Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-11-27
The Need Of Navy.


Psrhaos the Coniedeu CT has made 20 error 10 the
coad1cs OF the SSr more serious than that Oh "Ans lot
e.,,,sd : presumed Inability On our part to cePs WITH
the formidable naval power Of the North IL may 70
trus that the Ssuh is not a maritime country. IL may
bs uue that she has no commercial navy, and tnAs sne u
sluos. a s.itu.s Of that Clans Of population IRON when
mariners are Tuppisd. Bat Is is not true thai tnese as-
h,isucies may no. BE- rsnsisA II hes ofsan been Assan-
al that there IS = certain ineonpAdbnty between NINA
nv power and naval power; that The aAho0 Hhsn =
strongest on land must BY Sons ssrt q eonPsAsAeey
p-OeSa, be weak on the water, and that thsnAnoa VICE.
IA .,rOox on The water cannot be strong on land. liz
likewise often asserted, With . good deal Of PoSa'sness'
that vithou, a commercial navy, and . maritime PoPuiA
ton. no country can hopS to become powerful At sea, or
70 compete with an adversary ~POssesios those td'An-
t,ses. All of these assumptions are l'kJundsd and Tar
hc.eus. They may be supported BY an a Pr'0r' argn'
men. but they arc eontrsdieted BY the tacs OF history
To sAy that a nation strong on Uates mus % weak
on aad. or s.roog on land must be weak % water
nav serve to point an ~antithesis, or TO Illustrate the ao'-
tr;pe of compensation, but it really has very lille ioun-
dation either IN reason or in history. The truth Is that
salient and remarkable instances NAV be found 10 prove
prrsjsely the opposite opiniso and II We we're compel
lad 70 follow bHndly in the foot prints Of history We
mizht say with SONS FEASIBILITY, that naval and military
strength mus, aluays be found in combination, and hal
the one can never achieve . marked and permanent Irc
osss mill ft il Joined With the other. Al the commence
men, OF the Persian Val, Pre- liciA vas the dominant
naval power Of the world, aud PtG lieiA us IN alliance
With Persia. The GrSks we're courageous and deter.
mined bat they we're without ships, and Athens ner ell
had No, than become q commercial community. Yet
the Athenisns created . navy; they s1'emPorEsd IL
from the waves, and tbs victory Of SAlAnh saved Greeee
from corquss. and suN jigStion. When the Feiop'nne-
siaa var began Aliens Was Iuprtm' At sea, ana sparta
hsld dominion over the land The struggle between the RI
ylpoues was eaarac,eEiIsdb by varying fortunes and IN
decisive results until Spa "a, though destitute o. ships and
Of sailors, had mlnsgsd to raise and equip and man q
nAvy, and thus to acquire an iuiisPl!ab!e sse'ndeney.
The var, between Rome Gad Carthage furnish another
e.,mpls Of the same kind. Carthage uAs a commercial
and naval power. Rome Ws exclusively a military
pouer. Yet Rome, L.houg5, a. tbs beginning, de'h'
tuts Of sailors and OF ships, managed to creates navy
and succeeded in bringing the va 10 a successful issue
only when she had broken tbs naval strength OF her ae-
ysrsAry. Nor does ths experience Of modrn times
tspd 20 uezksn the fores OF ihs examples drawn from
ancient history. Those Countries which hSVc exposed
SEA coas,s have remained powerful only so loag "a they
nave been abe 20 maintain themselves =: sia. The &C.
cGns Of the military power Of the lillian republics ard
of Spain VA e~o.ncidsa: With the decay Of their naval
supremacy. The rise Of EagsnI into the 6rst rank OF
nations vas concurrent With the irc-SASs Of her naval
sIslgth. Per noJ nothing eOazibussd more 10 the anal
Ogtr arow Of n .po.eon than the distraction Of his ee,
Aad the Annilila'ion of his naval resources Yet the
France Of 70 day does no: eOstsnt herself With . sEpine
Difference to the naval superiority Of ElglAnd. She
kso - that, win 81 her military proseS the VLor Of
h,r troops, the * Of hss generals, she needs the as
sis.ares Of powerful navy to snAble her 10 maintain
her p~osi,ioa a, the head o. ETopeAn nations We
think tia, the events Of The present var have suai-
GENTLY shown The advantages derived By the en-
emy from bis yet u-qu,s.ioaed naval supremacy,
and the error Of the Oonfedsraey Ia undertaking tie im-
por.anes Of Naval a~rmAnsnts. Nor 10 the var devoid
Of inidsnt TO PROVE that Ne are capable Of meeting the
North OF water that vs can build IS good sAips as our
enemy en- bring sgains. us, and that many Of our off,
GERS are as sklful, as daring and - ~rss)luts as any Of
whom history gVeI al s1VnPle. The achievements Of
the Vryinia and la A-kArsls ss.onisisd the world and
promied 70 hsrad a su,e ,ssio1 Of Co1fsdsra'0 naval
victories. such a. you'd enable ~ a; lsls. to make 4
d,csa, resistance to The Yankee pOssr on water. And
mere We - - y aaaH NAH@A 1888 -g
70 alnos. all Of oar readers, vs are ys. prepared TO sup
por. aud TO prove b. uuqaestiOnAble authority, that our
Hss. below New O.lsNns Vas better than the YItkse
Hss,, Aad that Il had been in the hands Of competent
OH GERS, i. would have drNea the snemys vessels from
ths river. The Louis;Ana aloos SAS capable, had she
been properly placed, OF defending the river and saving
tie efy.
We repent that these d no good rsss>n Why this Con.
fsderAcy should 20. assume = high rank - . naval pow
e.; nor Il there any sIsus, for a tAns Icq iisscsnesin the
Yankee assumption Of inViueiOls superiority on the
ssa. There are more UAys ttAl one to create . navy.
We can kuy If us cannot build. Toe RESOURCES and the
energy which have enabled Us 70 rsst the immense
armies Of the North, . mAiatAin hundreds Of thousands
Of men IN arms aud to conduct . sas which, in is maj
aitude, has never bad = parallel, ought to be sufficient
70 enable Us to GET possession Of fly or hundred
ships. We need than nov, and Ss shall con i'us TO
: need them. HossOsTsF, or UhensoeVsr this gar may
terminate, q cOuntry ike ours, With . long cast line,
travarsod 10 every direction BY ~nIvigsble bays and
rivera. and contiguous 70 "a arrogant aud hostile rival,
e.n never er 10y security 80 long - IL permits our aiVel-
s.ry 20 uIurp uadisputd dominion Of tho EA. We have
proven our military pOssE-ii remains for US to estAo-
Hsh our claim % naval poser. Nor Gill is be unrea-
sOnaole to AntieiptS the day ShSo ts people Of the
Confectionery will sKpsrisuee emotions SinilI to thoSs
which animated the GSetki Shsa they heard Of the viz,
tory of salamh; the spArtAns vhsn LysAndsrs triumph
broke the maritime power Of their rival; the Romans,
when they say ia the fOE1m the EpOlh goa By DiuliuS In
the 8 >, Of RJmAn naval ViesoFLh.
what VIrEiaIa has Sahssed.
The LypehburE ViryiHiaN says IL 10 known thG'