The New York herald., 1862-11-24


mand and very arn. likewise ash wool and ts-
bacco There les activity frsghs but otherwise
noticeable alteration.
Oar Iron-CIad Fleet-DeveIeplnent or
American Naval Power.
We publish to-day carefully prepared,
complete and highly interesting account Of ell
the vessels Of our iron-clad feet, both those
already built and those in progress Of coDstsuc-
ton, together with thirtsea- illustrations.
There are secrets connected with the tulrsts
and the gums which of course We do not make
public; but we give all that il Legitimate and
permitted to be laid before the people in rela-
tion to this wonderful development Of our naval
power, Our object is to !, show abe world what
the country has done and is Capable Of doing
On. that seieanent Of which Lu1opean Powers.
have hitherto claimed the dominioa--tc satisfy.
those Powprs. that.wes are in a. position 10 PVT
.dowh the rebellion in despite Of any armed
intervention whicht thcy-misbt think proper To
attempt; and. with view Of preventing any
further cffision of blood, to convince the rebels
themselves Of The bopclessness Of their cause
and the wisdom Of submitting without delay TO
the legitimate and constitutional authority Of
the federal government
1t will be seen that there arc in Gil iifty-onc
iron-clad vessels built aud 10 be built, and that
eighteen of them arc either finished or nearly
finished. Thus, from being the fifth or sixth
naval Power two years ago, the United
states suddenly takes the first place i'll naval
warfare. The American people had always
shown their natural superiority in sesmanship
and gunnery over the British, who have claimed
times-a position, however, which is now dis
pnted with them by the French. In two wars
the Americans had in almost every naval fight
defeated the English unless where the odds
were overwhelming; and it was partly because
the circumstances Of the country did not require
t. and partly because the Western interest was
too jealous of the East, that an American navy
was not long since developed which would
have taken the foremost rank. The capacity
existed; but it was not called into exercise
Necessity is the mother of invention. The civil
strife which broke out in this country within
the last two years has wrought revolution in
naval warfare. The result of single battle
in Hampton Roads has nullifled the wooden
navies Of the world What WAS but matter
OF theory and experiment with Isngla and
France suddenly became to the United States
tremendous practical reality and, being en-
gagged in a gigantic war, We were compelled
as il were, to put forth our strength IN orgsniz-
ing The newly discovered power. Our re-
sources, vast ~ they were fresh our meChanl-
col oopiua apd tho aneruy IF frAA r,a0nln
Notwithstanding the dead weights OF old fogy-
ism and the trammels Of red tape, have, in an
incredibly brief space of time produced .
mailed feet which can set at defiance the navies
Of all Europe. Being first in the field. we can
always keep ahead. The French and English iron
clads are admitted 10 be failures, compared with
our Monitors and other vessels. Their seagoing
armed ships are not only unwieldly, but they
present such immense marks Mat it is impossi-
BILE for them to escape. besides being unprotected
in some vital points The strongest parts Of
them could not for half an hour resist the
heavy guns with which our iron-clads are
armed The flteen-inch Dahlgren, with It's
four hundred and sixty pounds round shot
would drive in the sides of the Warrior like
pasteboard. The renowned Armstrong gun
is now nowhere. 1t has been beaten even by
the English Whitworth; but neither Of them is q
match for the fifteen-inch American gun. How
ever. there are twenty-mca Dahigrens being
cast for stationary points to defend the coast.
These will throw round shot OF l.090 pounds
weight; and woe to any European iron-clad
vessel ever built with which one Of these
hall in nu t,o .,tn
hand, our mailed Monitors present scarcely
any mark for an enemy, with tho exception OF;
the impregnsbls turreta,. which no metal used
in the British and French aagissi is.asfficie ntly
heavy to penetrate. Lastly, we src building in
thi. city ram--the Dunderberg-w which, Will
outsail and sink anything that Gosts at the other
side OF the Atlantic The London Times, in
commenting on our new navy, boasts that Eng
land could easily do what America has done
if she pleased. That remains 10 he proved
Let her try it She may very soon need more
iron-clsd ships than she can produce in the
next two years.
Hitherto our most brilliant GDccesses in the
war have been achieved by the navy But
what are these when compared with the victo-
ries that await the operations Of the combined
force Of iron-ciads on the Mississippi, the Allan
tic seaboard and the Calf during the present
winter. Not only are VicLsburg, Montgomery,
Mobile. Savannah ANA Charleston destined 10
fall before the terrible concentrated fire OF
their batteries, but after the conquest these
places will be rendered impregnable by tho
distribution Of Monitors in the several ports,
and all communication by sea or with the west
ern side Of the Mississippi will be cfcctually
cut of. After this what hope can longer exist
Tor the rebellion, whose last dependence for
arms ammunition, medicines aud clothing Is
upon cotton, which can no longer be made
available
What marvellous change In naval warfare
from the time of tho ancient oallcys probelled