The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-17
aEN. WALBRIDaE ON the WAR.

Ward-Speech OF Hon. Hiram Wal.
bridge ON the Present Aspect or Affairs
Interesting Sketch Of the Doings Of th<
British and American Navy, &C., DC.
Last evening a numeYousIy attended meeting of tn,
Fssidsnts OF the Firth ward was held at the Fifth Ware
6otsl, In West Broadway, the object OF the gathering
Being celebrate the recent splendid victory Of our arms
BY tho navy at Port Royal John Y. Savage, Esq wa.
onAnlmousiy chosen to preside and Councilman Hall wa,
rppotnted Secretary The chairman stated that Genera
Waibridge was present. and would speak upon the grca
issues Of the day.
General II. waabridge, on coming forward was received
With great and enthusiastic cheering He traced the
causes which had led rebellion and expressed the
Vpaaon that European governments would necessarily
bhange their opAons upon the Eus OF the contest Al
thsy saw tho power Of the fedora. government re-
established In South Carolina He then paid high
oompinent to Commodore Dupont, and the ala
Gained by Generals Sherman Wright viele and Stevens
end proceeding speak OF tho growing commerce Of the
country, and how little had been affected by tho rebol
Han ssid-Ihirty years ago tonnage was million
hundred and ninety thousand hundred and
.ocs ~ tonnage n onr oommsrca MARINE a1san
every sea. and found in every There parallel
n the worlds history TO the RAPID growth q foreign
end domestic trade. England insulated she is owes
her real supremacy TO her trade dcpend6nt upon
Der foreign commerce the FROM which her i'm
ense concentrated wealth has been drawn To UNFOLD
and maintain her position first class Power sho has
Deduuusy stered watched guarded and protected this
interest for ccnturles She has brought to bear upon
che wisdom and ability Of her ablest statesmen success
eve periods in her history Tho skill OF nor naval archi
tscts, from rnde beginnings, has advanced steadily
seSyvs years hs~s we ~ as na na.on
genius OF our people, undcr the favorable crcum.
stances OF geographical ccntraity and climate, with
oceans on eastern and western boundary, with soil
OF every variety H agricultural and mineral wealth. with
skill stimulated by foreign rivalry in tho workshop and
factory. presented ourselves in every important market
her m fv fha
sercal power grown to such gigantic proportions which
the policy nay, absolute necessity, of govern
ment to protect and encourage essential to
sinued national greatness, prosperity and renown An
English feet OF forty two ships Of war with 4sT guns and
may yot be further renforccd also the French feet Of six
powerful steam igates Of $40 guns has assumed pos
euro Of cooperation whilst tho
Sweden and Spain are sending their naval contributions
IN surveillance Of coasts. Can it be that this
peculiar period is selected for these demonstra
tions because We have chosen to exercise the right
recognized and acknowledged by all the civilized
governments, Of closing such ports Of the republic
g we deem essential to the public ntcresta right
denied TO even nations the dealings OF
the European Western Powers and own with China
and Japan, in recent years, will estabiish But TO be
sound Judgment TO take sach measures will render
available vessels the commercial marine of tho
Unon-that mighty fleet Of some forty odd thousand
ships, both large and small, which traverse our
coast the ocean and distant This policy, per-
manen policy for the government had the honor to de-
velope TO the public years since--,hen urged rs
precautionary measure against the cncroichments Of
Foreign Powers uniricnoly to our liberal and
publican form Of government. Congress, by the
act Of the Goth OF July. 1861, has opened the
way for It's accomplishment Fly this recent act
Of Congress It is ordered thai "for and during
She present nsurrection the Secretary Of tho Navy
shall be- and no is hereby, rzcd hire purchase
contract for such vessels may be necessary for
the temporary increase Of the navy Of the United sies
and hc is "auhorizcd to furnish any vessel vessels
which he may purchase contract for with ordnance
stores md munitions Of war as may be necessary
BILE such vessel vessels to render the most efficient
service pursuant to the orders which may be given to
their respective commanders" This is step in tho right
direction and if mstured into the settled policy OF the
country, under proper Incentives spcners and ship
masters, will enable the United States 10 possess the
most powerful and efficient, well the cheapest navy
IN tho world, by uniting the Interests OF trade, with the
The means q its protection under the authority OF law
The fishing fleet Of great city has not been behind
u Its patriotic purpose for the pnblc press announced
memorial to the President under date 18th August last
containing proposition to aid and assist in capturing
any steamer craft which may be found the
sailing under the Confederate rebeious flag Of the
seeded States and asking for order to them TO take
such vessels tor bounty to be paid by the government
under such stpulaons and conditions may be
advisable with view 10 protect our commerce and the
mercantile interests Of such of our citizens may be
sidercd loyal AMI patriotic in behalf Of the government Of
Che United States who DESTROYS of tho maintenance
pf the constitution the Union and the laws Of the country
Here in the merchant service, is the great maritime
power Of the Union, dormant and unemployed In
commercial marine. The naval history Of England is
4epee with useful lessons bearing upon this important
subject. The first shp-thc Great Harry-beoneibg to
tho royal navy was built by Henry the Seventh
OF only fourteen thousand pounds the early the
nxteenth century Prior to that time England had neither
arsenals aockyads her permanent naval force then
consisting OF ftyseven vessels each carrying twenty
pne men and boy. The Cinquc Ports bound by
thsr chartersto furnish these vessels annually free Of
expense for tecn days after receiving forty days notice
from the Crown, and whenever greater force
quired ships were obtained from English merchants
from nantzc, Hamburg, Lubec, Genoa and elsewhere.
