The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-04

iant more essential proper system Of naval defence
especially when taken in eonnexon with Pensacola than
any other single nayyyard in the country. The great
changes which science and the improvements Of the age
call for make IL 20.
graft YOU that neither the navy qf this country nor
those u England and France fully up 10 the times But
the elements Of these improvements surely exist; they
stare IN The face And when properly appreciated in the
right quarters there will be renodsng Of al the ma
vies throughout the world aliade now 10 the effect
which this and terrible kind Of heavy ordnance Of
which yoa have heard speak before, will produce
That Is practicable ship exclusively with this
heavy ordinances is longer open question; and that
one shot from single piece is enough when properly
aimed to sink the largest ship Is matter Of fact
These great carry further and shoot than the
old 32s and AIS They send ball weighing $50 pounds
more, and their introduction As naval armament
destined 70 have the effect in seA-his where ships
are the contestants that the invention Of firearms had in
single combat between warriors the land. The pistol
taxing the place Of the baiaxe the erosbow, and the
broad-sword placed the strong and the weak the
large and the small upon the footing, with this
exception, that the small with hTe-arm has the aa
vantage Of size in his favor the smaller the large, the
harder 10 hit So TOO with little ships armed with these
big guns The experiments here at Washington and at
other places leave doubt the destructive powers
II these bag guns = and have but TO look into the
Black and the Baltic practical acknowledg
Of by the combined feets All that has been done by
these powerful fleets has been done by the little ships with
the big guns while the zig ships viii, the little guns 32s
aad 42 have been kept in the back ground lockers
on.
That terrible waltz that danced by the English
steamers they whred round in their circle Of mannuyre
at The bombarimeni Of Odessa was to the tune Of big
guns in little ships
Before Bomarsund could be attacked the English, my
correspondent informs me had send home for little ships
with big guns, and we are told that further ope-
rarin in tha Rail-
until fleet Of little ships with these big guns be got
ready
Now il necessary the French and English TO
send of the Baltic and the Black seas such tremendous
I4s as the Duke Of Wellington and the Agamemnon the
Napoleon and the Charemagn learn the power these
little ships wth their big guns That had been proved and
established in more conclusive and convincing way BY
actual experiment and practice at Marseies Portsmouth
and Washington. And for years have been endeayoring
BY proof and argument satisfy the public mind upon
this subject
1t cost perhaps million Of dollars to build and equip
such ship the Duke Of Wellington with her 40 guns
Now, is not that much put upon bottom when
shot fired from two Of these big guns in vessels
that did cost perhaps tenth part Of that sum- would
perhaps suffice for ber2
These big guns win impart entirely feature
to seshghis Hereafter and when they properly APP
preca,ed in the right quarters shall have such
costly things the Pennsylvania and other As and with
The result OF engagements tnai may Hollow Seamanshp
and position he matters Of comparatively
small Importance Workmanship and craftsmanship
alone is decide the battle when these big guns are
brought into IL He whose shot tells FIRST will be almost
whip and the real practical question be de-
cided is the degree OF craftsmanship that attaina-
Die with these al long range and when the aim
rendered difficult in consequence OF the motion ofboih
marksman and Target 10 the wind and
With atsinabe skill can the target be hit ths best two
three OF ten npiy fnru
the number Of shots 10 be thrown away for that will
tell the best size for ressls-owar is be determined
They TO carry six eight, twelve, twenty or more
guns according the skill Of the markssn sent to FIRE
them and where viii you ind better narksmen than in
the Missssipfi valley
Thus you the objection Mississippi navy-yar
account Of the waiter ST the Belize being sufficient to
pass heavy men-otwar falls the ground What We want
for the defence Of the Gulf little ships and big guns and
there is water enough in the Mississippi for these
But told that the river is low for three months
in the year that vessels he down from Mem
pills. So is The climate Kiitery and Boston severe in
winter as 10 suspend materially interfere with ship
building, docking and repairing there for three months in
the year But did you hear that urged reason
for breaking up the navy-yard there
Moreover when the river low then the stream Of pro-
duce down the Mississippi is most sluggish and commerce
least active upon the Gulf and the command Of il there
fore Of less consequence than any other time Besides
these Of low just when storm and
the pesiilenoe the unsubdzed allies of the Mississippi
people the Gulf scatter and destroy II il AT
the very when secure from an enemy
there for foreign feet would operate in the Gulf at
that season.
For these and other reasons which did, I must confess
sound and strong had hoped see the Mem
phis and Pensacola yards fostered and cared for had
fancied that Memphis being up in the healthy country
would become the place Of construction Pensacola the
place Of rendezvous and repair for our Gulf squad
Of big guns and iitile ships; that at Memphis
the anchors and cables for that squadron would be
forged the big guns the little ships launched and
the engines and boilers built that vessel once down
in the Gulf there she would remain and thar it wond
he necessary bring Der back up the for re
pairs matter Of course than il would be TO send from
the navy-yard San Francisco vessel to be repaired ii
Boston because she happened have been built the B
ton navy-yard
The deed is done and IL is needless to say more-yet II
would in eandor ada word therefore hope you
will without being offended, permit me TO say you do
Commodore Smith great injustice in Ascrbing TO him any
active secret hostility Memphis whatever You can
with fairness blame him any other officer of the navy
here for the puny existence and unfiuey fate of your
nsvy-yard.
Respectfully, ze-
NJ. r, MAURY
Leut United States Navy
j III MgMAu8S Esn