The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-13

Jay, FEBRUARY Ii, 1858
Our Naval Disastsrs-rhsar Consecutive
| luae Necessity for Fast ships.
In tho construction Of vessels for our naval
service during the past two years. the import
ant point Of obtaining the greatest possible
speed appears to have boon almost entirely ne
elected Tho ability to carry large number Of
heavy guns has alone been the object aimed at,
aud we have but little cause to congratulate
ourselves upon thcHesult. The first requisite in
man-of-war il speed. The most important
element on the ocean d speed. Speed. above
everything, guns, size and every other qualifca-
ton, Is the desideratun. Ability to carry .
heavy battery Ia the second consideration; speed
Is the first; and until this plan is adopted and
carried out In the construction Of vessels for the
navy there is little hope of our being able to
cope with tho other maritime Powers Of the
world wnls. sr.s4
The ship that has the ability IL superior
speed to take position and maintain it in any
naval engagement has much the advantages
oyer slower weasel; although she may carry q
greater number Of guns. and they Of heavier
caiibrs. The news which we published yester-
day relative to tho chase Of the privsteer Flori-
do by the United States steamer .Sonoms, and
the escape of the former by reason cf her supe-
rior speed, fully confirms the above assertion
The Sonoma carries a'battery sufficient to have
crushed ibe Florida had she succeeded in rot
ting alongside Of her. Mafit knew this fact,
and wisely took advantage Of the Florida's
speed to run away from certain capture, i
Our only hope Of capturing the Alabama or
Florida and the other steamers of q like charac-
ter that are being constructed for the rebels in
England is in having vessels ofgreater velocity.
We must not place too much dependence upon
number and size Of guns; for although they
answer an excellent purpose when once along
side Of the enemy. they amount to nothing If
we do not possess the ability to get alongside or
bring the enemy 'sship within the range Of our
battery. What is the use Of splendid Dahlgrens
if we cannot get near enough to use themy We
have large navy; but it consists principally Of
slow coaches and lame ducks, vessels that il the
rebel privatecrs cannot fight they run away
from, which is all they desire; for their object ia
not TO obtain glory by fighting an equal match,
but by injuring and destroying as much Of our
commerce as possible The few ships we pos.
sess that are thestquals In point of speed Of
the Alabama and Florida arc, with single ex-
ception purchased vessels, built for the u,er-
chant service. and exceedingly liable to be disa-
blcd in their machinery on account of its kAing
nearly all above the water line. Takiag, as
samples of vessels Of this class, the Vanderbilt,
Connecticut and Rhode Island, we have
three ships which, for the purpose they
were intended, are without superiors; but
tho chances are that, If coming andss The
fire Of the Alabama or Florida, they woald be,
by we'll directed shot or shell at close quar-
tiers, crippled.and become an easy prize. y a
If VIC cannot build ships at home we should
60 elsewhere for them But what will the world
think Of that course after our boasting over the
clipper ships, the Collins steamers, the Wander
bilt. and so on. John Bull will work fos US IS
we'll az the rebels, provided be can make money
by the operation; and 1t were better that we
should be swlndlcd BY English contractors, 30
long - we obtain good article for our money,
than be swindied by contractors at home and
obtain ships that are worthless. There il no
denying the fact that England is very far ahead
OF us In the construction or screw steamships
for war purposes If we did not know II before,
we have discovered it to our cost since the war
commenced; and, &c it Is not too hate TO profit by
what we hsve learned let us take immediate
steps to remedy the evil by purchasing vessels
abroad, II they cannot be had at home, and stop
building and launching the absurdities called
gunboats, that arc being added daily to our
large but apparently inefficient navy Will Mr.
Wellcs consider this matter and take means to
procure few vessels for cruisers that will be
Of service, instead Of contracting for ships that
cause our naval officers to blush when they
look upon them and tremble for their reputa-
tionss What we want are reform in the Navy
Department and fast ships; then the Dahigrens
aud the PARROTS will complete the work
THE CASE or COMMANDER PREBLE.--In spite
Of his long and valuable services and his un-
blemished character, Commander Preble was
summariiy dismissed from the navy, some time
ago, because he allowed the Oreto to break the
blockade and enter the harbor Of Mobile. Since
that time the Alabama has escaped from several
blockades Of foreign ports. The Oreto (now
called the Florida) has sailed out Of Mobile and
slipped away from the pursuit Of several Of our
vessels. The blockade has been broken aud
four Of our ships captured or destroyed at Gal
weston, and two Of our steamers have been
disabled by rebel raid off Charleston. Still
we do not hear that any other officers have been
dismissed nar -lrf4
Now, we are not in favor Of Diminishing the
officers who have permitted the blockade break
ing at these various points, for We believe that
they did the best they could with the means at
their command, and that the real fault rests at
the door Of the Secretary Of the Navy, who
uses our fastest steamers as bumboats and keeps
old tubs on active duty. But we claim for
Commander Preble the same lcniency q that