The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-03-27

! aa7uc9 10 91E epa97GS te,} % -~aiT s9fF
alIl b sGaitrir427 ghi dir feAano fs9gib
! ua1j nd ,mid h94aeiaon a,s@e reftasva
generally atioat, they never become, As ar
mics sometimes do, IS dangerous to friend.
in time Of peace as to enemies in time Of war
Imight 60 on and show that, situated 4.
ell of our iarge cities are upon arms 81 The
sea or upon navigable rivers, the Navy nigh,
be made more efficient in suppressing do
nestle Instructions, as well ~ in repelline
= foreign invasion, than the Army. I might
show, too, that, notwithstanding what !.
said by professed statisticians, the supper,
ofa navy is less expensive, in comparison
with the service it renders to maritime na.
ton, than that Of an army; but shall no,
'dstain the Senate by attempting to ente,
upon such an exposition at this time. g
As said 1t the outset, MI. President, my
purpose in rising u address the Senate 1t thi.
time was to call the attention Of the country
to the successful operstions Of the western
6otilla but / cannot refrain from abiding
for one moment before close, to the success
Of our Navy elsewhere in this war. The
whole south western Atlantic coast has beer
swept BY the feet Of the gallant Du Pont
and IS now effectuslly held by both an In.
side and outside blockade. The enemy have
been driven. from the waters Of North Caro-
lima by Golisborough, their whole navy il
that quarter destroyed. and their coast towns
occupied. Snch progress has been made
In the Calf Of Mexico, that venture to pre-.
dict that IN few days At furthest intelli.
gence MIL reach rs that the forts At the
mouth Of the Mississippi river have been
captured, and that Farragut and Porter are
now or soon win be in possession Of New
Orleans. But the startling events that have
recently occurred'in Hampton Roads attract,
as they ought the attention ofan. II would
be well for as toreAect upon what those
events have clearly demonstrated. They
are-irst, that in modern nayal warfare,
wooden sailing vessels ofwar ars perfectly
harmless and helpless; second, that the
strongest stone fortifcatiens can be no ob.
struction to the entrancs Of iron clad vessels
Of war into any Of our harbors, and that one
or two such vessels, nnopposed BY vessels
offs similar ohasaoter, can hold any CONNER
ciai city on the continent 1t their mercy ;
third, that We can now commence the crea.
tionofa proper navy upon footing Of COM
parative equality with all of the naval Pow.
ers OF tho world. ae.'a7 p y ase4qa'ea
Mr.. President, no man sympathizes with
the relatives and friends Of the gallant dead
who perished on the Congress and Cumber-
land more deeply thanI do. Perhaps, how.
ever, their loss was necessary to teach us
our true path Of duty to the country. Let
us not suffer more valuable lives to be peril
ed upon such worthless vessels; and while
we deplore the loss Of 50 many brave men,
let US rejoice that SO many more are left to
the service who are willing to do and die for
their country. Especially let US give thanks
for the brilliant example Of courage, seaman
ship, and patriotism furnished to the coun-
try and 10 the world BY thatmatchless officer,
-Lisutenant John L. Worden, and the officers
and mon under his command on board the
Monitor. In that unexampled engagement
Of Sunday last, after a terribly sufFscating
and dangerous passage from New York,
without having slept, withan undrilled crew
and handling an untried experiment, Lieut..
Worden and his crew performed prodigies
of skill and valor that viii render all on
board the Monitor immortal. They win be
immortal not for their valor alone. Whc
shall undertake to estimate the influence
that battle viii exert upon all Of the mari.
time powers Of the earth? Who shall under
take to tell the number of homes 10 which
the news of Its successful result carried qui.
ct on the eventful evening, which had been
for hours disturbed by the most distractins
fearss Isittoo much to saysthat it rescued
our commerce and ourcommercial cities from
ravagc, and in one hour completely revolu-
tionized oil systems Of naval architecturs
and naval warfares Captain Ericsson, too,
may well be proud Of the place his name win
,henceforth occupy in the history Of nautical
science, and we may well bspFoud that the
country Of our birth is the country Of his
adoption. a-ifS'1i @ 51s' %
But, Mr.. President, while would thus
honor the gallant living, 1 would bear my
tribute Of faffectionate respect for the memo
ry Of the heroic dead who fell in the engage.
mcnt In Hampton Roads. Let the semsm-
brance Of that brave Young oflcsr, whoss
obsequiss are bow being performed in an
other part Of this city, who, when his vessel
was sinking beneath his iset, replied to q
summons 10 surrender, that he would never
give up the Gag intrusted to his keeping, and