American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1863-12-16

ty and eminent success. The extensiv,
!, blockade has been constantly increasing
! in efficiency as the navy has expanded, We
on SO long line it has SO far been impos
} sible to entirely suppress illicit trade.--
From the returns received at the Nav,
Department it appears that more than on,
J thousand vessels have been captured sine,
the blockade was instituted, and that thu
value of the prizes already sent in for ad
judieatien amount to over thirteen million
, dollars.
II The Naval force of the United States
consists, at.this time, of 5SS vessels com
pleted, and in the course of completion
and of these, IS are iron-clad steamers
The events of the war give an increased
interest and importance to the Navy
which will probably extend beyond the
war itself. The armered vessels in ou,
Navy, completed and in service, or which
are under contract and approaching com.
pletien, are believed to exceed in number
those of any other Power; but while they
may be relied upon for harbor defense and
sea-coast survey, others of greater strength
and capacity will be necessary fol craising
purposes and to maintain our rightful po-
sition on the ocean. ,a
The change that has taken place in ma
val vessels and naval warfare, since the
introduction of steam as motive power
for ships of war, demands either cores
ponding change in some of our existing ma
Wy yards, or the establishment of new ones
for the construction and necessary repair
OF modern war vessels No ineonsidera-
BILE embarrassment, delay and public inju-
ry have been experienced from the want
of such Government establishments. The
necessity of such navy yard so furnished
at some suitable place upon the Atlantic
seaboard has, on repeated occasions, been
brought to the attention of Congress by
the Navy Department, and is again pre-
sented in the report of the Secretary which
accompanies this communication. think
it my duty to invite your especial atten-
tion to this subject, and also to that of
establishinga a yard and depot for naval
purposes upon one of the western rivers.
A naval force has been created on these
interior waters, and under many disadvan-
tages, within little more than two years;
exceeding in numbers the whole naval
force Of the country at the commencement
ofthe present Administration. Satisfac-
tory and important as has been the per-
formances of the heroic men of the navy
at this period, they are scarcely more won
derful than the services of our mechanics
and artizans in the production of war ves-
sells, which has created new form of ma
a1power. Our country has advantages
superior to any ether nation, in our resour-
ces of iron and timber, with inexhaustible
quantities of fuel in the immediate vicin-
ity of both, and all available and in close
proximity to navigable waters. The re-
sources of the nation have been developed
and its power displayed in the construc-
tionof a navy of such magnitude, which
has, at the very period of its erection, rem
dered signal service to the Union.
The increase of the nuaiber of seamen
in the public service from Z 200 men in
the spring of 1861, to about "a, 900 at the
present time, has been accomplished with
out special Legislation or extraordinary
bounties to promote that increase. It has
been found, however, that the operations
of the draft, with high bounties paid for
army recruits is beginning to effect inju-
riously the naval service and will, if not
corrected, be likely to impair its efficiency
by detaching seamen from their proper
vocation and inducing them to enter the
army. I therefore respectfully suggest
that Congress might aid both the army
and naval service by adequate provision
on this subject which would at the same
time be equitable to the communities more
especially intended. loa rs
commend to your consideration the
suggestions Of the Secretary Of the Navy,