The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-03


with neither honor nor profit.
Critical Condition OF Oar Relations with
Foreign ENTHUSIASTICALLY OF the Inn
mediate Protection or Our Coasts.
We perceive that the government have order
ed home our Mediterranean squadron, consist
ing of three steam vessels of war; all first rate
steamers of their class. This Is prudent mea-
all the squadrons abroad. The interests of the
country in foreign ports are safe enough; but
the crisis at home demands all the energy, fore
sight and preparation which the administra-
ton can command. Every vessel on foreign
stations should be at once withdrawn to our own
coasts; and, more than this, every available
steamer ehould be purchased or chartered by
the government, armed and equipped for active
service as gunboats; the old sailing vessels of
the navy should be fitted out as steamers, aud
the capacity Of every navy yard in the country
should be strained to the utmost in building
ships Of war.
This is no time for hesitation or red tape cir
cumlocution A terrible responsibility rests
upon the government at Washington. They
have accepted it manfully, and the country will
stand by them. As the American questio ion is
viewed by foreign governments, and especially
that of Eoglsnd, it becomes an imperative ne
cessity that we should have complete and
powerful navy and an efficient army, ready to
defend ourselves in any emergency that may
arise, and in order that we may prove to the
European governments that we are nation
strong enough, rot only to subdue insurrection
ut home, but to protect ourselves from attacks
abroad.
Regarded as this republic ia, with jealousy
and fear by the monarchical nations of the
Old World, we know not what advantage may
be taken of our domestic difficulties to ensure
an object dear to the hearts of the rulers of
European nstions-the downfall Of republican
ism on this continent Itbecomes the duty of the
administration, then, to defeat this purpose,
and prove to the world, by the adoption of
vigorous and timely measures, that a popular
government can take care of itself, and that
republicanism is not failure.
At present England is divided upon the
American difficulty between the philanthropic
sentiment of the people, on the one side,
and the ministry, who represent the cot
ton and monarcbical interests, on the
other; but when the cotton season opens,
and the fear of revolution in their own
manufacturing towns, at the hands of a starry
ing and exaspersted population, alters, as it
assuredly will alter, public opinion upon this
question, philanthropy will have to yield to
the exigencies of the hour, and the British
government will then show themselves in their
true colors. Cotton the English people must
have or they perish, and we may rely upon it
that some pretext will be found-the capture
of British ship or some other Incident
whereby an attempt will be made to force the
blockade of some of our Southern ports, and
thus involve the two nations in war, which
the Western Powers would rejoice to see in
augurated.
Our government, therefore, should encircle
the entire coast on the Atlantic and the Pa
cific, with an armed feet-from the Bay of
Fundy to the Rio Grande on the Atlantic, and
from San Diego to Frazer river on the Pacific
Moreover, all the Notifications on both
coasts should be reftted and garrisoned.
An additional army of q hundred or two
hundred thousand men should be called out
for this purpose and they would respond just
ns cheerfully rs did those who are already in
the field to quell Instruction. These men
need not be removed from the vicinity of their
homes. They might be drilled to the use of
coast guns and garrison duty by efficient
officers, and be ready at any moment to repel
attack from any quarter. This measure of de-
fence should also include the frontiers of Ca
NADIA and Mexico, thus enclosing the whole
country within an impregnable quadrilateral.
We are mistaken in our estimate OF the saga.
city of the administration and the Commander
in-Chiet if they do not see the necessity of such
q course, in view of the critical condition of
our present relations with foreign Powers; and
certainly we greatly err in our judgment of
the patriotism and pluck of the people if they
do not enthusiastically sustain and justify it.
Let it be done, then, and promptly too. No one
can foresee what dangers are in embryo me-
nacing from abroad the safety of the nation.
JEFF. DAVIS AND THE Rebel. ARMY IN VR-
GINIA-It las been evident, from all the in
formation we could gather from our own CORE
spondents and the Southern newspapers for
some time past that the headquarters Of the
rebel army would be removed from Montgome-
~ to Virginia as early as possible. 1t, there
fore, oecasioned us no surprise to hear that
Jefferson Davis had arrived at Richmond
from Alabama. For come time past he
has been concentrating his forces at the
various camps in that State, including
Harper's Ferry, Richmond, Lynchburg,
Petersburg, Norfolk and the Manassas Gap
Junction, where strong intrenchments have
been erected, this being point which
commands the railway communication be-
tween the two places first mentioned.