, 1860-03-23
Drcs3s Trihuttr.


OEK UOASTED NAVY.
Since the fear that ,l. la;e action Of CoM-
uolort Jarvis in capturing two STEAMERS, et !
Vera Cruz the nationality Of which is doubt |
ful, will involve tile country il, trouble will! |
Mex:c, il lot with Spain .nd, as some sup
posc France, is well founded, it is in order to
look at tie national defenrcs for tie purpose
of sceing how 1nucl, Mr., Buchanan and his
advisers arc willing to risk for tho accomplish
sncut Of The purposes Which they hava in view.
As any war in which 1he country will engage
wifi be mainly confined 10 hosea, NC limit
onr remarks to tic Navy. This arm Ct
tue warlike machinery Of tue Republic has
l,ccu practically unemployed since the conclu-
s;on Of tho var cf lsl:. Hardly a man now on
the lists Of officers has ever Seen gun firctl
in cncniy more deadly than an empty barrel
tloa.iny in Il harb:r. The men WHO won: the
militant victories over The Dritisll-thc law
rcnces neca1urs, Tscbles Baiubridges, &c-
:rs for lie most parl dead Ut in retirement.
Csnmcdorc Stewar: aleuo oi tic old veterals
remains, :ad his great usc aul many is.firmi~
:ies iacaEaci,ate him from active service. The
new n4en WHO have gro*u up under lis
sutela;s,e-aul 1rany Of tle,n arc in the eerc
and yellow lca(--know .othing Of war
except its shallow extending over forty:tlvc
ycsrs Of peace. They have gone into the
s"rvicc because it promised to DO life Of
comparative easr, Il certain eocial positi1
:.c.l coveted personal distinction. Though
too many Ct them are the CONS Of poll
,:cians, a2poiutol no. because Of their fitness
t;,r tae datds Of I,crois,n which the popular tc
'isf :':"cos tn tic sa;lor's 'ifc, but because
their fathers 1 Il this TT that dirty thing FOR the
election ii this c. hat dirtier dcmagyogue, ard
though li:c m>jori:; If them a:c takon from
1'tc Soa:a. tac;r ire:s,ne' bravery caano5 b:
siau led lu ::te ;l,a!ter ofcousage wlic! de-
i::s death, i'll w::aisver s:,aps prese::tcl, they
lMay ue til. cs.u"1s Of tic h:rots who haze
wcu Tic }aurcls ": cl the Vip.nS times have
denied them. It is their misfortune and the
.oun:ry's gain, that VIC mus: take it for grant-
<d 1lat ea.l; of lhcm has tic heart Of {; Law
::aev bu1,orel up beneath lis regulation
<.at- At any rast, they arc untried, Their
;:reatest victories are Jet of the ward
-.om: aad broad5idcs Of champagne corks
ar. The most deadly iiro t1:at tho minority q:
1i,:,n lsav ever encountered. They are govern
cd by cole or volusn= Of regulations which is
81. little p..lcahlc IN the Navy If to-day as
1l!:landects Ct Jus,iaa or the cele Of nraco.
They have lHcn promoted as tllir seniors
'ayc d:c6. rc,ircI Or ;oue into supcra.nuatio,':
~ i system which ignores merit though Eaytr
70 conspicuous aud that las bright rewards FOR
ro.tr>pnerr, lllonyh apparent to Ill the world !;
aud until actual scrrics begins and The blo,d
is se-n 1o How, the Secretary Of the Navy
will l,c Us Llisslully ignorant as tue public o
the real lr..usc aud character Of the materia]
with which lie has to work.
The vessels iu tho service arc maay Of uicu
old, and not u few yet going 10 sea arc gooi
o.ly to be condemned Tor faults Of 1nodel a,i
errors Of construction. The steamers, without
exception, arc slow coaches, and the sailor.
arc fir Inferior to tho mo'lcls Of marine art! i
te:luro which tie mcrcllatt-ship yards have
tur:cd oul. Fo.yism. rel-taptis,n and stu
riiiiy i;ayc ruled in the constructive bur9.u
and between tl:sc ard the infamous joL5ine
which politicians lave fostcred, There is not
despite tho boastiue Of enthusiastic officer.
:'ii tile interested puf1=Ey Of partisan journals
dozca vessels iu TIC whole Navy Of wl.icl
Americans WHO know what Steers c1ippr:
and the Collips steamers can do, would not,t
ashamed. We have not at hand tho Nav,
Register. hy which tho whole available forc
cao be estimated. We know, however, that i
l., small enough to be cause II rational dis
grace, and, considering its organization an
discipline doubtful enough to excite tllo NJ
1ioaal fear If war, 1.v aay cause wha:cyc
should be brought on, even with sccon
class naval power.
We believe that ttis is 4 truthful s1ovin
o; the Navy as il il. We know tl1at the me
c!aut marine is powerful in numbers Of ve,
ssls which mag he used for war purposes
that tho resources f the national ingcnuit.
when taxed, arc imne nse; and that tue co1t
age elld devotion Of our officers ought not |
te d,nhted. But these will lot quiet the II!
i,rellensicn Of reasonable ncn, that hostilitis
will, Si~;u and France would be speedily IL
lowed by consequences utterly hum:liating
l.. =.
tue threatened Danger may be aycrtcd.