The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-06
Our Ocean NAH steamers.

For many years the progress OF this country
has been nowhere SO conspicuous as in the ad-
vaDcement Of her merchant navy. There have
been times when it appeared that the United
States were surpassed by European nations 10
almost every point of m chanical skill and en-
terprise except that alone At tue present
day though America may claim pre-eminence
in other branches OF science and industry as
well, there is none in which her rank is S, indis-
puted as ia Whatever pertains to the construc-
ton OF swift a2d useful merchant navy. All
over Europe, as well in the Mediterranean as
the British channel and the Baltic, men are
heard to express unqualified admiration and
envy of the vessels which sail from American
ports Among the craft which have reflected
this credit on the country the first rank is I'M
douhtedly held by our ocean steamers. 1t is
not too much to say that there is nothing of
which an American abroad is so often reminded
with pride-Dotbing which Sd often elicits re-
luctant praise from inimical foIegners-as the
steamships which carry the stars and ssrioes to
the coasts Of Europe, through the Gulf of
Mexico, and over the surface of the Pacific
Yet strange to say, measurahly with the pro-
gress of these great trophies of American skill,
has grown up in this country feeling which
at first mere petty jealousy and spite-has
ripened into direct hostility to our great lines
of ocean steamers, and has lately eliminated
in the veto OF Franklin Pierce on the appro.
priation for the Collins line.
Congress having now adjourned, whatever
may be said upon the subject now will only tell
upon the community at large, and can exercise
but remote influence upon the next body Of
federal legislators. But to us the question
Whether or no we are to have great steam
navy? seems endowed with such vital and
national Importance, that we think it quite
worth the while Of the gentlemen who are to
meet next December at Washington to ponder
it well in the meantime.
1t is quite certain that it is one of the duties
OF Congress to provide for the carriage of the
mails on sea as well as on land That service
must be paid for; and therefore there is no
question but Congress must pay something to
ocean steamers. The only point on which de-
bate is possible is as to the amount to be paid
and the parties who are to receive it. Every
time the appropriation is brought forward, GER
tain Of the lobby and others rise up and offer to
do the work for far less money. Hitherto, their
aims have been defeated, and the appro-
priati0ns have been renewed year by
year. But from Mr.. Pierce's veto, and
the frantic joy expressed by certain aboli-
tionists of this city, it it evident that year
by year, the opposition is growing stronger,
and the time does not seem far distant when
the appropriation may be. entirely withdrawn.
Suppose then, the Collins line denied the
amount they demand for carrying the mails.
1t is to be presumed they would not, at all
events at first carry them for less, and ruu at a
loss. How is the business Of the country to be
carried on? How is Congress to discharge its
duty Of establishing the postal system? No one
here, at all events, would be unwise enough to
advise Congress to make bargain at lower
rate with some rival of the Collins line; for we
have had plenty of experience of that sort of
thing in this city, and know perfectly well that
Il would only end 10 law suit, and at last in
an appeal to the generosity Of Congress to for
give the debt. In this city Of New York, we
repeat the thing has been tried over and over
again; and we venture to say there has not
been on instance in which an important piece
Of work mas been taken out of the hands of
man who performed it well, and given to some
noisy rival to be done at a cheaper rate, that
the city has not lost enormously by the opera
ton, and been obliged in the end to return to
its former agent. The same thing would occur
n the event of the mail contract being taken
out of the hards of the Collins company. 1t
would be given to some one else, who would
fail-perhaps without wilfnl negligence, but
from the inevitable irregularitiesof new line:
and the end would be that the mails would
again fall entirely into the hands of foreigners,
and that Congess would fail in one of the most
important duties entrusted to its charge.
But there is another and national reason
for continuing the appropriations to the ocean
mail lines They are, in fact, the hope of the
country in case of war. If war was to break
out to morrow and certainly the prospect is
not more distant than 1t appeared to the Egg
lish three years ago-the United States Navy
would be utterly useless. 1t is confessedly
worse than that OF any other maritime nation:
but even England after spending ten millions
Of pounds year on her navy for forty years
Of peace, els now forced to lay up all her old
ships, and to build steamers on the fashion of
the Cunarders. The feet that is to blockade
the Baltic this spring will not contain one sail
ing vessel How much more useless would the
wretched tubs be, which now compose the
United States naval armament! War, come
when it may, must be, so far as we are concerned,
maritime war. We should find it difficult to
muster soldiers for the invasion of foreign
country at any distance; and with our means
OF internal communication, and our population,
we could PROFESSIONALLY defend our coasts
with success against an invader. TIE war
sEolill ianxitahlu ho rr;ad -