, 1862-04-19
HOW THE FIGHT Is REGARDED IN
FRANCE
From the Paris Correspondent Of the New York
Tribune.


; l cannot more fifty begin this letter from
Europe than with the first sentence Of III ar
tiele which read in the Semi Weekly Tribune
Of The 18th inst: title problem Of casing
q vessel in shot,proof armor, on which
the European. nations have spent SO
much tine and labor, without arriving at
any detiIite solution was clucidatrd on
Sunday, in Hampton Roads to 4
yery. considerable extent" Yes, should
think so; very considerable indeed. and very
much considered on both sides the channel
let a1onc up the Baltic and down the Black
Maritime Powers Of Europe " "sensation ~
battle. The Meg1inlac and Monitor make all
the more Impression on France and England,
for making SO little impression on each other
The shots that glanced harmless from the iron
s1des Of either ficochetted across the Atlantic,
and have made big holes in the English and
Ffencn treasures. French and English tax
payers may count on q still ;tt increased actiy-
i1y in the dock-yards.'' The vibrations Of
that cannonade in Hampton Reads, the other
Sunday, have set a-swayfng the trembling
Balance Of Power in Europe. The famous
roar. In a1mortz1 vessels the French navy is
already superior to the British navy, and now
the great struggle will be to keep it superior
A struggle between the nayul budgets of the
two nations, IN which the tax payers, !. e., the
entire population of both nations, will be the
sufferers: Bnt the substitution, in future
naval battles in European waters, Of iron. clad
steam batteries for sailing or steam wooden
vessels, eliminates what in her past g1orions
naval history has been one Of the chiefest
eltnenls OF EnglaDd's numerous victories.
"fe mariners Of England ~ will be no better
worth inside floating iron fortress than ye
artillery men Of the Imperial Guard. Sailing
masters and ta1Tiest of tars must yield to Gu
Elheefs and coal busted sto5ers. a merchant
marine Will no longer be the so necessary con-
Onion a In md mill
tions out slightly maratime, like Russia, for
example. may soon throw the new weight Of
tnelf iron steamers and of the metal of their
batteries into the Ehaken balance Of the AaFi-
time Powers.
Now that an iron sheatbips: and forms Of na-
val architecture have been found impenctr.hle
70 tne newest guns. the pressing problem is to
invent newer irresistible gun; which, being
1one, Will call On advancing civilization and
Christianity for yet more pschy hydermatous iron
s!nea: s;f e. And 50 on in alternating gFada'ion,
less from the Ideally stro1g armor, the
fut1lely hostile ships Will draw up and be laid
up in oIdinsry In their respective national
museums, as objects Of curiosity to the fol-
lowing necessarily peaceful ages. Such na.
thold schwaH and Tubal Caln, viii probably
come on % Millennium Ere, which b=ing like
70 happen 1o1g atter our time, I return 10 the
present, to the doiugs Of the Merrimae and
INC counter doings OF the Monitor.
6eslde the remarkable resisting qualities Of
both vessels, their other fTo features Of the
performances In Hampton Roads have attract-
20 and bold the thoughtful attention Of Eu-
Ifope; me destructive craunch ofthe Met1nac'S
non beak into the weak oaIen Hanks of the
Cumberdand- For note that this eager atten-;
t1on T. underlined bY knowledge Of The exist
enee IN the French navy OF the P1ongeur,
an experimental ram, Or irresistible unI-
c9rn, rather, no longer now seeming ridic-
<Rritish lion. Secondly, sbe novelty Of tie
constr1etlen-the hazardous novelty, IS 1t
seemed before its triumphant tzial-and the yet
more novel clespHess and bregity Of the build
Ing and completing Of The Monitor. The ad-
taking no precautionary measures against the