Frenchman with similar
disparity Of force. The truth is, and it is
idle to deny it, that the United States is a
fourth or fifth-rate naval power, and there is
not the least probability that it will ever at
tain to front rank among the great mari
time nations of the earth. We have the
elements of naval strength in great abun-
dance, but the policy of the government is
adverse to their development and applica-
tion. The expense of keeping afoat even
the handful of armed vessels deemed necessa-
~ for the protection of our commercial ma
Iine, and to maintain the dignity of our flag
in remote seas, is source of perpetual COM
nlaipt in vnanv narts of the countrv The