The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-09

into the Mediterranean from that in which il now
contents i tsef while its citizens are engaged in o
colossal commerce which brings untold wealth and
power into it's great marts, with navy inferior TO
those of the iifth-rate powers of Europe!
There is paIpable distinction to be drawn be-
tween a navy maintained for war purposes upon a
footing, such as those of England and France,
and navy employed in protecting peaceful COM
merce, established for peace purposes, and main
tanned peace footing 1t is for these latter pur-
poses that our navy chiefly designed, and for
which il is chiefly maintained and it is upon its in
adequacy for these purposes now that our COM
merce has attained to SO immense magnitude, that
we have animadverted.
1t does not comport with the genius Of our insttu-
tons the pacific and non-aggressve policy of our
government, to support large naval ornaments pro-
portioned in magnitude to those of the three great
belligerent powers of Europe; but the policy of
keeping up vast Standing navy war scale ready
for war purposes is very different from that of APP
portionng active navy, cruising continually in
commercial waters, nearly than il is to the mag
nitude, value, and requirements of our commerce.
AS there is army in the world which performs
more active or unceasng service than ours, there
is no navy in the world that is required to perform
more laborious, exposed, unremtted service than
that of the United States.
Entertaining these views, we are glad to see from
we publish entire to-day that he continues to urge
the building of more vesselsof-war upon Congress.
Much more earnestly do we trust that his recon-
mendatons will be cheerfully and promptly respond
ed to by that patriotic body, in view of the disturb
ed and sensitive condition of our foreign relations
growing out of the political complications in Cen
trail America, Mexico, and Cuba.
The Secretary is constrained, under the pressure
of existing circumstances, to restrict his recon-
mendation of additional vessels to ten /; and are
sure that the cogent reasons he urges for this num-
Der at least must so home to the convictions Of
every rejecting and patriotic mind. In addition TO
the construction of this number of vessels, his
suggestion that those which have recently been
chartered from the mercantile service should be
favorable consideration.
BY most iudicious stipulation in the contracts by
which these vessels were chartered, it has been
provided that they may be purchased at fixed sums
the six months hires of the vessels to be credited in
part payment of the purchase money. The absolute
purchase of the nine steamers which have thus been
chartered can be made under this stipulation for the
aggregate sum of $3.50, 900 /; while if the govern
ment should not determine to lasc, the six
months hire payable would be $500. The SUI
peror policy of purchasing the nine vessels, over
that of hiring would therefore seem to be obvious.
As these nine vessels were chartered for the ex-
petition against Paraguay it may be well to notice
the absurd stories that have been rife in those north
ern papers which deal chiefly in falsehood, touching
the cost of this armament. Ii has been oracularly
proclaimed by these busy Munchausns that the ex-
petition has cost the treasury no less sum than
four millions of dollars Now, the fact is, that euen
if it should be determined to purchase the nine steamers at
the price ,re hare mentioned Of $3.50 900, the expedition
gW still haze cost less than 5000 900. This statement
may be relied upon authentic and we trust it will
suffice to put at rest the marvellous and frightful
fables which have been put out in these sheets.