The New York herald., 1862-03-15

TIE BEGINNING OF NEW ERA IN NAVAL WAR
rARE.-The memorable conflict between the
Monitor and Merrimac marks the dawn of q
new era In naval warfare. II has opened our
eyes to the superior advantages of iron-ciad
vessels over the old fashioned wooden walls,
and floating steam batteries over stone forts.
day change that centuries of mere theoretical
calculations would have failed in producing.
But we have discovered no new principle. Wa
are simply going back to the mode of warfare
adopted by the Romans and Carthagenians
only our motive power is different from theirs
They used battering rams, and had their MerrE
macs, but not driven by steam. We have all
the appliances of superior science, and can
make our engines Of destruction more terrible
than anything which the ingenuity Of man haa
before devised. OF what use are our old ships
of-war and present seaboard Notifications
against the monsters that rained their iron hail
in Hampton Roads? Of what use would all the
unmailed fleets Of the world be against half
dozen of such invulnerable batteries defending,
for instance, New York harbor?
But it is not to this continent alone that the
effect Of the engagement referred to will be
confined The naval Powers of Europe will
in future direct their attention to the construc-
ton Of only iron-clad ships and floating bat
teries, and the old style of building men-of-war
and harbor defences will be exploded for ever:
AS we have been the first to discover 80 We
shall be the first to profit by this new feature In
naval warfare. We shall proceed rapidly with
%ho ~ n hokf md
in short time be in . position to defy tho
navies of the world; for, supposing England or
France to build any number of vessels Of that
character, they would find it impossible to
send them across the Atlantic; 10 that they
would, at the best, only have their Warriors
and La Goires to operate against impenetrable
armor, and the chances would be much In
favor Of their hulls proving anything but inn
penetrable to our wrought iron shot.
THE BROADWAY RAMROAD-A NEWSPAPER
AND LOBBY JoB--The Tribune, Times, and other
journals in this city, now going rapidly to ruin.
have fastened themselves on gigantic job now
being engineered in the Albany Legislature, in
order to keep them from sinking. We refer to
the Broadway Railroad, which is worse than the
gridiron job which caused 50 much indignation
last year. It is estimated as being worth five
millions. Mr.. Stewart offered one million for
the privilege Of laying railroad in the street.
yet it is proposed to give it to company for
$75, 900 per annum-a sum which, insignificant
as it is, would never be paid. This monstrous
job it is expected to carry through the Legis.
lature by the influence of the lobby, and to
surrender to Tom, Dick and Harry men, some
of whom do not even reside in the city and are
unknown to the citizens, q valuable privilege
without any adequate consideration. Why
should those men make fortunes at the public
expense. And why should sinking journals be
kept adoat by the completely Of the Legislature
in such swindling operations? Above all, why
should the people be thus forced to sustain
journals which they will not read, but, on the
contrary, detest and abhor? If it be proper to
make railroad in Broadway, let the privilege
be sold, after advertisement, to the highest bid
der, like ferry leases, for the public benefit and
to reduce our enormous taxes, instead of giving
a monopoly of 1t to few individuals who have
no claim whatever to such lavish favors. Let
US be just before we are generous.
TIE TRIBUNE AND THE WAR DEPARrMENT.-Wa
- A. W