Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-11-04

THE ARMAMENT OF The MERHlMAC.
We shall offend uV transatlantic s"ltiin.n, ot ma
tioual vanity by ar.rring thar the American nava!
authorities are trying conclusion in the nrmAnen,
of the Merrlmqc, United States frigat-, nj this n-
living in Southampton Water, with truly gu.shsgG
,ni,h iu the virtue Of extremes, quckness at ndop-
ton To which slower people make no pretensi"ns.
and which we have not been accustomed 10 consider
prudent 1t is our sluggish over-cautirusn-ss, per-
haps, which induces us tv the workings OF prn.
cpe in other hands before adopting II Ourselves and
We shall regard with more than common interest the
working of the armament of the Ne!rnac
Lest our remarks prove cavare to the multHuds
let u. briefly explain. paragraph has been run
ming the round Of the papers respectngihe Am-rcan
giant trigate the Marrlmac She s enormously Ia'gr
and enormously strong, and carries al armament OF
enormous weight; hna!y she lss uiEcaroea so.'d Sh"
altop.thpr and il to fight with shells alone Her guns
mr.. curiousy and, as il seems Ia us, h-nehraliy mo
dIficd from the old construction, III accordance with
the deductions Of DahIgren, which II, however, col
lateral 10 the main point The giat OF the thing is a.
GnlIows-he Nerrinac is boldly committed to the fn!!
adoption OF that which has not been inapty termed
the .ncsndrary prthcipC. as first developed 10y Pai1
han and her armament i. the mos, terrible shel ar
mament wherewith any ship has hitherto been sup.
piled.
Now, it ia fact to be remembered that the
shell system, distinguished from the solid shot sys.
tenn was first devised by Paixhan with especial refer
ence to the destruction of shps-nOt fortresses-and
he did our navy the honor of selection for his ideal
target We nave only adopten tne iucenuidry sys-
tenn in our ships Of war TO limited extent, and Sir
Howard Douglas, our mos, distinguished author on
naval gunnery has in his book advsnced strong ob.
jectous TO the adoption Of whole broadsdes Of Paix
hans guns. The armament Of the Merrimac is in
opposition to these deductous and one il naturally
anxious to ascertan the rcasOns which have induced
the American naval authorities TO act in opposon 10
an authority whom they hold in great eseetn one
is anxious, moreover, TO be made aware-and the
thought evokes curious sensations whether the au-
thorities who committed the Merrimac so fully 70 me
incendary system coucede the general prlncpie tna
horizontal shell firing from heavy ordnance i chhny
.fectual as against ships In short the Merrl'nac ~
turned out of hand seemingly with the oel.ct oI Try
ing a system routrance. II behooves Us, Sow mo-
wing people to keep all our eyes open, and Proht oy
the experiment.
On recent trial for murder in Watson county
Missouri. lad who was iustigated to fire the gun
which caused the death of the victim, 6y his tather
va. acquitted and the father and an adult accompce
convicted of murder in the second degree and sem
fenced 10 ten years imprisonment in the penllentlary
The rationale OF this verdict Is, tina; these parties be-.
ing of mature years, induced the boy 10 commit the
murder, but that greater punishment than that OF
murder in the second degree could not go against
them.