The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-09-17
RirI,nloah pispatfh.
SATURDAY MoRNINa.....sE SEPT. H. is''

%SNAA - .ay l
r.. preea bsli,,es Of an Invasion Of
land. ..a. |
Wa ...,sd orr belief short u"e s'".s' |
...x,, YrI had IL not in contemplate.
,nvaa> ,hs island OF Great br''"", @
81. s..r. NJ the British people upon 'n"' n.
Tue 'e" " ,,,n.orv We were confirmed In
weie 49, -. -, the manner in which the sub
~. tod nv Mr. CogpES. In his late
Js,s"s =. well as by the character OF the
r~snnh monarch himself Cool, sagacious,
and NOT apt 10 put his hand out so far that he
c,nne; draw It back again at pleasure, we
con,d scarcely suppose it probable that he
would voluntarily engage In war which |
would inevitably become national, and the |
end VI which il was impossible for any man |
10 feresee We believed that he would take |
warning from the failures of his uncle, who, |
consummate General As he was, was never |
able to conquer Spain, failed entirely in Rus
sia and was ultimately driven out OF Ger |
many, because in each instance the war assnn- |
ed q national character. We confess, however, |
that tine close study of an article IN the Lon
don Quarterly Reri,sr. said TO be written by |
Sir HOWARD DorGLAs, naval omcer Oh hisn
reputation. has induced considerably to
modify cur views upon that SUBJECT as "
place the invasion OF England In the category
NOT o' thihbS pSo"'S''s 49,
probable.
How Strict soeyer the alliance between
France and England may have been, for the
purpose Of accomplishing certain temporary
objects of ambition, common TO both parties,
there is not. and there never can be, any cor
diality between them. No Frenchman, who
deserves the name. can ever forget the wanton
and uniustifable declaration of war by Great
Britain, in I793 upon the French Republic,
whose only offence so far as Great Britain
was concerned, was that it was the successor
If the monarchy No Frenchman can Tor
give or IL he can forgive he cannot forget, the
partinacity with which the British Ministry
refused 20 treat with the Republic, or to &C
knowledge the Empire, or the consequences
that followed that refusal. To the hostility CT
Great Britain he attributes the long wars
which desolated Europe, the torrents of blood
that were shed the overthrow and incarcera-
lion of NAPOLEON, the occupation of France
rs a conquered country, and the restoration to
the throne of Il race, under whose government
she was reduced to the condition of third
rate power. No Frenchman, we say, can re-
member these things, and remember at the
same time that the only pretext England could
or did have for these unspeakable injuries,
was the attempt of France TO regulate her
own internal Affairs after her own fashion,
without The utmost bitterness. That bitter
ness is aggravated five hundred fold by the
press Of Great Britain. Year after year for
the last forty five years. volume upon volume
has been ISIS ued from the British press, in which
the events Of the war are narrated with an ex-
ultant insolence which is peculiar TO Great
Britain and in which the French soldiers are
treated ms men of an inferior race, who never
at once their inferiorIty.
The French cannot forget these things if
they would, and the facility with which they
allowed NAPOLEON Ill, who is the rep
resentatiye of the national hostility to Great
Britain To ascend the throne, affords evidence
enough that they have not forgotten them
The first proof which was given of the peril
nacity with which they cling to their ancient
animosity was exhibited in the EN- thusiasln
with which the pamphlet of the Prince DE
JoINyuLE. with respect to the French anu
English nayies and the best method of inyad-
ing England in the event of another war, was
received. During the reign OF that Princes
father. there was no opportunity Tor testing
the Justice OF his calculations, and 1t was pro-
baby one great cause of his DOWNFALL that ne
carried out too strictly that line OF policy
which caused him to be styled 'the NAPOLEON
of Peace. The Revolution which deprived
him of his throne, introduced new set oil
actors upon the scene and if it originated no |
new ideas, gave at least, powerful develop |
,nent to one of very ancient standing.
One of the first acts of the new government |
WIS to appoiUt a Commission OF flfteen TO
,nouire into the state of the navy, and recon-
mend plans for its reorganization and extern
sion The real purpose for which this COM
mission was appointed, became evident at It's
first sitting The President put the questions,
elias France 4 navy! If she has, what is its
end and for what purpose is IL desighedE' 40
these q uestions, M. coLLAs, one OF the men,
bers. replied with n pertinence which ii is inn
possible to disregard, or to overlook. 1.-The
1irst point to be ascertained,' - said he, ais,
what number of ships France ought. and would
tie able, 10 put in commission should war
hreal, out to-day To establish it, we have a
sure base the adversary is known; it can be
no other than England From that day the
Republic proceeded to incl ease the strength OF
The navy as it would appear, with the sole OBJ
iect OF becoming a match for Great Britain |
uuon the ocean. 1t decreed the building OF |
forty-tve first class line-of battle ships, with
screw prorellers, sixty team-frigates, and |
twenty steam-transports, each of these latter |
capable of containing thousand troops, with |
their arms, accoutrements, and naterief of |
war This work. after the rise of NArO- |
LEON III. devolyed upon him, and he |
pushed it TO its contamination with all the |
energy which belongs to his character. When |
the Russian war broke out, to such an extent |
had his activespir transfused itself through
out the marine department, that he was ena-
bled 10 supply ships faster than the English,
and all the British officers engaged in that SER
wee bore testimony, not only to the admirable
construction of his vessels, but TO the skill |
efficiency, and high seamanship of his crews
As soon as the war was over. he DISCHARGED
his crews from the ships but retained a lien
upon their services by means of Il conserip.
tiou which will enable him to find them again
whenever he wants them. The ELglish. on
the contrary, discharged theirs from the yes.
sells and from the service at the same time re-
tanning no hold upon them and rendering the
possibility OF getting them Oh board once more
dependent enureiy upon their own inclina- |
lions. In The meantime, in the event of a sud |
den outbreak of war, ,here is no method to
winch The British government can resort for
manning their ships in a short period of time |
or even Tor manning them at all OF This fact |
the French Emperor is very well aware and |
IL As doubtless This fact that has stimulated the
activity OF The French marine to q degree al.
most without example. This activity has
been principally observable since the Russian
war, which, according TO Sir HOWARD DouG-
LAS, taught the French officers that the Eng
lush were not such terrible Vikings as
Their ancestors had been wont to esteem them.