Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-21
THE DAHLeREN GUN IN ENGLAND.
Earl Russell thinks the British Govern
nont Don't appreciate the power
Of the Gun.
BRITISH OFFICERS "HAvE NEVER TRIED
THEM"

The following 10 copied from tho British
"Armv and Navy Gasstts," edited by Earl Rus
sell, and dlscloses degree Of doubt and uuccr-
talnty, on the part Of the British War Once,
most pitiAble to behold; particularly when II is
remembered that the results sought for by the
British authorities Involve the very existence
Of England, and that tho Government has Law
ished money without stint In ondeavoring 10
attain them. If the French have better guns
or srmor. where will England be In the event
Of war between the two countries, II Earl Rus
sells exhibit be trusl This condition cannot
result from a want Of attention 10 gunnery, for
there has been no lack Of committees, civil,
military, and naval. All adherence 10 cher
ishe6 notions have ceased, and Mr.. Bull has
rushed furiously into all kinds Of experiments,
kicking aristocratlc scions out of place, and
setting up Lancashire, Armstrong and Whit
worth, utterly regardless Of all safe preco-
dents" And now the old gentleman, with
tueful looks and heavy bill of costs In rear
is still fitting at the windmill.
From prince to peasant have been discussed
and damned every title Of invention. Now, in
the last agony, new committee, involved In
no previous opinions, or, in plain English, Ut
fsrly ignorant Of tho whole business, If not 10
tally Incompetent to form correct opinion on
the subject, Is 10 sit In judgment on the per,
picking batch of results collected as tho total
of all that has been done.
To make confusion worse COMPOUNDED, -
American and French guns, If they can be had,
are TO be tried, with tho object, we suspect OF
calming the public mind by belittllng the bug
bears, since there is no comfort to be found In
soothing Mr.. Bull with the assurance that his
own tools ale satisfactory. II is only necessary
to bear in mind the quackory which has been
permitted TO triio with such matters, to com.
prehend whence the present tumble Of nations
have originsted, which, like Shadows, have so
afflicted the soul" Of Bull. 1t is to be hoped
that our own authorities will take warning
from such impotent conclusions, and rather
practice the wise retIcence of France than
make parade OF such twaddle as has afflicted
the BritiSh public for the last three years. Her,
IL what Earl Russell says:
exception has been taken to the recommends
tion ofthe Dahlgren gun, which Is supposed Il
lie in the query in paragraph respecting thu
new gunnery Investigations which appeared
last week, whether the officers would inClud,
the gun in their experiments. Now Il Is quit,
certain that the Americans, who are not behint
us in mechanical skill and scientific mechan
lcs-=-from whom VIC have borrowed, indeed, The
whole Of our apparatus for making small arms
at Enfeld-hAyo satisfied themselves that the
Dahlgren gun, and Its cognate piece of ord
nance the COlumbiad, arc for sea and land the
hest description OF artillery. The chaotic con
dition Of our artillery systems at home by nc
means authorize US to give them any contra
49, 81. Al. IL.
Whitworth practically, as well as guns on th,
Armstrong principle, with soft metal bearing
TO balls expanding in the tube and loaded a
the brcech-theso and many other kinds o
guns they have rejected in favor Of the ord
nance which alone has succeeded in throwing
shot and sheil Of 800 and 400 ID. weight witt
accuracy and respectable ranges at low eleva
tions. The first Craze Of the 15-lnch monste
on board the Passaic In a horizontal line, tirot
without elevation, was at $40 yards. As Il
yts ViVd and destructive power, we are told tina
Captain ,Dahlgren lately succeeded in utterl,
smashing up Warrior target, consisting o
plate Il Inches thick, and very powerful tim
Der backing. But 1t may DO said, we know al
about the DahlgTen gunS-our officers hay,
seen them and tried them.' Nothing Of tn
kind. Our officers have seen them, but hav
never tried them and those officers who hav
visited washington and heard Captain Dahl
gren's views, and have seen his experiments
are by no means satisfied he is wrong. Thei
cost Is ridiculously small compared 10 GU
built-up ordnance. Colonel Wilmot, who Wis
tied Washington, has no doubt made his obser
vations on these Interesting questions, in soly
ing which the country Is expending sums o
money Of startling amount. The uneaslnes
which exists in the public mind is excited b.
the evident disagreement among officers
boards, departments, scientific men and inven
tors, respecting the true principles of artillery
MI; Whltworth has, as yet, been the only maj
in this country who has succeeded in piercing
hrst-class plates of iron with shells. But 1t /
asserted that Captain Dahlgren has done tn
same In America with guns Of three times IN
power Of Mr.. WhitWoTth's largest ordnance
and Of much smaller comparative weight.
general officer Of experience and ability ha
made a suggestion which is deserving Of con
sidcratlon. Let the whole body Of our practl
cal artillery be asked 10 state their views re
spectlDG the deSidsTdtd in field artillery an
guns OF position, as well as the defects whic
exist, according to their opinion, in the presen
ordnance, shot, shell, and fuses, in q report 70
His Royal Highness the COMMANDMENT Chief
who might then cause an abstract of the result
70 DO laid before the Secretary Of War Tn
War Office would then be In position 10 In
form the scientific public and those Interested Ii
the artillery question what the artillery want
and would be better able 10 direct their expert
ments and skill to meet the wishes of the pro
fessionAl operators in the Held"