The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-19

uSrOhr OF THE NAVY.-MOre LndH tuiee
months have passed since Commodore Wander
bilt rendered to the Hon. Gideon Welles, the
Secretary of the Navy, the steamship Wander
bilt as free present to the government, and
fleet OF four other steamers---the Ocean Queen,
the Ariel, the Champion and the Daniel Web
ster-to be taken at the appraisement of disinte-
rested men.
best steamship ever launched. She can bear a
heavier armament than any ship in our navy.
The material of which she is built is all of the
first quality-far superior to what the market
affords at the present time She is built of live
oak, and is more strongly fastened than any
other ship ever constructed for merchant SER
vice. The Commodore, after his long expe-
rience, had this ship built with the idea of
making her superior to anything else ever borne
upon the waters. The most competent men
were employed in every department The labor
was done by tried men, at days wages, so that
nothing should be hurried or sighted, and
ship was thus completed which the Commodore
was not ashamed to give his own name to. She
can carry sufficient coal, without diminishing
her speed, to keep at sea for long time. She can
run at the same speed, with the same consump-
ton of coal, as the revenue cutter Harriet Lane,
while, by use Of the requisite amount of fuel,
she can outrstrip anything that walks the waters
She is like bird, capable of living on the dimi-
nutive quantity of food which sustains the swal-
low, and at the same time with the capacity to
swell to the power and proportions of
the eagle When the necessity of an imme
date blockade of our ports became APP
parent, this splendid ship was offered
to the government by her owner for nothing.
At the same time Commodore Vanderbilt, as
Company, rendered to the government the
Ocean Queen, the finest transport ship afloat,
with superior Bey engines, and! calculated to
be Of exceeding value to the navy; the Ariel, Of
1900 burthen, in fine condition; the new iron
steamship Champion, drawing very light
draft of water, and carrying coal sufficient to
last her twenty-five days, and the steamer
Daniel Webster-just what the government is
now buying for gunboats-all at the appraise-
ment of disinterested men,
as to the first part of transparent fairness as to
the whole. Up to this day the Navy Depart
ment have taken no notice of it, except to play
fast and loose with the attorney of Commodore
Vanderbilt; and we say there is no instance in
the whole history of that department, from its
foundation, of more shameful neglect. Sup
pose this offer of Commodore Vanderbilt had
been made to jeff. Davis: the clock would not
have told ten minutes after its reception before
it would have been accepted. The rebel Con-
gress the very next day would have adopted
resolutions of compliments and thanks, and the
rebel press wonld have teemed with praises of
the merchant prince who should have supplied
them with a ship which cost nine hundred
thousand dollars, as q free gift, and with feet
OF ships at their own price; the rising sun of
the next morning would have shone upon the
government flag at the masthead of the Wander
bilt, and, speedily manned and equipped
she would have been despatched in pur-
suit of prizes Before this day the unwel
come thunder from her guns would have
struck terror to the heart of many an American
captain. If with such miserable craft as the
rebels have had, they have already taken many
prizes, some Of them of large value, what would
they not have done with ships like these?
Instead of accepting these ships-just what
was wanted, as all competent, practical nauti-
cal men know-the Secretary of the Navy, SUBJ
jected, undoubtedly without suspecting it him
self, to improper influences, has preferred to
rely on vessels yet to be built, meanwhile leav-
ing our commerce to be swept from the ocean
He wants one or more iron-clad ships, for which
he has got an appropriation Of u million and
half of dollars and which can by no possibility
be launched until after this war must one way
or another, have been terminated. What they
will be good for when they are launched nobody
knows. The most competent authorities are
divided in opinion as to whether they will be of
any use or not, while it is pretty we'll under
stood that the gnnboats ordered by the govern
ment, if built according to the specifications,
will be Of very little value when done.
Cannot the authorities at Washington realize
that now is the time when this battle has got to
be fought; that time is an all-important ele-
ment in this disastrous war; and that ships
which can be had at once are the only ones
which it is worth while to talk about getting
at all
One third of our merchant marine should
have been purchased three months ago by the
government. That would have secured immu-
nifty from priyateers to the other two-thirds, and
have given comparatively profitable employ
ment to the whole. AS soon as the war is
ended there can be no difficulty in selling at
auction, for fair prices all the vessels which
the government has no further use for
We call the attention of President Lincoln,
who is honest and patriotic, to this matter.
Our merchants here and in all the other COM
mercial cities should Individually, as well as
collectively, call his attention to the subject If
we sincerely desire to preserve the government
there must be speedy and utter rout of mbe-
cilty, treason and corruption from the Navy
Department
A PERIODICAL SOUTHERN DELusIoN--In
| another column will be found document of
some interest at the present moment-the ad-