The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-09

In the great struggle which has commenced be-
tween the pretended supporters of constitution
which they have for years permitted to be delib-
eratey 'rampled upon and violated, on the one
sue, and the determined indicators of their
rights as given them under that constitution on
the other; between the maddened and nfiamed
passions Of the men of the North melted by Inst
of power and fear of loss of wealth, and the fyed
and resolute wills of the protectors of their iber
ties in the South; between the invaders and
aggressors, and the defenders of their homes and
hresldes, there can be little doubt what will he
the eventual result, and that victory in the end
VIII crown with its laurels the cause of justice
and right. That the strength of the South is
amply sufficient 10 repel the attack of the North
especially since increased by the adherence of
'hose large border states which have already
manifested their intention 10 share the destinies
Oh the now confederacy, is not to be cainsaid .
mat the first decided victory, causing a retreat
10 the invading army, will at once rally to the
ala OF the South the remaining slave States
winch now hold an apparently neutral position,
Is almost equally certain. This accomplished, the
independence of the Confederate States will he
considered achieved, and will be Immediately re-
cognized by the powers of Europe If peace be
not then concluded, it will be speedily CONQUERED
The new nation will take its rank amono the
powers OF the world and when most imnortant
element OF strength and greatness, in which if is
no" almost totally deficient, shall have been sunni
Gu, tnat rank Will, in short time be no secondary
one. Until the South has provided itself will
an efficient marine, it will necessarily be denend-
ent upon other powers. as it has heretofore been
on the North, for its carrying trade; and until it
has bull up and established navy, it will again
be liable at any time, on the declaration of way
to have its ports blockaded, and the PRINCIPAL
means, on which the Seaboard States have hereto
fore depended for communication with each other
and with foreign markets. entirely cut off To
attain this element of power the Confederate
States need the alliance of the State of NTorr1,d
The control of the Chesapeake bav and ifs trihn-
hrles is indispensable to them These offer tbe
only roads'eads which can be controlled by the
slave States where large navy can be hoated So
numerous are the shoals and bars before and co
tortuous the passages to all the other harbors on
the Atlantic and Gulf coast from the Southern
line of Delaware 10 Texas, that not even second
class ships can be built in any one of them In
the State of Virginia, the harbors at Norfolk and
Yorktown are easy of access and afford ample
depth OF water, but the first is small port in an
unhealthy location, without capital and unable to
provide the necessary labor for the prompt execu-
ton of any large undertaking; and the second,
pes'des being in low and sickly country, has
s'arceiy the population requisite to entitle it to
.n0 rang OF village. Baltimore city affords
'"e only facilities where large ship-buildino
OpnS can at once be entered into
and pushed forward with efioao,, "a
$50, ''''U ",'er ee port of Baltimore that of
~ 0N- ~ more readily made use of and
o"''' s'e"'oi advantages for the Construction &c
large vessels tnan any harbor in the State oe W.
GINA. Dependent as is Maryland upon bor ~
nections with The South for her future increa 60 ~,
prosperity, it is gratifying to consider that Tho
South is no less dependent upon her for the mean.
OF rising at once to the position of first class
power.
The great advantages possessed by the city of
baltimore for ship building not only far surpass
those of any other Southern port. but are greater
'han tnose OF any city of the North. The
uhoer useo ior the construction of vessels is al
most entirely from the Southern States White
oak, the best In the world, combining lgb,ness
with strength, comes from Virginia and MARYLAND
In an extract from table published in Vo, r &c
the Professional Papers of the Royal Enpinear.
the following results Of experiments, to test tho
relative quality of American and English oak, are
given -
English oak. Sp. or. 500, strength 1894.
Ann Ann. M ,sRs e. oak !" , 1s, 49, 49,
twill be seen from this that the Maryland and