The Nevada Democrat., 1862-05-31
nIILIrIA oE VIE sEAs.

In 1856, Gen. Hiram Walbridge, OF New
York, delivered a speech in Tammany Hall,
In which he suggested that the Government
should organize "miliiia of the seas" for
the better protection Of our foreign com
merce. The proposition attracted some at
tention at the time, but the subjec: was soon
forgotten. The speech, however, has lately
been re printed and extensively circulated
with the view, We suppose, OF eliciting an
expression Of the public sentiment.
In bis speech, Gen. Walbridge furnished
the following interesting statistics of the
commercial marine of the United States, as
compared with other nations:
Great Britain has 81 900 vessels, with a five
million tonnage; France has 1850 vessels, OF
72O, 900 tons; Spain 5000 vessels, with $780, 900
tons. The aggregate vessels belonging to Sar-
dinia, Tuscany, Naples, Sicily, Papal States,
Austria, Greece, Turkey, Holland, Hamburger,
Bremen, Prussia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
Russia, Mexico and the South American
States, is A. 900 vessels with 466 500 tonnage.
The United States have $4,000 vessels ahOat,
with five and half millions of tons; so we
have $500 vessels more than Great Britain,
with half million greater tonnage than hers,
three times as many vessels as France, and at
least eight times as much tonnage; five times
the number Of Spanish vessels, with fourteen
or fifteen times her tonnage; and our number
Of vessels is nearly equal to the vessels Of all
the other maritime powers of the earth, having
1000, 900 of tons greater than their united tom
mage. Then look at our own commercial ma
Tine, with its astonishing growth, and see how
it transcends the other commercial Powers Of
the world-its tonnage and vessels, the latter
numerous enough, If stationed at equal distan-
ces around the great circle of the earth, not only
to display in the sight of each other the symbol
Of our national glory, but to hail each other and
proclaim themselves "Americans.'
To afford this immense interest adequate
protection, at comparatively small expense
to the Government, Gen. Walbrdge pro-
poses:
That under the sanction of law, with ample
guards and restrictions, there should be organ
lied Militia Navy an arm Of defence cores
ponding to that employed by the government in
the land service, under our enrolled militia sys-
tenn, by which shipowners should receive en-
couragement and aid by law, in construction Of
their vessels, so as to make them capable Of
bearing guns, if required, in the service of the
country. That the Captains and subordinate
officers be commissioned in the name Of the
general government, upon some equitable plan
that will give them rank and emolument,i in pro-
portion to the demands upon their time and SER
vice in the new capacity OF representing the ma
val power of the Union. That the humblest
youth who enters as a cabin boy or in the low
est capacity as a seaman, should be educated
and trained in this honorable, though adventu-
TOus profession. That not only in the navy pro-
per, but in this new service, in which the inter-
est Of commerce and the naval power Of the
Union will be represented.
We understand that Senator Hale, Chair.
man Of the Senate Naval Committee, and
other Congressman are in favor of reOrgan
izing the Navy upon some such plan as pro-
posed by Gen. Walbridge, and are endeav-
oring to awaken public attention to the ne.
cessity of strengthening this arm Of the no.
tionAl service. The organization of naval
militia would undoubtedly afford great pro
lection to our foreign commerce among the
semi civilized Dations, who have neither the
skill nor the means for the construction Of
ron.clad vessels; aud if sufficient induce.
ments were held out, it would have the ef.
feet to educate large number Of naval of
icers and seamen, whose services would be
invaluable 10 the Government in case of u
war with first-class European power. But
as iron is now being substituted for wood
in the construction of war vessels, it is no'
probable that any bounty that could be Of
fered by the Government would induce ship
owners to build merchant vessels of suii.
cient strength to cope with the war vessels
of civilized nations.