The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-04
ENGLISH VIEW or THE AMERICAN ARM AND
NAVY
prom the London Times Of Jan, io-l

minstraon OF the United states, though the lesson hap
pens be forthcoming exactly that topic which Nh
Bright would be most unwilling to select The Amefi
have excellent Judgment in military and naval
matters, which they handle in spirit always liberal aud
generally sagacous IL from the very beginning of
their history, They passed through period oi
infancy routine, but took the field, when tay did take
IT, In fashion at superior TO that of old fashioned
beligerens They have the merit of anticipating even
the French of the republic in dscadins everything like
precedent and going straight by the shortest cut To the
mark before them They the first 10 make the ride
tell in war and in the struggles for Independence picked
OFF officers like birds from tree. They the
first to see what we have only lately discovered that
musket ought to be fired with much pains fowl
ing piece, and at Bunkers Hill they caused fightml
losses by this simple observance They the first to
mount infantry horseback, as we are now doing IN
India and at New Orleans their mounted rienen left
our advancing force without moments repase In
every campaign ia which encountered them they IA
sorted TO expedient other generally Of
plicity which told against with severity quite
peeted Ii exactly the at They had got
great fleets but they behought themselves That they
could turn single SHIPS and that by adopting moles
of their they could make those ships stronger than
any others aloat Accordingly, they built higaes aud
coryetes of size and armament without parallel took
pains with their gunnery and turned the tide OF naval
victory against us, until Broke put the Shannons
into training and beat them at their weapons Their
modern policy has been precisely similar They have
got the new Dahlgren gun and the steamrgate of
the Merrmac class Whether these inventions to be
considered successful cannot yet say, but inventions
they are, they the last the astounding
their kind They have been quietly at work upon d
monster steam RAM and we are introduced To sub
marine boats which to be navgaed at the bottom
the This last discovery, however seems to have
been too much for the American government and
it has found its way to England.
1t is when ascend, however, from particulars to
principles that how much may learn from the
management of the United States In the recent report
OF their Secretary of the Nayya document which
responds to navy estimates taken in conjunction with
the speech of the First Lord in introducing thethe
Americans made acquainted once with the system
which their naval administration is based Nothing
exceed the wisdom and precision OF the views
pressed which read like the opening Of good prac-
teal lecture at naval college In the construction OF
vessel says the American Secretary everything
connected with it has ultimate reference to single
ntthe of the gum by which alone as the means
or instrument of power important results 10 be
compshed To place it in the presence Of the enemy
beyond his reach in the shortest possible time and to
use 1t with the greatest possible effect Is the great object
to be sought for in the construction Of navy for the
maintenance OF its auxiliary establishments. Z These
simple principles susceptible Of much wider applica
ton than has been given here They lie at the bottom
Of the whole science and theory OF whether y land
Every battle and every campaign must depend
mainly upon 'the use of the gum The gun IL the iu-
sruncnt by which the soldier acts and all the profes.
sonal training soldier tends the one point Of a
cling this instrument in position with the greatest rsdty
and employing it with the greatest effect This X the
identical phase into which the latest Incidents Of our
latest war passing at the present We have
armed infantry with Enfield rifles AID are placing
them upon camcls 8 backs.
But how have got to these points? Not by rule Of
three, but by rule of thumb Sailors one after another
ana Sir Charles Napier auong the foremost,
that our Admalties have either no system or d wrong
system and certainly if there has been any system cr
yading successive administrations we should be puz
zed to say what 1T Is We what they do in America
Ihey pay no attention to anything but prncpe and
always the look out for some new principle better
than the last They do not throw away much money
though their estimates the increase but they 20
straight to work to get the greatest possible service out
he lint ,.n
partment has selected the which combines the cat-
est strength accuracy and power that corps q skilled
gunnes has been trained by constant instruction and
universal practice at sea- and that after tat the greatest
pains have been taken to get such ocl for the vessel
carrying these guns and gunners rs would combine tho
greatest rate of speed with the utmost economy Of fuel
We do not forget that words cost nothing and that
telling manifesto may be quite compatible with an ndif-
ferent administration Neither do we profess to believe
that we are behind the rest Of the world when
TO results but 1t cannot be denied that successive
governments would save great deal of money and make
much better work. if they would but ascertain proper
thing to do and the best way of doing it, Neither ia
military nor in naval management have we ever tsken
this course In the army every single Improvement con
nected with fthe uso the gun and the efficiency of
the Individual soldier has been forced upon the autho
ties by public opinion in despite of themselves If it had
not been for the press our soldiers would have been armed
with the Old lrelock at this very moment. Never
there realized at the Horse Guards the Fundamental prop
osition that the ultimate object all drill and all couip
ment was TO make the soldier rapidly as posi-
bic, and send bullet truly possible to its mark
The very last thing thought of in military instruction.
was the use of the gun " in fact thought Of
at all 1t quite possible few we may almost
say few months--ago that q regiment might have
been considered and reported the highest state Of
efficiency when not man in the ranks had acquired
the smallest conception of muskery practice perhaps
fired a bali cartridge In his life
Take, again, the case of the navy. There we are
bound to say there has been neglect Of Rnnnerg nor
have been blind to the Importance speed as result
OF steam power Some OF heavy figates would saii
round the Merrmac with case, and the Rcnown taken
altogether is thought To be unsurpassed by any vessel
aoat But this does not finish the question Our posi-
ton imposes other obligations upon We have not
only to consider how the most powerful artillery be
brought with most rapdity into enemy presence
Withdrawn again but how feet certain magnitude
can he sent in the shortest time into the channel Now
we have certainly had repeated discussions Ia general
way abou. 'manning the navy but wo do not remcm-
her that any minister prapouned this principle
administration in the American style, and then informed
Parliament how he waa going to put IL into execution
Sir Charles Napier has to the point than
ia plain, seainanlke way He not only sees what we
have TO do, but he tells how we should do it. His
plan may be good or had-we do not enter upon That
question at present hut at any rate Il is pa,t calc,
lated for known purpose and intended 10 effect that
purpose, "Yon might have, says he, .nirty sail of
the line at Spithead in week ten days Now this
is power which trust may never be needed but
which certainly ought to possess and IL to possss ii
'woud cost very little Than our present systcm
should like either osee tbs thing done OF something
better done in lis piece.
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