The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-06

The NHFYIcrENcY OF Our NAVAL FoRcE.-
From the news from England which we pub.
lish to-day we learn that privateers for the
Confederate States were being fitted out at
Liverpool to prey upon our commerce; and
from intelligence recently published our read
ers may have observed that numbers of those
armed ships are actively at work on the
Southern coast and have been hitherto very
successful. At the same time such is the
scarcity of ships-of-war that the Niagara, which
had been blockading Charleston, was compelled
to proceed upon some more important service,
and left that port without any blockading
vessel-the consequence of which was that
several ships have entered the port and others
have gone out 1t is, therefore, very evident
that our naval force is inadequate and inefi
cient
To remedy this state of things it is proposed
10 build six war steamers and no doubt If they
could be built in week, or even q month, they
would 60 far to obviste the evil. But 1t will
take year to complete those steamers, and
before that time the war ought to be over
Now, the sensible and practical course is
this. There are about dozen of fine, fast
sailing merchant steamers which can be had a.
this port at once, as their owners would
be glad TO sell them to the government, and
would accept payment for them in bonds,
whereas if gunboats are bought in England
cash down must be paid. Those ships could
be fitted up with riaed cannon and put in
commission in the course Of month. The fol-
lowing is list of them:-The Adriatic, the At
lantic, the Baltic of Collins old line; the Van
derbilt, the Ocean Queen, the Ariel, the Daniel
Webster and the Champion, of Vanderbnts
line; the Fulton and Arago, of the Havre line;
the Mississippi, splendid new ship, built for
The Savannah line; besides the Columbia, the
Bienville, the Matanzas and half dozen others
which would make good guuboats, armed with
single rifed cannon of heavy calibre. In the
war of 1925, many of the most successful
privateers, which captured the largest British
merchant vessels, were small craft from 200 to
$50 tons burthen, many of them armed with
only single heavy gun, called Long Tom !"
How much more efficient would be the smallest
of the steamers we have named, with riaed
cannon on her deck.
Some of these ships would require a little
strengthening; bat there are others which
would make first class frigates, and when they
| should their services ever be required. The
| A6riatic, the largest and finest wooden steamer
| aAoat; the Baltic and the Atlantic, now be-
| longing to the North Atlantic Company, were
| all built with view to this ultimate purpose
| The Adriatic has been sold to the Galway
broken up, it would be very easy to purchase
| that noble ship. There is no stronger steamer
| in any sea than the Vanderbilt, and her speed
has been well tested. In fact, there are no
] steamers on the ocean which these four steam
| ers cannot overhaul, and none that can over
| take them should it be necessary for them to
escape from superior force. The Mississippi
| is also strong, and only just built. With these
ships and the others we have named, making
| eleven in all, besides some FIVE or six more
the government would be placed at once in
possession of q feet which would render the
I bubbles Of the English government and it,
| press about an defective" blockade nugatory;
and at the came time our commerce might be
protected, and the privateers of jefferson
Davis captured, at least on the Southern coast.
1t is all right to build the six gunboats pro-
posed, and when Congress meets an addition
of thirty ships ought to be made to our navy.
But for present contingencies the government
ought to avail iself at once of the services of
our merchant marine. If the man at the hea
of our naval affairs does not know his business,
he ought to be removed Immediately and q
man of action put in his place.