The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-04
&ithlmu,lh 4ispatrb.
TUESDAY MORNING Fl
ships aaS Ba,sa,,..

va WIG eouhictS U0tWoen shlp6 ana D6Cterlee in
the great wars of modern times, both in En-
rope and in our own country, from which it
appeared that, in the great majority of cases,
vessels of war were unable to compete with
strong land Notifications. In all the wars of
England with the continental nations, and in
the war of the American Revolution and 1912,
there was scarcely one exception to this gene.
| raj rule. That such does not seem to be tho
experience Of the present war, is attributed
by some to the introduction Of steam. and the
gre'.ter perfection in the mechanical agencies
both of the ship and armament, and the more
powerful and destructive character Of the
Uiaterials Of war. This is an important sub
Ject in country 80 assailable by sea az our
own, which has no navy, and can only rely
upon its shore defences to meet the numerous
fleets of ali enemy " who has the whole navy
and the whole mercantile marine, now armed,
OF the OIL Enisal States At. .his command.
We confess tRas we have seen nothiIx /. Inv
of the s-ps,icnses Of this war to change Our
conviction OF tie superiority Of baud for,inca.
uoas, whe4. properly constructed aud efficiently
armed, to si4ips of-war. Tho introduction of
steam and other naval improvements as
not reversed tho relative strength of fortiGca.
tionB and vessels, though it undoubtedly re.
quTes tie former, in order TO maintain til cir
old superiority, TO be something more than
mere sarthworks, without bomb proof cover.
ings, which, at Hatteras and Port Royal,
were easily reduced by the vigorous shelling
of the ships. The conflict al Pensacola WAS
the only fair illustration of the question which
the present war has furnished. There the
Notifications were properly constructed, the
| men were sheltered by those defences which
| military art has provided against the descent
Of shells, the guns were of proper range, and
| handled by skilful and practised gunnsrs. The
consequence WAS, that some Of the enemy's
most powerful ships of war were perfectly
riddled by the fire of the Notifications, and
abandoned the contest precipitately, having
failed to intict tho slightest injury upon the
works Of the Confederates, and only killing
one or two men. We believe that the result
would be the same in every similar engage.
ment between shore and floating batteries if
the former are properly built, provided with
bomb.proofs, and guns of equal range with
the enemy, and manned by experienced gun
ners, who have been disciplined and prac-
ticed to the skillful performance OF their
duties.
If the application of steam to ships of war
and other naval improvements accounts for the
| success OF the enemy in his two assaults upon
uncomfortable ear:hworks, how is it that the
great naval s9uadrons Of England and France
were unable to assail Sebastopol and other
Russian seacoast fortitcatons with any sue
cess, but came OFF worsted in every encounter,
whilst Admiral Napier did not even attempt
TO cope with Cronstad. ? There was scarcely
Il sailing vessel in either of these magnificent
fleets, the equal Of which in numbers, guns
and ail the equipments aud appliances Of wax.
had never before hoated upon the waves
The single ship which bore the broad pennan.
of Admiral Napier, the largest and mos. pow
erful war ship in the world, would be more
than match for three of the best ships in the
Yankee navy. Every one rscollects the i'm
preston produced upon the public MUD Of
England by the magnificent naval review
which took place before Admiral Napier
sailed for the Baltic. aud never did Old Eng.
land seem more completely mistress of the
| seas than when that vast squadron of magni-
ficent steamships of-war, led by the colossal
flag ship Of the Admiral, set eaii for the en-.
cmy's waters. 1t would be ridiculous to COM
pare the fifty ships Of war which comprise
the Yankee navy, and their fleet of old mer.
chantmen, patched up for fighting purposes,
with the grand English squadron of Napier
in any one particular that gives efficiency to a
ship in these times in machinery, guns, ar
mament and missiles, crews or gunners and
yet it came back to England without having
reduced or even engaged a single Russian for
tiication. We must evidently look to some
other cause than naval improvements for the
Yankee Successes at Hattenn Port Royal,
and that cause is to be fod = the weakness
of the fortifcations rather than in the strength
of the ships. If Hatteras and Port Royal
had been provided with proper defences
against the shell and shot of the enemy. the
result would have been different, as it will be
hereafter, II we do not neglect the common
provisions against naval assault which have
elsewhere rendered shore batteries invulne-
rable.
We do not reoollect but one single success
which the combined fleets of England and
France, both in the Baltic and the Black Seas,
achieved during the Russian war. That was
the reduction of the fertilization of Kinburn
by the iron-plated vessels introduced by Louis
Napoleon. That experiment served to de-
monstrate the capacity Of vessels sheltered
with that metal to resist the fire Of the
forts. But it is, Of course, clear that forti-
tcations sheltered in the same arm5r
would be equally invulnerabls by ships Of
war, aud an English periodical has lately ar
gusd that this defence can be provided as
readily and even more economically for FORTH
cations than ships. We earnestly hope that
our Government ana engineers will give this
subject their prompt AID serious attention.
We have our choice Of Pensacola and Port
Royal in future conflicts between fortihca-
uons and ships. 1t is hardly worth while to
construct coast and river defsnces merely ss
slaughter pens for our trave soldiers, and
only to invite the enemy u make an attack
in which he has svery advantage Of assault,
and little peril If we do not wish TO build
defences merely that they may be taken, and
involve in their destru ction the loss Of both
life and prestige. let US construct them upon
proper principles, and we shall have no future
repettions of Hattsras and Port ROYAL.
NoarHxau lr.xs.-Donaid Mckay. OF Bos-