Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-05-24

British, but availing themselves of theil
home facilities, and determined to strair
every nerve to get the command of the
Lake, the enemy had launched line Of
British ships pierced for ll2 guns.
This immense ship threw such pre-.
ponderating weight into the enemy's feet
that it became necessary to meet the
emergency by building, during the ensuing
autumn and winter, vessels that should
more than match this overpowering force.
In this crisis, nobly did Mr. Eckford sus-
tain his high character, and show his mas
terly mechanical skill and executive talent.
With the force put under his command,
he engaged within sixty days from the
time he commenced, the timber standing
in the woods, to put into the water two
ships of the liuc, pierced with 12O guns
each. The news of the treaty of Ghent
reached Sackett's Harbor when the New
Orleans, the vessel now in the ship-house,
had been worked on but twenty-nine days.
She was then planked in, and it was cal
culated would have been in the water in
twenty-sevcn days more. Her consort,
building at Cape St. Vincent, was in an
equal state of torwardness, and the two
would have been completed within the six
ty days Thus it was that in two hun
dred and ninety days, Mr.. Eckford built
FIVE sloops-of-war, two frigates and two
first rates, carrying four hundred and
twenty-s:x guns.
1t must b remarked that these vessels
were equipped with corresponding rapid
ity, and that the armaments and equip
ments for the New Orleans and her con-
sort were arriving from the seaboard with
such promptness that it was confidently
expected that in less than ninety days from
the time the timber stood as trees in the
forest, these mighty ships would be in line
of battle on the waters of Ontario, 1t is
also to be remembered that all the mate
rials for their construction, except the TIM
Der and plank, that is the metal for their
hulls, the entire rigging and sails, the
heavy anchors, guns, cables and stores OF
every description, as well as the supplies
for over a thousand workmen employed on
them, and for tae troops eantoned at the
harbor, had to be transported from the
seaboard, distance exceeding three hum
dred and fifty miles, two hundred of which
were over roads Of such character as to
require special and extrayagant means of
export.
Taking into consideration all these cir
cumstances the achievements connected
with the building and equipping Of the
Lake navy rank amongst the highest ef-
forts of human enterprise and energy, and
splendidly illustrate the power of free
people, who work with will to accomplish
worthy end.
If this was done in the green tree,what
cannot be done in the dry tree2 If the
country whose whole power and credit was
not, in 1914, equal to that of Pennsylva-
MIA, New York and Massachusetts now
combined, could do such deeds, what cam
not the Northern States, and still more
the North and West combined, do now2
A navy of u thousand guns for blocka-
ding purposes, and a force of two hundred
thousand men fully equipped can be set on
foot in sixty days for the service of the
country, and the blocking out Of the Se-
cessionlsts,
Let the administration of 1861, profit
by the lessons Of the past, and emulating
the promptness and energy of the admin
istration OF 1914, devise and carry out
measures that shall make resistance to the
power of the Government an act of des-
perate madness. Conline the rebels with
in their own territories, and then like the
scorpions encircled within ring of fire,
they will sting themselves to death.
ALBANIAN.