Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-14
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY


. q full summary ol the contents of these into
rc>tin. documents. The following. from the
. Washington Union. is 4 synopsis ofthc report
Of Hon. I>;,ac rouccy. Secretary of the Navy:
The first subject n consideration in this
document i the employment of the naval
force Tor the purpose oI arrc>tng unlawful cN-
! petitions against Nicaragua. The facts in rcl;,.
ton 10 this matter were communicated to Con.
grcSs at its last session by the special message
of the President oi January H. lSjS. Next
the report refers to the vessels >cnt into the
! ncighborhood Of Cuba, to resist the exercise oi
the right Of search by British cruisers. These
vessels were all deemed effective lor the object
for which they were sent. because III the exec,I-
= ton of their mission no one Of them would
have heSitatcd to resist Il ship Of the largest
class They were instructed 10 protect all YES
Scls Of the United States against the exercise ot
the right Of search on the high seas, in time Of
( peace. by the armed vessels Of any other
/ power These instructions have been often ~
pcatcd. and are now regarded a. standing
! Instructions To the navy of the United State,
wherever employed They put the deck of an
American vessel on the same footing with
American soil, the invasion Of which under for
cign authority is To bc aS >trenlnli>lv resisted
in the one case is in the other They regard
such invasion a> in the highest degree offensive
to the United States incompatible with their
sovereignty and with the freedom of the seas,
and To be met and resisted by the whole power
Of the country. This question Of right, upon
which We had gone through one war and half Il
century Of negotiations was brought 10 final
issue by placing all other nations in posture
where they must either fight Tor il ar abandon
it, The result has proved the wisdom of the
measure.
I Congress having authorized the President 10
Use force to obtain redress from the government
of Paraguay, it was deemed eYpedient to send
powerful flee; into that ncighborhood. 10 he
employed, il necessary, for that purpose. Ac-
c0rllingv the squadron on the East coast Of
South America has been increased 80 that il
will consist of Two lrigatcS, two >loopS-oi.war.
three briss. twelve armed steamers. and two
armed storcship>. They have been ordered In
rendezvous near Bucno- Ayrcs, and TO be i'll
readiness for any action that may be required.
OF thi, force. one Slo0p. three brigS and twelve
steamers can lay the whole river coast of Para,
quay under effective blockade. ascend the river
to the capital OF that country. and overcome
any resistance that may be offered The object
Of the department has been t" leave no doubt
ot the success Of all expedition sci Oh foot To
protect the persons and property Of American
citizens in Il remote country. to vindicatc the
honor of the American flag in 4 particular in
stance Of wanton outrage offered to ii. and to
indicate determined purpose on the part ot
this government 10 cause il To br respected
wherever It's protection may he rightluly in
yolycd The Secretary recommends the pur.
chased Of the six propcllerS and three side
wheel steamers which have been chartered i"r
service OH this expedition.
During the past year the department has
sent ont a surveying party. under the command
Of Lieutenant j. ". Brooke, to survey and lay
down with accuracy the distractions to naviga-
ton in the usual routes between San Francisco
and China.
The straul-iri.atc Niagara, under the com
lnand of Captain HUDSON. WAS in March last
placed at the service Of the Atantic Telegraph
Company To cooperate with those furnished by
the British Government in another effort to lay
the Atlantic cable Having performed this ser
vice. she returned to New York. where she ar
rived on the 18th Of August and WAS put out of
commissioner. II was deemed n lifting sequel
Ia her participation in that enterprise ot sci
clicc that the Niagar;, should next be engaged
in an enterprise of distinguished philanthropy.
The brig Echo" an African SLAYER. having
been captured OH the coast Of Cuba and brought
INTO Charleston with her cargo Of SOC slaves,
the Niagara was ordered tn restore these .\trl-
cans 10 their native country; she left New
York for that purpose proceeded t"Charlc>ton.
took them on bourrl and M the day inll"wiiI"
set sail for Liberia.
The Secretary makes honorable mention Of
the Kindness of Sir Houston Stewart. the adj
iniral of the port OF Kingston, jamaica and
other British officers. when the >tcam-lrigatc
Srlsuuchania was compelled to put into that
port on account of the yellow fever making its
appearance OH board.
The live steam sloops Of. var, authorized by
the act uf March 3, 1887. will soon he COM
plctc,l. The one built at New York hy Mr..
Wcstcrvct. under contract with the tiovern-
mcnt, will be ready for trial at sea during the
present month That built at the Philadelphia
navy yard has been launched, and will he ready
for trial in March. Those built at the Charles
ton and GoSport navy yards will he ready for
launching during the present month. and for
sea by July The other. built at Pensacola,
will he launched in the spring Tine seven
steam screw sloops-Of-war. and one si,le-wfccl
war-,tcamcr, authorised by act Of June IL,
ISIS, are in Il state of great inrwardnc>s. Five
Of them will be launched during the present
month, and ready for sca by May next. and the
other two screw steamers will he launched early
in the spring. and he ready for trial 10y June.
The Sidc-whec steamer is building at the navy
ward in California, will be launched in the en-
suing spring and be ready for sea in August.
4 ,l,, Il thfr
iscd hy the acts of Congress referred to. II has
been the aim OF the department to combine
speed and power with strength in the highest
practicable degree Tor vessels Of their Glass;
The Importance Of high speed has not been too
highly appreciated; and i'll the Dahlgren gun
has been found the most effective arm for usc
on these steam propcllcrs. 1t is believed that
there is 10 gun in any service which surlhSscs
it for strength, range, accuracy and power.
The report goes on TO state that all o,Ir past
experience has cyinccd the necessity Of an in
crease of the navy. II is impossible, with our
present naval force to give adequate protection
To the persons and property Of American clti.
zcns pursuing their various ayocation" by land
and sea in all parts Of the world. What we
more especially need i'll time of peace Is large
number of vessels capable of entering the riv-
ers and harborS Ol all l0reiSn countries as well
as our own. Such is the condition Of Mexico
and of the Central and South American States,
that it is ndiSpcnsably necessary that We should
he able 10 approach them frequently, and at
every accessible point. There is no other mode
of extending clitctual protection to American
interests in that or any other quarter Of the globe
where the existing governments lack stability.
or for other CAUSES. cannot he relied OH for the
performance Of international duties. The fire.
qucnt presence Of Il ship-oi.war, though not Of
the largest class. excrts powerful restraining
influence, and will generally save or citizens
from the intiiction OF gross injustice.
There is also necessity for an augmentation
of our naval force. in view Of the unprccc-
drntctl rnpi'lity with which orr commerce has
increased We are already one nf the greatest
{ commercial powers Of the world. Frcquentins
all seas and visiting all countries. it i vain to