New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-16

have afoat ron-clad vessels armed with carefully.
tested ordnance carrying elongated projectiles with
punch points," OF four hundred and eighty pounds,
OF the Warrior, aided by the La Gloire Nspoleon's
largest roncIad ship and second by the use of shot
alone to sink both Of them should they come within
its range. We now have on hand the tested ord.
nance competent to speedily destroy any vessel yet
armored by any nation Our iron-clads are the most
numerous at this time, and cannot be exceeded pri0s
to January or February next. The English troops
are dispersed all over the world to guard isolated
colonies Her available troops cannot be massed 10
an amount Of eighty thousand; and one hundred
troublesome to powerful nation, possessing from
300 900 20 1000 900 Of troops already called to the
field and the French army, once shut on shipboard,
even il conveyed by the whole English and French
fleet, could not in ordinarily fair hight escape
destruction. A single conflict between an English
or French iron-clad aud one of our far more heav
lily armed iron clads will settle that question. mo
reeult will be 90 decisive to admit Of no mistake,
If there is any virtue In ordnance throwing pro-
jectles four times heavier than any approved gun
with which any English or French vessel is now
armed. Let Us examine our means OF defense
OF course before going into battle soldier puts ON
his arm0r; when man leaves home he locks tho
doors of his house. SO nation going 10 war with
naval enemy, will, at a early day, carefully lock
the mouths Of ell those valuable barbor, inlets.
sounds and rivers, which have narrow entrances,
and thus lessen the home duties Of the feet az we'll
az furnish place Of refuge when disabled by storms,
or pressed by superior force. The mode OF obstruet-
ing entrances harbors, so as TO efectualy secure
them, and vet allow OF the passage OF friendly
ship with but little hndrance, is pointed out with
great cIearness by the Board Of Engineer in q re-
port made to the Secretary OF War in 1870. The OBJ
struction can be created in the entrance to harbor
like that of NewYork in probably two or three days,
the whole British navy could not force passage
through the entrance without first removing the OBJ
STR and the obstruction cCuld be removed DIV
an enemy only after the siencing OF the forts under
the command of whose guns IT Is placed. Having
taken steps to carefully secure the most important
entrance by temporary distractions and by heavily
armed fors, let us promptly provide an Interior
water communication between our chief cities par
alIe with our Atlantic coast and having numerous
communications with 1t at protected points. Ibie
has been frequently recommended by the Board OK
Engineers as a work Of vast military importance.
In April last the Military COMMITTEE OF Congress, in
an able report demonstrated how this object could be
speedily and cheaply accomplished, viz: BY enarg-
ing the locks three short canals Of aggregate
length Of only 7si miles. vessel entering the
sound of North Carolina, from the Atlantic ocean,
can proceed by way Of the Dismal Swamp canal
(22 miles long TO Norfolk; then passing up the
Chesapeake bay. communicating with both Wash:
ington and Baltimore if desirable, 1t can sail
into the Delaware River through canal only
1874 miles long; after communicating with the
great City of Philadelphia it could sail directly into
New.York harbor, by passing through the Della
ware and Rafitan Canal distance OF As miee, and
thence proceed up the East River lao miles, to
New-London, before going to sea. Here Is an IN.
land communication between almost all OF our lead
ing ports and cities along the maritime front Of the
populous and powerful States of Connecticut, New
York, New.Jersey, Pennsy lvania, Delaware, Mary
land Virginia and North Carolina, distance az
nearly 1000 miles, and having many fscile and
easily protected outlets TO the sea, suitable timber
locks capable of passing large war vessels, can DO
do DIV for II a DrPsnlQ emergency
in from twenty to twenty-five days. The Govern
ment has ample legal authority " make this grest
improvement if military necessity. As is let it
be done, and in such manner that we can easily
concentrate large ships at any desirable harbor 10
resist any invasion, when the telegraph shall
announce the disasters or separations wrought ON
the enemy's feet by storms or by our returning
sGuadrons. The engineers strongly recommend this
double coast line as q remarkable Military advan-
tage DC assessed by neither England France. Our
own sense tells US that if a ship or sbiPs of.war
commerce should be blockaded in harbor, and
thus prevented from going 10 sea, the evil would be
lessened If the harbor was connected by a safe and
unexposed interior channel, with all the harbors on
the coast for thousand nii.es-so also tockade OF
one harbor could be broken ap, by quietly coneen.
tratipQ in it u superior force, drawn from
the other harbors connected with it by the interior
channel. Let u also earnestly request the Gov
eminent to aid in opening the communication
for our iron gunboats from the Mississippi 70
the Hudson, the Delaware and ST. Lawrence Then
in the event of war, our iron-clad ships from the
West through the loyal States could sail directly
into the lakes, proceed 20 The head OF 'he 81: Law
renee and protect the crossing of army sufficiently
powerful 10 command hat river as low down ~
Montreal and thus prevent single British
soldier from penetrating the interior Ihis ac-
complished, what amount OF opposition could the
unaided and defeuseess Canadians make to our
Western troops The uavigable waters Of Canals
secured this inland heet could forthwith repair 10
the aid of our defsnses at the mouth OF the Hudson
A Period OF from ten 10 twenty days would place
hem ut either point In thirty days, in despite oa
he utmost efforts Of England, the United States
could coDtrol the upper ST. Lawrence ano the whole
chain OF lakes, for they have no iron-clads compe-
tent to navigate those waters, and TO meet our SUI
perb Western iron-cad fleet, with its III, Is and
l5-inch guns. Since the Inauguration upon the waters
OF the Chesapeake OF new era III the hrt OF naval
warfare, We have placed our country at the head ~
naval powers in elective strength, ana the mechani.
cal force OF the country Tor the time being should
be called into Ieluiston an enlargng and strength.
ening the navy aud The comprehensive policy should
be adopted Of allowing the merchant marine TO aid
in its own defense by its incorporation into milius
navy, under proper laws and restrictions. Wa
ought now 10 commence and complete within ak
months heavy fleet of ronclads OF uIerior speed,
and at least twice the capacity OF the Monitors and oc
the three millions of enrolled militia in the loyss
States, with one million IN the field, We
may confidently anticipate bringing this IL
famous Rebellion 10 triumphant cof ,,.
With such an army ana navy, "''A
the forts armed with the modern improved ordnance
of large caliber; with the valuable inIets 10 har-
bors roadstesds and sounds, skiliuliy INSTRUCTED;
with AN interior water communication between tho
several ports and harbors on the Atlantic 60 as 10
make il safe and convenient TO speedily pass fleet
from one to another entirely beyond the obseryaton
of any enemy lying Oft fort; with navigabio
between New-fork bay ana TIC
lakes, and between the lakes and II. Louis and
New-Orleans, that would allow OK a movement Of
the whole fleet from Newt Orleans TO New-fork, or
from New ork 70 New. Orleans by an inland route