Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-09
Team md ehIp.Armonr.

Al idea Is often stronger than army The success
fol s1poi. Of the Virginia has a1nihited wooden M.
ves aud placed the grca. oeeln eites of the world
the mercy Of the iron scaled monsters who will alchcr
in taeir pc t. and carry ISOLATION into their p.lees
England supereious and secure, has locked With APP
parent ind upon the terrible civil .sr the
world has kaoul. Sh, has bsen wiling that her
aiprDg should butcher CT e1slsve each other without
Oa- ~eri of reusrsrAl rgrs.. And yet this very
CO, c, has struck spark which may ill her nd with
cnustsrnaon and brig her merchant Princes to beg
gary.
From the ea,les. history until tbs present tie do.
maiol Cf tio Osean has always accompanied the most
prosperous commerce Spair, Hol4nd gland, and TIE
United s.as have successfully ruled the sea through
pO:en. ha1ds that conducted liz trade.
Bu, the yirgiris his Demonstrated paradox. Sea
sshta are no logger mad, by seamen. TIE wooden
wis but ,lting fins, and the nurseries Of
men" asei never train smother arm for wa.
"Way1 B,esa5e steansli 70 Tires but an engineer
aid po; she has neither rigging end r,quits
usa 10 her batteries VINO may have boon, Ike
many &C the OF Oh vreinis lately pursuing their
psaeaiu oeeupa ious far from the sea, aad yet have
render, the most ,feient service amos. before they
cCa1,d 10 be sea sicsl
10, US apply the demonstrations of TIE Vagina to
tho naval relations b,tws,n England rni tbs Cont
GENITAL fsOnti,s
It Is well knoEl1ss. the navy OF France were de-
stlnysd a, Ii que, in the time of LDuis the XIV
an was sweIt rom the OCEAN ia the rcIgnI that cue
ee-ded; bu' in spite of the ,E,r;s Of N,potou, the
capture Of TOuloO the defeat, Of Traals,s the Mic
and s. Domingo reduced Il 10 infsriority.
10 TIE year lS4) Eng! md had nearly double as many
lice Of battle ships Farce. In 1883 she had fly
: rev line Of battle ships and France 40. France Was
superior in steam frigaes, bu, England had
es and gunboAts; SILL when the fence of The di1-
,ant eolonll possessions o! England was considered
there little disparity between the steam navy of tho
tRo powers.
Immediately after the CImesn war, the upsror Of
France devoted bic energies 20 the enlargement Of his
sam navy, vel as to the completion of sh, hsrbor
Oterbcrrg, ard the fertilization Of other points, both
upon TIE Atanti, aud Ntdj,era1ean. Il, moreover or.
dersd as oo7sruc ion Of the Gor the Soldering, the
zsuta, ard other IN al clad steamers. Some OF ihse
we're impelsd BY engines OF nearly thousand horse
poEe AID carried forty heavy pieces Of rasd ordnance
England took aarm at these demonstrators OF the
srt.Hh e5TdIs Of he aft oil lAts ally, aud commencsd
sys;,m CT yoluntsr drill with mimic and eLtrtnehed
DPa, which BY tie way General HcUlS'ni has copied
It Washingon-fOr the defence Of her soil against the
old blgoear Of French invasion.
Thus far there has been do experiment Of the eff
csuey of shp-arnor to resist the desIucvs force of
modern p osctles, aud until the Virginia mlde her
"riAl trip" DOM the bay, scattering asd sinking the
s: unehest vessels Of the Yrkss Navy careless Of he
concentrated rain OF balls aid bombs which we're show.
cred upOa her, the J5usualsts of England we're ttll
batting the questions whether shr-irmuur could be
mads imoervous 20 sAots Whether the voikiFg Of the
arnOr j,nts wiuld not dssbs vessel ia rough teas
aad whether vessel loaded down with metal coul
turs to sea at all