The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-11-12
What they think of U. s. Naval Power
AbrOud.

The n. Y. Evening Post translates an article
from Dutch journal on the difficulty between the
IT, g. government and Denmark, in relation to the
Sound Dues, from which we make the following
extract: l-sf. e.. .a..-s f. .. s.-
People are inclined to regard the marine of the
United States as a matter Of insignifcance. They
look only at the number of ships. There more
ships of the line than in Sweden, and hardly more
regular fleet. Besides ships of the line propeller
trigates and steamers, all in the process of building
the Union counts II ships of the line, IA frigates
bnss, % corvettes 10 schooners Is steamers great
and small and II bombs and transport ships-in all
full 100 vessels with about 24a0 cannoDs (those newly
built incnded The fleet costs the federal republic
yearly, from nine to ten millions of dollars
But this not the only maratime force of the United
States in time of The Yankee then has recourse
to his commercial MARINE and with this he spread
and desolaton. In case of q breaking out
every American merchant ship on the ocean must
place ITSELF for moderate consideration, the dispo-
sci of the Government of the Union and the ocean
steamers and packet ships of America arrang-
ed that they may be easily used for purposes and
the asenas are SO amply provided for that the marine
force thus springng into existence may truly be called
terrible
At the beginning of the present year, the merchant
marine of Engan numbered IS o35 sailing yesseIs
of 942 49S tons burthen, and 5A steamers of 3O6
7 tons burthen, in all &c 1853 vessels of $50 tons
burthen. But the merchant marine of the United
States numbers about 80 $50 vessels of more than
four and half million tons burhen of which about
3C00 steamers 500 of them being ocean steam
srs.) Whata formidable naval force may be created
out OF the clippers and enormous steamers of such
merchant marne--a marine better adapted than that
of any other nation whatever, to war purposes For
this reason 1t Is unwse to estimate the maritime force
OF the United States by the number Of their regular
naval heet.
We wish the truth would authorize us to Law this
" fiattering JUNCTION" to our souls None of our
commercial steamers, however, are fit for war pur
poses. That is delusion which the enterprisine
and fanciful Collins, of New York. has long sought
10 instil into the minds of verdant Congressman
Collins should "tell that to the lnarinesn The
armament OF L. :. steamfrgate placed on board
OF the largest OF Collins steamers would render
her manageable, and single breadside from her
own guns would most probably shake her to picces
Interested parties in this country are anxiops N
make II appear that the commercial steamers sro
as strongly built and as fit for war purposes m
those OF the United States. Any one who will oo
TO government yard and see one of the now
steam frigates being built, and then visit . eon,
mercial ship-yTd, can see with his own ewes the
utter taisity and preposterousness of such notion
lhey are about as equal in strength and fitness for
battle as a lion and gazelle
When Ceifns, or any other private shin OWNER
has as much capital as the United States f;ns,.,d
Of having to beg the United States for Money 20
carry on his own ships) and finds it to b;s inter-
TO build passenger vessel after the node, nc
man-of'war, he may possibly compete with the
American Government. In all, however. that tho
Dutch Journal says of the great resources OF Amer
ca for privateering. 1t is quite correct. In tbe
event OF war with any leading commercial pow
er' many Of our clippers and steam vessels the
Collins ships among the rest, might do good ser
vice in cutting up the commerce of the encmv
everywhere Some of the most gallant actions
in the late war were fought by privateers