The New York herald., 1862-04-23

with poor turnkey Raymond and his English
master. True, the carping, sneering, satiricai
London Times says good, though curt, word
for Raymond; but is that enoughr Is that affair
reward for eleven columns Of abuse Of Ameri-
ca and praise Of England Is that just pay for
a speech, delivered in our Assembly, demon
strating that his own country was all wrong and
England all right Is that adequate compensa-
ton fortalking by the hour, in our legislative
halls, unlike an American legislator and very
like an English tory! Is that recompense for
his strain ofconscience in belauding England's
policy towards US during this war; Why we
expected to see him praised by the column and
paid so much down besides. Even Judas would
not have turned villain for q mere newspaper
puff. Where are Raymond's thirty pieces of
silver! If John Bull has an American fiunkey
he ought to pay the creature we'll; for it is a
phenomenon. Spies, informers, deserters and
traitors meet with contempt from those they
serve as well as from those they betray; but
such ar0ra avis as an American dankoy ought
at least to receive as many halfpence as kicks
The Age or Iron.
Tho chief feature Of the news brought by
the City Of New York is the intense and wide
spreading anxiety which continues to be excit-
ed abroad by the facts developed in regard to
iron-clad vessels by the recent naval fight ia
Hampton Roads. In the public journals, as
everywhere else, all other topics have given
place to this momcntous and all-engrossing
one. Notwithstanding the hesitancy exhibited
by Sir G. Cornewall Lewis and other members
of the British Cabinet in admitting the import
ance of the lesson thus received from us, they
are not the less practically acting upon it. We
learn by the present arrival that the entire OF
the hands occupied on the wooden ships build
ing in the English dockyards. have been
removed, and are now employed on
the iron-cased frigates under construction.
Since this order was given however,
new subject of anxiety has been added to the
perplexities Of the British government. 1t is
said to hare been demonstrated by experiments
made at Shoeburyness on a target constructed
exactly OF the same materials and strength as
the Warriors broadside, that smooth bore guns
Of a certain length and calibre will completely
riddle and sink that vessel, or any other built
on the same principle. This admitted to be the
case, it would follow that no exertions or ex-
penditure ON the part of Great Britain can re-
store her the supremacy at sea which the revo-
luton that has just taken place in naval war
fare has deprived her of. If she cannot send
vessels across the ocean that are invulnerable
to guns Of large calibre her power of aggres-
sion is gone. The weakest governments can
now bid defiance to her. For, with floating
batteries built on the Stevens principle, and
armed with the new guns, they can sink the
largest iron-clad frigates that she can send to
attack their forts. The London Times observes
that no weapon of offence or defence now left
her appears to be so effective as large armor-
clad and very swift steam rams.
AZ vessels Of this class are equally penetra-
BILE by the new smooth bore gun, and, more
over, can never venture far out to sea, we have
it here tacitly admitted that, under the new
system of naval warfare, British supremacy on
the ocean is irrecoverably lost.
Supposing these conclusions to be well
founded, they secure to us all the advantage
that we seek to derive from this revolution in
naval architecture. If we can render our
coasts and harbors impregnable, we need care
but little about the rest. We build war ships
for defence, and not for aggression; and if it be
true, as stated that no iron-platcd vessel can
Withstand the force Of the new gun, it gives
us all the security that we require. 1t remains
ing vessel to the level Of her deck when
placed in fighting trim, as in the Stevens bat
terry, will not entirely neutralizc the danger
to iron-clad ships resulting from Sir William
Armstrong; recent discovery.
Not only in Great Britain and France, but on
the Continent generally, is the public attention
strained to a pitch Of painful anxiety on the
subject of these pending changes in naval ar
chtecture. All the European governments
that have a strip Of seacoast are turning to
profit the lesson that we have given them.
Thus, Denmark has already voted million of
rix dollars for the construction of iron-plated
vessels. whilst Sweden sent its Crown Prince
the other day to assist ut the trial trip Of the
French frigate La Couronne, the largest iron
war steamer stoat. The new kingdom of Italy
has also made rapid progress in the acquisition
of an iron-clad navy, having now fourteen first
class vessels ready or nearly So The Aus
trian government, which had been lelicitating
itself ON the impregnability of its coast fortif-
cations, as set forth In the recent report Of the
Imperial Commissioners, has been thrown into
fever of alarm by the account Of the recent
sea fight in Hampton Roads. 1t will no doubt
at once appropriate large sums for the con-
struction Of iron-plated war vessels and foat-
ing batteries, as will also Prussia, which has
become equally excited and anxious upon the
subject Truly we are entering upon on age
Of iron. Let us hope that its stern influences
will help to dispel the delusions and eorrup-
tions Of that which preceded IL.
OUTCRy IN rHIs STATE AGAINST THE NEGRO