The New York herald., 1862-04-27

could be penetrated as easily as section OF
the Warrior, though the plates of the latter are
much thicker, for this reason; that the covering
of the Merrimac slopes at an angle of forty-ive
degrees, while the sides of the Warrior are per-
pendicular and can be easily struck at right an
giles The rotundity ofthe Monitors tower, which
renders it extremely difficult to hit it at right an
gles and the slope of the Merrimac's armor,
constitute the protection Of those vessels more
than the thickness of the plates. The expert
ments made in England, however, are de-
serving of the immediate attention of the War
and Navy departments, and ought to be tested
at once by experiments conducted by United
States officers.
One thing is certain, and is now admitted on
all hands, that mere wooden ships are useless
against iron-plated vessels, and that stone for
tifications are in the same predicament. The
huge coast Notifications of Austria in Venetia
are now rendered of no avail, and tho seven
iron plated frigates of Victor Emanuel can
make short work ofthem.
In recent debate in the House OF
Commons, in which Lord Palmerston, Lord
Paget and Sir J. Pakington took part similar
admissions were made as to the wooden ships
and stone Notifications of England. In the
words of Mr.. Bentinck, '.the boasted navy of
Great Britain is useless as a fighting navy;" and
it is evident her stone Notifications can be de-
molshed as easily as was Fort Pulaski. Hence
the British House of Commons, after length
lol~o IoI h IA nfc tuf
to thirteen that the money appropriated for
Notifications should be applied to the csnstruc-
ton of iron-sheathed vessels, and to the conver-
sion of wooden into iron-armored ships. Iron
Notifications are too expensive, and not half 80
efficient as gunboats. For instance, the iron
for the forts ordered for Portsmouth alone costs
SlO,0O0,O00, though it is only ten inches
thick; and that sum would be insufficient if the
material be wrought iron. How many floating
batteries like the Monitor could be built for
such sum.
Thus passes away the glory of the wooden
walls of England, about which her poets have
sung, and thus are all her costly coast forti-
6oations rendered of no avail The farseeing,
longheaded Emperor of the French has her
on the hip, and will be sure to give her q
fall which will break her heart.
A MERE DIFFERENCE OF OPNIoN.-Imme-
diately after the battle of Pittsburg Landing
the abolition journals indulged themselves in
all sorts of abuse and denunciation of the
brave generals aad soldiers Engaged IN that
conflict One aboliticn editer thought that the
generals were guilty Of criminal biundsring
becatse they allowed themselves to be sur
prised by Johnston and Bssuresard, and an
other picked Jaws in our generaas' characters
because pickets were not thrown out TO delay,
or at least announce, the rebels advance. One
journal declared that General Grant was too
fast, and another thought General Buell. too
slow. All agreed, however, THAI our victory
was not victory, and that our generals did
not understand the art of war.
In contrast to these abolition opinions is the
praise Of Major General Halleck, expressed in
the following general ORDER
GENERAL oRpERs-NO. I6.
HEADouARKRs DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
PrIsBURG, Tenn. April IL, 1852
l. Tho Major General commanding this department
thanks Major General Grant and Major General Buell. and
tho officers and OF their respective commands for the
general attacks OF the enemy tho 9th ami for the he
roc in which, the 1th instant. they defeated
reat West have added new aurss 10 those which they
had already won on humorous fields
IT, While congratuating the troops on their glorious
successes the Commanding General desires to impress
upon all officers we'll men, tho necessity Of greater
discipline and ordor These esseuta! 10 the
cannot long expect TO be victorious but with them we
march forward to folds Of honor and glory I'LL
this wicked rebellion is completely crushed out and peace
1T Major Generals Grant and Buell. will retain the i'm.
mediate command of their respective armies il The sld
N. II. McIaAx, Assistant Adjutaut General
In this order General Hslleck oficislly an
nounces our victory, congratulates Buell. and
Grant upon their success, and exhorts the sol
diers to even greater discipline and more glo-
rious victories. We take il to be admitted
that General Halleck knows the facts of the
case quite as we'll as the abolition editors, and
we greatly prefer his laudatory decision to
their fanatical abuse. But our true generals
and our stay-at-homc abolition brigadiers never
agree in regard to the conduct Of this war. The
abolitionists differ with Mcclellan, with Hal
leck, and with every true Union officer and
Union soldier. 1t is mere difference Of opin-
ion, to be sure; but q mere difference of
opinion is the only distinction between loyal
man and traitor.
BROTHER JONATHAN IN THE WAR Trade
Brother Jonathan has always been a peaceful
individual until his present domestic scrim-
mage He has stood by with his hands in his
pockets and watched the wars Of the Old World
with curious but not greatly interested at
tention. He has seen the European nations
stick to the same old modes Of fighting for
years, inventing nothing new and improving
the old but little The Austrians have relied
upon their drill, the Russians upon their over
whelming numbers, the French upon the bsyo-
net the English upon their hearts Of oak and