Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-25


I T:.S IT,, 4ss
Central and South America l'3so I" ,n
Sandwich and Society Islands loo ''oo
From this it appears that the United States stands
second in the list, being very slightly oehIhu Eng
land. II has more ships than all the rest OF Europe
together. II Great Britain France ahd SPAN HeIe
united against this country, the three complneo
would only possess one-ffth more tonnage lhan tue
United States has ahoa And as wohnd that
has nearly quadruped since 1917, IL SAFE I" assume
that four or five years hence the American meicn"h
navy will be equal to theirs, and will only full short
10y small figure OF equallns tho entire tonnage Vi
Europe.
| This IL a startling fact, if viewed in connection
| with the possibility of 4 war. During the last war
nearly all our ports were bockadod from time to time
all were under paper blockade; United States her-
chant ves.els were swept FROM the sea- and the lew
transient gallant deeds of the navy only served 10
| make the national failure that element more con.
spicuous. Had the Cnitod States possessed one-haf
her present naval strength the battles of Chippewa
| Niagara and New Orleans, would have been fought
somewh here on the soil Of Ireland or England. The
history of the struggles OF Perry aud McDonough to
rst their miniature squudrons aoat on the akcs, VIII
illustrate tho previous waakncts OF tho American
| merchant marino oil those watera; II war were 10
break out now, tho lakes would IN week oe pi'a!e
waters under the dominion of the United states. 40
NJ IN, oc.nn Gallnntry is all excellent thing in war,
no doubt but the fate OF the brave Engllslneh III
the Crinen but too plainly proves, the reni 'ue ue
| ponds not on vaor but on the NUMBER OF hien' uie
|
snns of money that can be used or spent Tho tnoo
above shows that were war declared tomorrow, inc
United States could send abroad very nearly as lhsn
| vessels armed privHteers AZ Great Drltan, heaiy
| seven times az mauy US France, fourteen times a.
many as Spain or Austria; and if as would certainly
| be- the case, several months notice were gwen oe'
furehand, there il no reason why OUT OF nese' Vi o
the same principle these merchant vessels, ha,
tiona navy should not be built equal to tho colnoineu
pavics now in the Baltic and Black Seas.
In respect of men, this country could not compare
VIII, inlnpd warke nations like Russia or Austria
accustomed 10 keep four or five or seven huhareu
Thousand men on foot in time of peace. Bu on the
other hand these immense armies would be power
less against this continent. We might not be able "a
conquer Austria Russia, but they certainly could
not do much mischief here. The United States coulo
| ALWAYS rsse men enough to repcl I'm invasion. AZ
compared with the maritime powers of Europe, the
Cniied States would have nothing to fear from LAND
operations in any quarter of tho globe Gren Britain
finds it impossible to keep up her army III the er'mes
| to standard Of ~, 600 men.
During the first six weeks OF the Mexican war; one
hundred and fifty thousand men volunteered serve
and in the OF the following months, Us many
more made like request. Had any e1ertlons reei
made, no doubt halt million OF men high. nav ',
been raised-more than Franco and England, WIN al
their exerOns, could ever bring into inc eia t"2eth
er. Those men Of ours moreover would BE-, 81 ieas
| nine out Of the ten Of them, stout, hale men, ane
| good shots. The British and French levies now oe
ing sent the Crmea are represented as hall grow
| bows city led, and never trusted with muskst u
their lives till they enlisted Every third man In thu
and the other cities and villages Of the Union ha
been or is q member OF a target company; the expo
rience of tho Mc1ic0n war shows how that elrcun,
stance tells in the face of an enemy. An eminent
military man has stated that in the ordinary Europe
an line at fair range, not one shot in a hundred
effective the reason being that the men do not kno"
how to take aim. What difference this would max
If a fow Thousand of such men were pittod ayains
!! our practised markspsn.
- In respect Of munitions Of war, money and deences
u the United States would have nothing 10 fear Eng
which is generally considered tho richest natio
A. IN the world is very glad to have her last loan take
at tribe over 81, and her funds would rapidly recsd
below that figure if it were not for the operations o
b stockholders. Repeated purchases by the govern
lnent have raised Federal securities to exorbi
oil tant prices but allowing that issue of six pc
cent stock, to an amount Of say fifty millions for on
10 years serious war wero made it is likely the do
probation would exceed ~ per cent and that would
{, still leave the price above par. Materials of wa
abound in this country. We could build oil the ship
% the wsrld will need for centuries, without buying
"a dimes worth from abroad. We could cast all tn
cannon and balls-maks all the rifles md swords ant
|. bayousts that would he needed in factories
in far los time thun would be consumed in the peSo
Q tstions preliminary to the war. We should not
. to 20 abroad for any single article of necessity 0
general use. Finally, and this is bot general.