The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-08-12
Nulltlral



hundred tons burden each, because I con-
slider that they are to be used, if used at
all, against those of the enemy of twenty
FIVE hundred or three thousand tons bur-
den. Although | voted for these steam
ers to-day, and voted for the four for the
lakes, | was not Influenced to do SO be-
cause had the remotest idea that there
was any probability of a war, but because
our naval force is inefficient, and will be
so long as we rely upon our vessels. I
voted for them that we might have more
efficient Navy.
Mr. Chairman, stated some days ago
that we were far behind the English in
the atrength of our naval force. I have
been at some pains to look at the compar-
ative naval power Of the several nations
of the world, and here are the facts | have
collected; England had, at the close Of
the Crimean war, about FIVE hundred war
steamers. She had two years ago ninety
one lines of ocean mail steamers running
direct from England to foreign ports, en-
ploying about four hundred steamers and
she had twenty-five lines running between
foreign ports in connezion with them, en-
ploying one hundred and FIVE steamers
making FIVE hundred and five ocean mail
steamers which receive large sums direct
from the government as an inducement
for their severel companies to establish
and run them. These are all subject to
the orders Of the government whenever
the exigencies Of war render it necessary
for her to use them, either as war steam
ers or transport vessels. Thus it will be
seen that she has war force at her COM
mand of about one thousand steamers, be-
sides nearl y the same number of mercan-
tile steamers, making grand total Of
nearly total of nearl y two thousand ocean
steamers. Sir, she has already taken q
large share of our carrying trade, and
nearly the whole of the most valuable
portion of it. There are now forty four
English, FIVE Belgian, five French, and
four Hamburg steamers running in the
American trade, while there are but eight
American-ffty-ei eight to eight. No won
! der that seventy hundredths of our COM
merce was, last year, in the hands of for
eigners; and they will soon have monop-
oily of it if we go on much longer in the
blundenng way We have been going, un-
der Democratic rule, for FIVE years past.
France, though not a first class COM
mercial Power, has gone far ahead of Us
IN building ocean steamers. She has one
hundred and thirty war steamers on the
Mediterranean Levant, Black, North, and
Baltic seas.
Austria, not a commercial nation at all,
has one hundred and ten steamers on the
same seas /; and Russia has over one hun
dred, and is constantly increasing her
steam power.
The United States has only twenty,
eight of which only carry from one to six
guns; some Of them not fit to be sent
outside of harbor.
Mr.. Chairman, advocating the building
of war steamers, [ do net wish to be un-
derstood as eountenancing the idea that
we are at all in danger of having a war
with England at this time or at any other
time near at hand.
No, no, sir; We need
have no apprehensions of war, nor need
We "prepare the hearts of the people for
war" The only war we are to have is q
continuance of the war we have had since
1916, upon American industry and home
manufactures. That is cruel, unnatural
reIentless war; it kills by starving, aud
It's victims are powerless.
4
No, Mr.. Chairman, you need not alarm
yourself or the country about war with
England. Instead Of that it would be
we'll for us to turn our attention to the
state OF our finances, our general trade,
and manufactures ; and see if anything
: can be done to benefit the country.
This Administration found some twen-
ty millions in the Treasury; it has been
III power little more than a year, and
what is the condition of the Treasury now?
Bankrupt And, although we have been
digging gold at the rate of more than four
and half millions a month, still the gov
ernment has been obliged to resort to what
the party used to call ''the rag-mouey cur
rency," to the issuance of Treasury notes,
formerly classically denominated '"Treas-
ury shinplasterS." What beautifulstate
OF things. What craftsmanship it proves
the President and his Administration to
spossess What wisdom, sagacity, patriot
sism :! And yet, bankrupt as the Govern
frhent is, it obstinately pursues a policy
calculated not only to impoverish it still
more, and compel the Secretary of the
Treasury to heap debt upon debt, by bor-
rowing, but it is also calculated to depress
American enterprise, cripple American
industry, destroy American manufactures.
! and 70 reduce 70 the lnweSt nrice Amer.