Newbern weekly progress., 1862-02-11

the success of the enemy in his two assaults
| upon inconsiderable earthworks, how rs it
that the great naval squadrons Of England and
France were unable to assail Sebastop,l and
other Russian scacoast fortifications with any
success, but came off worsted in every encoun-
ter, whilst Admiral Napier did not even at
! tempt TO cope with Cronstadt There was
scarcely sailing vessel in either of these mag
nihcent fleets, the equal Of which in numbers,
! guns, and all the equipments and appliances
of war, had never before tioated upon the
waves The single ship which bore the broad
| pennant Of Admiral Napier, the largest and
most powerful war ship in the world, would
be more than a match for three Of the best
| ships in the Yankee navy. Every one recol-
lects the impression produced upon the public
mind Of England by the magnificent naval re-
| view which took place before Admiral Napier
sailed for the Baltic, and never did Old Eng
land seem more completely mistress of the
seas than when that vast seadron Of nagnif-
| cent steamships Of war; led by the colossal
| flag ship of the Admiral, set sail for the enc
my's waters. 1t would be ridiculous to com-
| pare the fifty ships of war which comprise the
Yankee navy, and their fleet of old merchant
men, patched up for fighting purposes, with
the grand English squadron Of Napier in any
one particular that gives efficiency to O ship
| in these times in machinery, guns armament
and missiles, crews of gunners !; aud yet ii
came back to England without having reduced
or even engaged single Russian fertilization.
We must evidently look to some other cause
than naval improvements fer the Yankee sue
ceSses at HatteraS and Port Royal and that
cause is to be found in the weakness of the
fortifcatons, rather than in the strength of tho
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 fcrent, as it will be hereafter if wo
do not neglect the common provisions against
naval assault which have elsewhere rendered
shore batteries invuinerablc.
We do not recolIect but one single success
which the combined fleets Of England and
France, both in the baltic and Black seas,
achieved during the Russian war. That W as
the reduction of the Gorti6cstiOn Of Kmbnrn by
the iron plated vessels introduced by Louis
Napoleon. That experiment served to demons
strate the cepaefty of vessels sheltered with
that metal to resist the fire Of the forts. But
it is of course, clear that Notifications shell
tered in the same armor would be equally in>
vulnerable by ships of war, and an English
period cal has lately argued that this defence
can be provided as readily and even moro
economically for Notifications than ships
We earl e,tly hope that our Government and
engineers will give this subject their prompt
and serious attention. We have our choice
of Pensacola and Port Royal in future conflicts
betW cen fortiications and ships. 1t is hardly
woI tn while to construct coast and river do
fences merely as slaughter pens for our brave
soldiers, and only to invite the enemy TO make
an attack in which he has every advantage
of assault, and little peril If We do not
wish to build defences merely that they may
be taken and involve in their destruction the
loss of both life and prestige, let US construct
them upon proper principles and We shall have
no future repctitious of Hatteras and Port
Roval