IN tho succeeding reign tho naval power Of England began
10 assumeie regular and systematic FORM Admiralty
snS navy boards s were formed me and backwards es
but an inconsitcrabie portion Of the naval
Force Of Great Britain in time Of war. From
che impulse of trade, the necessity of its protec-
Zion and the kingdoms defence, Elizabeth, Queen Of
England felt the importance of strengthening this right
arm Of her increasing power She removed the causes
her predecessor; she encouraged British merchants to
build larger ships for the purpose II necessary Of being
converted into ships of-war: she raised tho wages Of
ssameu and invited TO her donnions foreigners ssful
IN shpbGding 1t Is an important fact, bearing upon
Che policy OF incorporating the merchant marine into the
maritime Gcfonce OF the country, that tho British feet
which defeated the celebrated Spanish Armada consisted
Of 176 ships, carrying about 600 men, Of which only
thirty -four ships with 1000 men, belonged to the
crown residue the greater portion being merchant
ships armed vesses The Close OF the reign of
chat monarch under whose administration the Fast India
Company formed left the British navy with forty.
Awo ships Of II 900 TONS with S0c0 marines Passing
over the administrations Of intervening monarchs,
6nd Cromwell, the republican, in his age Of agita-
fion and political controversy, raised The English
navy In six years to 157 ships, with 400 guns
and o. 900 seamen, one.third OF these Of foreign
construction. The value Of this power TO English
greatness appreciated in successive administrations
TO tho revolution Of 1855, when Parliament voted liberal
supplies AT the opening Of the eighteenth century the
House of Lords, in address To the QHccn (Anns1 de-
clared IL ga most undoubed maxim that the honor
security and wealth Of that kingdom does depend upon
the protection and encouragement Ct trade and the i'm
proving and right managing Of its naval ars.n They
represented, further, that ''ohcr nations who
mery great and powerful sea have by negligence and
acknowledgement, lost their trade and seen their maritime
power entirely ruined. concluding in the most earnest
manncr by bcseechng her Majesty that the affairs
may always be your first and most peculiar Bri-
esh wealth and power alvaiced with The increase Of
val strength during the succeeding reis of the FIRST
vovereigrs cf the IIanovcrian line In 1870 at the
mencemen Of the struggle which terminated in American
Independence the British navy insisted IF three hun.
dred and forty ships, nearly half OF them ships the
line. During this the Eas. India Company presented
three iine-of battle ships the The with
Spain began ITO with Holland, 1850 In the former
year mbned fleet Of France AID Spain, con
.oisting Of sixty-sx sail o; the line besides fri
gates entered the British Channel, of plymouth. The
supplies OF Parliament wore Increased largely,
and ut the signing 81 the prcmnares II peace, in 1885,
there 617 ships .o!war, than one-fourth of
which iie-obattle sips, and the residue Of fifty
pix guns each with one half miln Of tonnage. Then
Followed in few ve1rs tho tho French Revolu-
sion aud the Of that spirit great Ma
poeon who drew bis sword against all Europe and trca-
1sned. by his continental stem the demolition of the
commercial power of his greatest and most untirng ad
versary across the British Channel On tho 18th Of May,
1905 the royal navy consisted OF III sps-of liae
of civ nj n