The Nevada journal., 1855-02-09
The Navy-secretary Dobbin's Report.

accompanied the Presidents message, is
the report upon the condition and services
Of our Navy Situated as we are, with
three thousand miles of water between us
and any powerful rival that may become
our enemy, the Navy is not only the right
arm of defence, but almost our only de-
fence. No foreign army will be likely to
invade our soil. They could not sustain
themselves when scarcely three millions of
scattered and poverty-stricken inhabitants
contended.s with the strongest people in the
world and now, when twenty-five millions
are in their stead, such an undertaking
will not be hazarded Our future wars
must be upon the deep, ..and will there be
decided by the bravery and patriotism of
those who will glory to sustain the repu-
tation won for American arms, by Paul
Jones and Hull, Perry and Decater and
others, who commanded respect for our
flag. It is well, therefore, that our Navy
should be fostered, and so enlarged as to
give ample protection to our growing COM
merce.
How much shall VIC increase our Navy !?
The most important suggestion Of Secre-
tary Dobbin is, that it be increased He
says, it will bear no comparison with that
of other nations very much behind US in
the race of national greatness and does
not exceed fifty vessels in condition for
service. The Secretary does not ask
US to compete with, nor is there any rea-
son that We should seek to equal, the
great navies of England or France We
have not initiated others in the maintenance
of standing army, believing that such q
force might be as dangerous to the Repub-
lie as to its enemies and the same objcc-
tions hold, to a considerable extent,
against a large Navy. Neither Of them
is in accordance with the genius of our
institutions, nor would the people suffer
Tie necessary taxation for their support.
Already the cost Of the Navy is nearly
equal to the whole expenditure of the
government thirty years ago, and if it
should double what it now is, there would
be the same reason to call for more, and
greater power to obtain the demand
While force upon the land or sea must
be respectable, our dependence must prin-
'cipally be on the volunteers-thc citizen
'soldicry and the privateersnen we can
not forget either, that large armies or
navics frequently provoke and engender
wars as well as repress them and our
last war with great Britain, which had the
largest Navy in the world, and yet lost
something like hundred ships of war and
more than two thousand merchant vessels,
in two years and q half, proves that the
most formidable sea force is net sure
defence for commerce.
When We consider, however, that our
flag is now upon every sea, our ships and
merchants%in overyEland, and that we
have thousands Of miles Of coast that is
hardly protected by gun, and that our
large cities may some day have bombs and
hot shot falling among their wooden build
ings, as they are now in Sebastopol, we
agree that the Navy should be enlarged
t, at least an ocean police force-a patrol
and watch-that shall be where danger
threatens, and protection in case of Sc
rious difficulties. Beyond that, we want
no Navy-we want no ships to rot in yards
with idle nen attached to them, to devour
the produce of industry And let the
Navy We have be employed as it has been
to a great extent, actively at sea, in coast
surveys, explorations, scientific research,
and opening new avenues to trade and
wealth among distant people. And when
war comes, we must rely, as even Great
Britain does, upon the commercial marine,
At any time she can call hundreds flarge
steam ships into her service-such as the
Cunard company's, the General Steam
Navigation Company's, the West India
and the Oriental Company's, etc., which
are generally employed in carrying mails
and merchandise 10 have Navy SIM
| ply for war purposes, or larger than we
can use constantly and fully in time Of
peace is ridiculous in the extreme.
The Secretary says, that his addition
al ships would require an increase ofmen
but not of officers. We should hope not
The Navy is already burdened with Off
GERS, many Of whom are on leave of abb
sence for years at a tine-pensioners, for
--Lo,, 4bnro i no an,DlOvmcnt If WAS