The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-08-28
21lNiatellanp.


At the close of our war with France
and on the advent of Mr. jefferson to
power in 1901, Congress authorized
him to sell the ertire Navy, except
thirteen frigates named in the act
This apparently unwise measure Of
reduction was greasy exaggerated by
the partisan tendencies of the day
but its advocates justified it on the
ground that as all tie cruising vessels
had been brought into the Nary, and
we're no longer needed, taey should be
disposed of, and should war again
break out, others could be readily
purchased from the merchant service.
Many ships were accordingly sold,
and numerous officers dismissed ftom
the service. This fact shows that in
the very first war after the Revolu-
ton, the Government resorted to the
mercantile marine for the prompt Gre
alton of navy. The first ship of
war that ever got to sea since the
present organization of the Navy, was
an Indiaman, bought for the purpose,
and manned, with twenty-four gnnS.
Numerous other vessels, many of very
small size, were purchased and armed
as the war with France was confined
principally to chase and conflicts with
the enemy's privateers, who swarmed
upon our coast, especially around the
West Indies, for which these light
vessels were very efficient. Some of
these vessels played havoc with the
pirates of that day, firing into and
sending them to the bottom, without
waiting for the slow formality oftrial
Between this reduction in 1901 and
the beginning of the war with Eng
land in 1912, not single frigate had
been ADDED to the navy. Of the thir-
teen retained in 1901, only nine were
fit for sea in 1912; yet in that inter-
val of eleven years, scarce day pass
ed without some violation of our neu-
trail rights by France or England,
War with the latter found us wholly
nnprepared for it. Our merchant YES
sells Whitened every sea with their
canvass, yet while England with a
navy of thousand and sixty ships,
stood ready to sweep them from the
ocean, we possessed bat thirteen crui-
sing vessels, of which nine were Of q
class less than that of frigates. This
criminal exposure of cur commerce is
accounted for by the then prevalent
belief that England was invi1e5ble on
the Ocean. Madison and his Cabinet
were satisfied of it. They resolved
to embargo the entire Navy; not 6
ship should be allowed to sail for feal
of capture Captain Charles Stewar
who had been trained in the merchan
service, and who yet survives at mor'
than eighty, gallant and patriotic a
ever, in company with Capt. Balm
bridge, protested to Madison against
this scandulous cowardice, and deman
ded that the Navy should be sent t.
sea. The Cabinet listened to them
but were infexible. Madison the!
convinced, for he remembered PAT
Jones and his gallant compeers of the
Revolution our frigates sailed, ant
England ceased to be invincible.
In the three years. contest which
succeeded, the merchant service actet
as conspicuous q part as the Nav.
itself. 1t is a popular belief that al
fighting must be done by frigates il
the regular way, and that no con
quests are worth noticing unlcs
achieved by national ship. Henc
the brilliant victories won by on
merchant marine during that war hav
been overlooked, and the capabili
ties Of that now idle power appea
to be unknown to the present Gov
eminent. But the superior activit..
of private enterprise is notorious
While the Government, in 1912
bought merchant ships as they ha'
done twelve years previously, an
thus created navy almost immedi
ately, privateers were fitted out wit
astonishing rapidity. In three week
after the declaration of war, ever
New England seaport alive with &C
tivity in getting them ready for sea