Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-03-08

6lisdsss By the French government nat
orally causes them uneasiness /; though
much ol the feeling Of insecurity which
is felt undoubtedly arises from want Of
confidence in those who administer the
affairs Of the army aud navy. The re-
miniscences OF the CrImean war have
Loaf none Of their vividness. English.
men, therefore, feel that, should another
var break out, i might fiod both ss'-
vices unprspared ior il, and .. deplorsbIs
= condition would be tie result - that
exhibited before SebAstopoI-the scene
being Portsmouth. o., perhaps, London,
instead Of the Crimea. They have, in
deed, good authority for believing that
Il cir navy is not what it ought TO be.
Admiral Sir Maurice Berkely, who wss
an ex pericnced officer, and had served
afoat for many years. declared that It
WAS hopelessly inefficient ''thst this in
efficiency was the result Of rotten sys
tem," and ''that it England had had >
naval instead Of military war, be did
not know what she would have done"
These we're Startling confessions from
the mouth OF . Lord Of tie Admiralty,
and might we'll excite profound anxiety
in the nation. They we're uttered before
the French Emperor ordered the con-
struction Of steel plated frigate; they
sound stlll more ominous now that he
has placed nineteen more on the stocks.
These '.fregates blindees" will all be
completed this summer, and, when fully
equipped, will be 10 the ordinary chips
Of war what the old knights in armor
we're TO their men-at arms. They will
terally walk about uuhsrmed by shot
OF shell, and unless run down by steam
rsms or stopped by barriers, they will
be able to run into a fortified harbOr with
rs much ease as into an undefcnded one.
1t is difficult to imagine how they are to
be encountered, for If they are impervi-
Gus to shot and it is ss'd they can re-
sist an Armstrong hundred pound gun
a, four hundred ys1ds-it will be ust less
to fire at them. The way will be either
to throw explosive substances into them
80 as 10 destroy their machinery and
crew, or to send stronger steel plated
irigates against them, to run alongside
and board them, or 10 run them down ;
but in tho latter case the assaisnt would
probably receive greater injury than the
assaiIed. 1t is clear that timber ships
will have to be laid aside. except for
commercial purposes. And this is dis
heartening to a nation that has laid out
So many millions on her wooden
WALLS"
There is no Disgusting tho fact that
tie gigantic naval ornaments of France
are beng pushed forward with enc 81
III some grand object. The common
feeling in England, and indeed, in
Europe generally, is that they are it.
tended to be used against her, whenever
the time shall arrive for her 10 step in
between the Empcrors projects and tho
political ann h,latlon OF Prussia and
Austria. To cope with the nineteen
frigates now building at Cherb ,urg and
Toulon, the British Government has put
only six on he stocks. "Ihe Warrior
is ready to meet LA Goire," but three
to one is decidedly long odds for the
. -. - s"o .ca."uv "a uo"s "a nuuatC' AZ.
minisirative ability in the Executive Of
France, and the almost total absence OF
IT in that Of Great Britain. Admiral
liamcin, the French Minis er Of Marine,
is justly considered one of the very best
officers in the French navy; he has seen
every variety ct service, and thoroughly
On lersiaLds all the modern improve.
ments N warfare. The Duke of Som
erset, the first Lord Of the Admiralty.
has never ''set SOU ,dron" on the waves.
nor a division Of battle knows, more
than a spinstcr." There are five Lords
OF the Admisa.ty," who are currently
supposed TO divide between themselves
the duties of Minister Of Marine.
One does the patronage another, the
siatlonng Of equations another, the
promotions; another, the equipment OF
ships; another, tie retirements and pen
sIons; and 40 on. The effective man a,
tie Board - Admiral Sir Richard Saun.
dcrs Dandas, WHO commanded the Brit.
ish feet 10 the Baltic in 1855. The
other three are also naval officers OF
rank; but unfortunately all of them have
been brought up in the old routine sys-
TEN, and, It is TO be feared, would be no
better than their predecessors, If war
were to come suddenly. The people
see no remedy for this. They have no
voice in the appointment Of the Lords
OF the Admiralty, nor can they tu,n
item ont OF Office, ii inefficient There
is, therefore, no guarantee against =
second edition Of Crimean imbecilty.
Anoth element of danger il the
want Of an organized system Of obtain
lug seamen. In France every man who
cams his living as a sailor is forced to
register his name at the port of the dis.
tr'ct where he resides usually, and is liza
tle to serve in the by when required.
lie cannot escape the obligation, except
10y becoming physically inc, mpe,ent. IL
rngla' q there is q registration of sea.
men, but the government has no power
- comPei Them TO enter the royal
navy y l., therefore, necessary to re-.
sor. 20 the system Of offer ng bouoties
10 induce mt q to esiist. This Ia, new, :
yet been found fully adequate 20 NEE,
an emergency. During the Crimean
var, 90 difficult Was it to obtain able
seamen for tho fleet that large number
OF iand'meo, many OF them Young lads
from the plow, were enlisted. or conr.c
u TOOK months to transform them into
ea'iOrf, AMI they WOuld simnlv h.vo