The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-23

numbers Of their rebel enemies; but 1t has also
stimulated General Fremont ard the loyal au-
thoritics and people Of the State 70 the greatest
activity in mastering Union army of such nu-
merical strength as will leave the issue of no f-
ture battles in Missouri with the rebels to the
doubtful chances Of superior bravery, regard
less of the enemy's numbers.
70 sum up in few words, the Union cause,
from Maryland to Missouri, is rapidly gaining
strength, consistency and method from our late
disasters in the field, and we have every reason
to anticipate, in good season, from the new
order Of things thus established in our army,
comprehensive and successful campaign from
the south side Of the Potomac to the western side
of the Mississippi. Meantime, however, in view
of this grand result it is all important that our
Cabinet should keep step with Scott and Nc
Clellan, and that the Navy Department should
be ready in season for some decisive operations
along the Atlantic seaboard, in addition To the
establishment Of rigid blockade. All eyes
are upon the Cabinet, and no member of it must
any longer lag behind.
The NAVY DEPARTMENT AND THE New ENG-
LAND FlsnERMEN.--We published the other
day letter from the New England fishermen
offering to the government the services Of them
selves and vessels to clear the seas of the rebel
privateers which are committing such depreda-
tons on our commerce There are from two
thousand to two Thousand five hundred fishing
smacks, of from ninety to one hundred and
twenty tons, belonging to this hardy and enter
prlsing class of men, They are schooners,
strongly built and extremely fast, being SPLEEN
didly handled and carry crews of from eight to
twelve men each, making at the minimum an
aggregate Of sixteen thousand of the best
trained sailors in the world Graded and
brought up ON board these vessels, the latter
have become Injured to dangers and bardships
OF every kind by their rough experiences off the
coast of Labrador and the Gulf of St. Lawrence
The Importance Of encouraging tie Ameri-
can fisheries as school for their sea-
men has long been felt by England,
France and onr own government, each
in turn granting bounties with this view
IL is a curious fact that several years since
when the traitors at the head of the depart
ments were consriring TO strip the government
of all its means of Defence by sending away
our vessels Of war to distant stations, and for
warding, under one pretext or another, ord
nance, small arms and ammunition to tie South
Senator Clay, Of Alabama, Chairman of the
Committee on Commerce, and a noted and vio-
lent secessionist. made the most desperate
eflorts-fortunately without success-to get
these bounties repealed. The Southern plot
tiers well knew that so long as the government
had this large body of loyal and well-traincd
sailors to fall back upon their privatecring
projects could never be prosecuted with any
great degree of success.
We have before lis the reply of the Secretary
of the Navy to this patriotic offer of the fisher.
men. It is characteristic of the manner in
which the operations Of the Department have
been hitherto conducted:-
NAVY DEPARTMENT, August 90 1861
Safour letter of the 18th to the Navy Az mt New
York has been referred this department The depart
ment will commission any spti sbic artcs who may
fit and sail any suitable sse for the purpose nd
Gated. Il will require that the shall be approved
by board specified for that purpose Tho law gives half
the rrze money to tho captors wh tho prize nfe
rio force, and half TO the government This department
will recommend that tho half which shall the
shall also be given to The captors am respectfully &C.
GIDEON WEl4LES
t. W. HISNAS, New York,
The above conditions have fair appearance
but a moments reflection will show that thew
are inadmiss.ble. The privateers fitted ont by
the rebels are, for the most part, small and
worthless craft which, if brought into our ports,
would not fetch n thousand dollars under the
hammer The government requires that the
fishermen shall themselves equip and arm their
vessels before it commissions them. The ex-
pcnse Of the rifled cannon, with which they
would require to be armed, ranges from eight
hundred to two thousand dollars each and be-
sides this considerable amount would have to
be laid out in sea stores for the cruise. This
would be clearly losing undertaking on the
part of the fishermen, and, patriotic and well
disposed as they are, it cannot be expected that
they will go into it. What the department
should do TO secure the services Of this invalua-
BILE body of men. ard to protect them ut the
same time against loss, is to provision and arm
their vessels and offer liberal bountes for
q trial with limited number-say five
hnndrcd-of these fishing smacks, filling
up the crews to their requisite strength
from tho others. 1t cannot be pretended that
they would run any risk in doing so, for
all these New England fishermen are native
born Americans and Of nndonbted loyalty. We
are satisfied that so great would be the success
of the experiment that the whole of their yes
sells would soon be called into rcquisition, and
the seas promptly cleared of the pirates who
are now prcying upon orr commerce.
A MAN For THE TIMEs.-The accounts from
Fortress Monroe represent General Wool as
infusing wonderful activity and energy into all
departments of the military service there. He
holds every colonel and line officer responsible