New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-06

men could point with satisfaction to their no j.
fleet consisting Of forty sal of the line, aud si>
| lrlgatea Numerous barbors and areenss wer,
constructed. aud naval engagements succe,/ed eac.
other, il Tor tie purpose Of adding Thy bsneht O
practical knowledge 10 tue theoretical 1cquiremen'i
OF that able Minister. In l6SO-2, the French fee
numbered n hundred ships OF the bn/, and carried
their couuTy's Gag over every Chateau
Renaui who, bat for Colbert, mjght never have
emerged from obscurity, introduced many improve.
ments into the naval srchltectulv OF this period
and mounted tho bomb gal lots Which proved OF nc
Uncomfortable service IN reducin to suDu,sion the
Algerine cofsairs. lie, in fact, brought sbou. ~
com ete revolution 10 ship-blllliny generally q,
the celebrated Vauban had Effected IN tho science OF
fertilization. During this reign The whole admins
tration OF mart me silairs was placed upon ns
basis. were even tho minutest matters OF detail
overlooked.
The long reign Of Louis XIV, however, closed
in deicst aud distress, and his fee! suffered more
than one reverse; aud Ia tue memorable conflict
near La Hogue In MAY, 1892 Admiral Tournvi e
ships, while the remainder OF his squadron ped
with great difficulty. The marine Of the Ereuch
long in ray ing from the effects Of this disaster,
while their Goanoss, crippled in d variety OF ways,
never admitted Of iIs being Te-establiSEed upon Its
former footing.
Tho peaceful days of the Regency, and Of the
ministry of Cardinal Fleury, somewhat revived the
fuGucial CONDITION Of the country, aud enabled The
GoverDnont err long 10 construct u new and by no
means despicsbl feet, Eng land found ont IN the
succeeding year. 1his Improvement continued dur
ing the reign OF LOUIS XVI, and durinS BOnapartos
Government lihough destined 10 be DO often de-
feated ito uniying halo which bowers around tao
names Of Aboukir and Trafalgar alone proves that
the French ,aioss were no de ,icabe antagonists.
i'll those defeats utterly impaired the etiiency OF
The marine OF France.
AT The termination Of Nnpolsou's reign In 1915,
Ereu IN en.gt
ami uuseaworthy, while tho navy OF England num-
bered no, lees than 743 vessels, OF which liz wero
ships OF the line. lie future Government. VI
France seemed altogether 10 forget too necessity oi
having navy, and so neglected was TINS nporian'
arm OF ofisLse ard dotnse, that about the COM
Insncemtut Of Louis PLilippes reign, the citizen
King lud number no more than 81 vessels OF war
rs bis entire naval strength. In ls3J, when Egypt
and Turkey were Ut waI. Francs found II necessary
to reorgsnIzc her navy and place hsrsei ~ proper
potiiion before the European world. Whils the
French squadron consisted at tue oGiset OF but three
effective rail oiLe-line, in ok months taaI number
bad te,n increased 10 - and in lhe Srrpg II lolJ
il Amounted to %. There are conseQ uently few
shps- Of in the French navy Of older copstrue-
lion than this daie-a circumstance tEli tells greatly
in favor Of France as cou pared Win England.
The r.sing 10 France Of the S.er OF Napoleon Ill.
caused ugnt 10 10 thrown into the naval workshops
OF France, aud the machinery they contained 10 DO
vi.orousy put into action. England had FOR msuy
yesrs looked with dis5sin on tie uavy Of Flancc,
Lnt II cuuld 10 so no longer. "Ibe lac war 10 tho
EAs, saws celebrated German wriier, frat opened
the eyes of EDsl sLmen ~ tie true posIion ol tais,
ana 1. Was not without souc seDsiou Oi alarm t1Ai
they laztd a. this vslyn of ,hc unveiled Teshiy.
lI-Io aud there, indeed, an illuson. taving zone
foundation in fact bad been heard during he Pfesi'
dc.cy Of Louis y spoleOn, aud had drawn attention
10 tie Mehaced possibility Of AZ invasion VI the
British ls,es; but such notions were t.oG over
wh.lmet by the dcri,ion with which they weIe
seemin ely erecIod by the national pride.'
Too sadden appearance, however, IA leJi, OF =
foru.lab 20. Ga Beet. Consisting VI not Ice lAt
l0l ueE-of.war, thoroughly cquiiicd, altered The
ooiuiJuE o; England, ana icr the tine .iioucsd lot
yaipQlOrious bossling.. This h1inilHing G8'
royery" SAVE tie s1I.o wniog, " imrt dia1eiy p!c-
duced a feGc.oL IA tho icthus y. tue 60 iuiTy. De
Frepoh Nav 10 longer excited tie ,!Gicalo Of The
British ualiob but teGen 10 attract lis most serious
confederation white tho broad sheets of tho BriHsa
pres. oitea autgered we wall Do. lay IfcbIoii VAL
spprenen.ion Gs tLey ieooftsd, ..cI ~ rior, tic
or sre.s II tho RVS, Power, aud co'pie tlo ehtcHH
cord.aic they KEEP; ter readers Ia ooh'in9ed e1
cit.m,nt by he takstle seru.s Ia wai d they
hunted t the dangers Of lGE.A4o. 81 deeply LA ilii
AplreAeuson bocOue imiFes cd % the NATIONAL nlihd
that even after The vii. - he Emperor 10 Obofne
10 ls57-an oyent IN which tic fes' OF tbo ~ofii
oi.rerr.d only ratification Of tho erf,iug Gl no
the most unieq alyoc1l language Was used IN Pa
halnent 10 WANING Of lho impending danger ahd
though the Pr mier, with beAtirs dignity fclthc1
th... ;n.iuuatops he n,v.fthsl.s, beim.ed too
III inly that in bis heart he shared Tie PofnA'
behel.'
s. iew years bhve elaTsed sincs the French En-
psror introduced bic ifescn, policy Of making fffno'
n Grsf-cnss naval Power, that u h Unnecessary y
trace s,ep by 'tep the Progress he has thus lar zoe
toward alaining this OBJ OCT. Ibo posiion ,hs h~'
nt pie.euI AtlnIuod VII 10 seen ~ slaneo W .
reference to the following tsolu
PRESENT STRENGTH or The FRENCH NAVY
Tie following will bo founi 10 contain ~ noeu
rate and oonverieuily arranged statement Of Tho
yessels winch comprise the French navy:
sHIPs-Oy-IkE-LIsE.