The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-09

U&DAY, JULY 9, W.
What OF tps Blockadel-TAs Report efthe
Secretary ofths Navy.
The FIRST item In our shipping news Of yes
terday was the following
Arrived at this port) slip Charmsr lot Bostoa),
Key Vest June ~ In s Ssss "a nss %'lSs
from 900 70 700 TONS could DISTINCTLY 800 people oartiog
goods from the ships.
This intelligence has just been confirmed to
us by the captain Of another vessel, which was
chased and fired at several times of the Capes
bya little steamer, undoubtedly privateer.
This gentleman, whose vessel Rugged the land,
saw twelve or fourteen vessels ashore, evil
IDENTIFY not wrecked, but brought In by such
little armed steamers as that which gave him
chase A circular from Commodore String
ham, published In another column, bears testi-
mony to the fact that armed vessels, and es-
peoislly steamers, run out Into the Gulf for
day or two and pick up vessels, as was the
case with the rebel schooner Savannah, and
more recently the Lady Davis. The same depfe-
dstions are going on further north, as stated In
the foregoing Intelligence. Being Of Light draft,
these prlvateers sally out from the inlets, and,
capturing a merchantmen, run her ashore, and,
taking out the cargo, break her up or leave her
to her fate. Thus. instead of attempting to run
the blockade at the larger ports, they do busl-
ness in quiet way along the coast, where
they appropriate valuable csrgoes without
consulting prize courts or taking the trouble Of
going through any other Formally ~
Now, of all this the Secretary of the Navy
appears by his report to be profoundly igno-
rant There Ia not word abou. the opera
tons Of the prlvateers, nor a word about the
operations of the blOokading squadron, and
altogether his report is a document which gives
exceedingly meagre Information. Ia fact, Mr..
Gideon Welles seems to belong to past age
"a respectable fossil who cannot recognise the
fact that we are In the midst of revolutionary
crisis as important as that of 1776, and that the
United States has some fifty thousand vessels,
of about six millions tonnage, demanding the
protection Of the government. Our merchant
marine Is the greatest In the world, and
yet Of all maritime nations we have the smalleet
armed force to defend 1t in the time of danger
The Secretary of the Navy ought to consult on
this subject General Wslbridge, the rival on
the Fourth of July of Edward Everett. In a
speech made by the General In 1856, at meet
ing rahfyiug the nomination of Mr.. Buchanan,
he said
In those great interests that not only the whole
Union, but great Empire State. how do stand
la the commerce Of the worid Grea. Britain has 81 900
vessels OF 720 900 TOMS Spain 900 vessels with $50 900
TONS The aggregate OF vessels belonging 70 sardina fus
Sany Naples Sicily Papa s.atss AustrA Greece Tur-
way, Sweden, Russia Mexico and the South American
States is a. 400 vessels, with 3l66 500 tonnage Tho
bali millions Of TONS have 800 vessels more than
Great Britain with half million greater tonnage than
hers three times many vessels France, and at least
eight times much tonnage; I've times tho number Of
Spanish vessels with fourteen 0fteeu times her ton
mage aud our number Of vessels nearly equal to the
vessels OF all tia other maritime Powers OF the earth,
having two millions OF tons greater than their united
tonnage
This was Eve years ago. The increase since
has been at least ten per cent. Here, then, is
something to be proud of, aud something that
needs adequate protection. Owing to the
general Distress there are now many merchant
chips lying idle, whose owners would be glad
to charter them. Why will not the government
Immediately arm and man thousand of them
to protect the other iorty-nine thousand While
the regular ships of the navy could blockade
tho large and important ports, the armed mer.
chant marine, enrolled in the service of the
government as ''miliHa of the seas" could
watch the lesser ports, and tho whole line Of
coast entering the smallest inlets and bayous,
and thus give edtectual protection and security
to that great interest which places our country
at the head Of the nations Of the world.
The ratio OF the protecting force bears no
proportion to the interest to be protected. A
permanent naval militia might be organized,
which would be Of the greatest service to the
country in time of war, and be without ex.
pense In time of peace. Arrangements might
be made with shipowners to build certain
proportion Of their ships of sufficient strength
to carry heavy guns, and actually to have at
least two guns always mounted for the prac.
tice of the crews, after the manner of the Swe.
dish sailors, every man Of whom is compelled
by law to drill in naval gunnery. A fair por.
tiun Of the expense of building should be
contributed by the government, and the cap.
tain ahould have naval commission, and re.
ceive small annuity for his trouble in drilling
the sailors at the guns. In time of peace the
ships to be engaged in the pursuits of com.
merce--in time Of war to be at the disposal of
the government upon reasonable terms. Thus
at comparatively small expense would the
United States always have powerful militia
navy on hand, ready to sweep the seas of her
enemies ships. or to give ample protection to
her own.
THE CoNFxDERATa STATES EN- BAD Way
We publish in another column an extract from
private letter, dated New Orleans, May 80,
which has appeared in the London Daily
Neaos. We attach considerable Importance
to this, both from the fact Of it's being
purely unofficial and because it is en-
tirely corroborative of the letter of Mr..
Russell to the London Times from the same
80