The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-02-17
From tie London Times Of january 10.
ENGLISH VIEW OF THE AMERICAN ARMY
AND NAVY


from the administration of the United
States, though tho lesson happens to be
forthcoming exactly on tina, topic which,
Mr.. Bright would be unwilling to select
Americans have an excellent Judgment in
military and naval matters, which they han
die in spirit always liberal and generally
saSacIous. 1t was SO from the very begin
ming Of their history. They never passed
through period of infancy or routine,
but took the field, when they did take it, in
fashion at once superior to that Of old
fashioned belligercnts. They have the merit
ofanticipating even the French of the repub-
Tic in discarding every thing like precedent,
and going straight by the shortest cut to
The mark before them. They were the first
10 make the rifle tell in war, and in the
struggles for independence picked off our
officers like binds from tree. They were
the first to see what we have only lately
dlscovered-that a musket ought to be
hired with AS much pains as fowling piece,
and at Bunker's Hill they caused us fright
ful losses by this simple observance. They
were the first to mount infantry OH horse
back, as VIC are now doing in India; and
at New Orleans their mounted riflemcn left
our advancing force without moments
fepose. In every campaign in whic, we
encountered them they resorted to some
expedient or other, generally of great sim.
pllcity, which told against US with sever
lty quite unexpctccted. 1t was the same
at sea. They had got no great fleets,
but they Ielhought themselves that they
could turn cat single ships, sed that
by adopting models of their own they
could make those ships stronger than
any others afoat. Accordingly, they
built frigates and corvcttes of size and ar
mament without parallel, took pains with
their gunnery, and turned the tide of ma
val victory against US, until Broke put the
Shaonou's crew into training and beat
them at their own weapons. Their modern
policy has been precisely similar. They
have got the Dahlgreen gun and the new.
frigate Of the Mcrrimac class. Whether
these inventions are to he considered sue
cessful we cannot yet say, but inventions
they are, nor are they the last or tue most
astounding Of their kind They have
been quietly at work upon monster
steam ram, and now we arc introduced to
submarine boats which are to Le naviya,ed
ut the bottom Of the sea- This last discov
cry, however, seems to have been too much
even for the American Government, and it
has found its way to England.
1t is when we ascend, however, from
particulars to principles that we see how
much we may learn from the management
of the United States. In the recent report
OF their Secretary Of the Maya docu-
ment which corresponds to our navy esti-
mates, taken in conjunction with the
speech Of the First Lord in introducing
them-the Americans are made acquainted
at once with the system on Which their
naval administration is based. Nothing
can exceed the wisdom and precision of
the views expressed, which read like the
opening of some good practical lecture at
a naval college. In the construction of a
war vessel" says the American Secretary,
every thing connected with it has ultimate
reference to single point-tlIe use of the
gun, by which alone, as the means or in
strument Of power, important results are to
be accomplished. TO place it in the pres
ence OF ths enemy or beyoud his reach in
tho shortest possible tine, aud to use 1t
with the greatest possible effect; is the great
object TO be sought for in the construction
of navy foe the maintenance Of it. auxil-
iary establishments" These simple princ-
pies are susceptible Of much wider app-
cation than has been given here. They lie
at the bottom of the whole science aud
theory of war, whether by land or sea.
Every battle and every campaign must de-
pend mainly upon the use Of the gun"
The gun is the instrument by which the
soldier acts, and all the professional train.
ing Of soldier tends TO the one point Of
placing this instrument ia position with
the greatest rapidity and employing it will,
the greatest effect. This is the identical
phase into which the latest incidents Of our
latest war are passing at the prcscn: mo-
ment. We have armed our infantry with
Enfield rifles, and are placing them upon
eamels' backs.
But how have We got to these points.
Not by rule Of three, but by rule of thumb.
Sailors, one after another, and Sir Charles
Napier among the foremost, assure US that
our adm'ralities have either no system or
a wrong system; and certainly, il there
has been any system pervadng our succes.
sive administrations, We should be puzzled