The New York herald., 1862-03-12

:, MAECH II, ISC2.-TnIrI
The Moral or Our Recent Disasters in
Nhf Hampton Roasls. 2 Ntfff
The excitement created in xhis community
and along the coast by the exploifsOf the iron
clad monster Merrimac has exceeded anything
that has been witnessed since the commence
ment of the war. The greatest indignation is
felt and expressed at the want of energy which
has been exhibited by the Navy Department in
reference to this vessel. Although it has been
for months in possession of all the facts regard
ing her, although warned by the public Journals
of the imminency of the raid that she has jast
committed, and although it had received q sufR-
cient lesson in the success that had attended the
efforts Of the iron ram Manassas to scatter our
blockading squadron at tho mouth Of the Mis-
sissippi, it made no preparation whatever to
meet the danger. Shipowners and commercial
men generally naturally feel alarmed at the
| further losses to which another sortie on the
part of the rebel sea monster might subject
them, and they demand that such changes shall
be made in, the personnel Of the Navy Executive
ss will infuse into il something of the foresight
and energy that have been exhibited in TIE War
Department since Mr.. Stanton was placed ct its
head. They say, and say justly, that it Is use
less to make heavy sacrifices for the support Of
the government in the suppression of the rebel
lion if the fruits Of their hard earnings are TO be
sacrificed in addition by the retention of ineom-
petent or indolent officials In positions of uch
importance and responsibility. o.5 $500 Z
But it Is not on the President and Cabinet
alone that the lesson that We have just received
will, we trust, impress ITSELF Congress must
not lose minute in passing the appropriation
for the construction of the fifteen additional
gunboats, which has hung FIRE in the Senate. 1t
has been said that the measure has not been
sufficiently discussed. No stronger arguments
can be offered in its favor than those furnished
by the guns of the Merrimac. They tell our
legislators, in tones not to be misupderstood,
that too much time has been expended over
this and other measures Of similar character.
This squeamishness about the expenditure of q
few millions, when the safety Of Cur navy and
commerce are at stake is misplaced and ridicu-
lous. The ravages caused by the unchecked
career Of devouring monster like the Merri-
mac would, in one week have cost the country
double the amount of the appropriation now
asked for.
Congress must not, however, stop here. 1t
will have to enter upon q course Of expendi-
ture, in connection with our navy, In which
these fifteen millions will form but an insignif-
cant item. The whole character and organiza-
ton of the latter have got to be changed
Whilst all the other navies of the world are
undergoing complete transformation ours
cannot stand still. Henceforth not single
wooden war vessel must be built We are, in
deed, entering upon an age of iron-iron in
ships, iron in forts, iron in harbor defences,
iron in everything that moves or floats.
Not day, not an hour should be- lost in
preparing for this great change. 1t will be
seen by the debate in the English Parliament
published elsewhere, that we have not been SUN
ciently alive to its urgency. England has at pro
sent fifteen iron vessels of war on the stocks,
France fourteen Spain five, and the United States
only two, ene of which is in service; of the
other, now nearly ready, we give description in
another column. Twenty additional ones have
been ordered, and fifteen more are under con-
sideration by Congress These must be imme-
diately passed upon, and measures taken to
construct such number Of floating batteries,
on the Ericsson model, as will render our ports
completely impregnable. The money hereto
fore prop osed to be expended on forts and
earthworks for our barber and lake defences
can be much more pro6tably spent in this
way. There is, we repeat, not minute to be
lost. 1t appears, by . statement just Laid be-
fore the House of Commons, that in the naval
year just ensuing England will have in the
American waters feet Of eighty large war
vessels. 1t may safely be assumed that France
and Spain will have half a. many more. The
purposes for which these immense squadrons
are to be maintained in these latitudes are not
as yet very clearly defined. That they will
bring US in collision with the three govern
ments is more than probable. We cannot
tamely look ON and see the central and south
ern portions Of this continent carved out into
petty monarchies to form appansgss for the
cadets Of royal houses, to the utter neutraliza-
ton OF the policy which this country has
maintained since the time Of Monroe
1t therefore becomes the duty of Congress at
once to prepare for the eventualites to which
such proxocations on the part of the European
governments will inevitably expose us. With
sufficient number of iron gunboats, and float
| ing batteries Of the size and model Of the
Monitor, we might bid defiance to the COM
bined navies of the three Powers. Their large
iron frigates-such as the Warrior and La
Gloire-would have no chance in our harbors
and rivers against assa,lants of such light
draught, 80 easily man1uvred and so impene
trable to the heaviest shot a. the Ericsson
battery.
Our recent experiences Of the qualities and
powers of endurance of these iron vessels will
prove of inestimable value to US. They show
1 xk.x xho d;auar;tw that has b;fhorfo ov;staJ -