Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-11-20

err justice does not demand that tho Department
shall say 80.
MIR. sinners one leading point 10 proof Of his
accusation against the suftciency Of Admiral
Dupont's attack is that the Admiral did not
make use of certain instruments popularity
known as devils" which had been desienrd
by Captain Ericsson for the purpose Of removing
the distractions in Charleston harbor. These
appliances consisted Of great raft, to be attach
ed to the bow of the monitors, and on the front
Of this was to be hung huge SHE'LL which was
to be used for removing, by explosive force, OBJ
structions within the harbOr. The principle em-
bodied in the Latin prOverb, omHe ignohm pro
rig0nyfeo, gives Mr.. sinners a famous opening
for ekpatiation on the wonderful powers aud pos
sibiliues Of these " deyish devices, II they had
ouly been used. For here was the rub. " Du-
pOnt decliued to order their employment" And
not only this but he declined to give Mr.. Sinners
permission to 60 into the action with one of the
mlnitors thus armed, which was worse still for
ii monitor, with 'deVil" attached, would, as
he consistently says, "hRve passed the obstruc-
tons" O monitor, "devil" and Mr.. sinners
would have blown the whole harbor TO Halifax,
to say the least. But whether they would have
done this or something else eau best be judged
by lew facts, which we proceed to briefly atate
We are much mistaken if they do not explode
this valuable instrument" much more effectu-
ally than it would ever have exploded any OF the
rebel torpcdoes, aud If they do not put Mr.
sinners in the position of another ,'engineer,"
who found himself "hoist with his own peiRrd."
MIR. sinners athrms that Admiral Dupont ode
clintd to order the employment" Of these con-
trvances. True, but did he not invite their
employment by any of the captains uho were
willing to try themI lie did, and not one was
willing to do SO. Why was this, agaiui Pure
'prejudiCe !" Not at all. IL was the result of
previous experiments in Edisto-experimen
which convinced every man that the monitors,
encountered with these appendages, would neith-
or be able to steer nor 60. Il was under these
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the belief of every cap
tain that the oOntrivanccs were an utter delusion
and snare, and that the attempt TO navigate the
monitors with them in the tldeway Of Charl. ston
harbor would have insured the destruction of
their vessels, that the captains not Admiral Du-
pont, declined to u,e them
But Mr. Sinners TELLS US that he hnd experi-
mented with them Z" The Effectiveness of these
shells had been 10 tested by me before they we're
sent TO Admiral Dupont, 10 make il clear tO
my mind, and to that Of the government that
they would be practically safe and capable of
clearing the track OF battle" This might be i'm
posing did We not know that the conditions under
which these experiments were made were alto
geiher different from those under which the in.
sttunents would be practically used--that the
raft was attached to IA steamer, not to a monitor
the differences Of speed being an essentially
diherentating conditiOn,) and that his ''experi-
ments consisted III blowing up a certain amount
OF water (not the element 10 be eliminated. J and
that he never in all his experiments blew up any
thing else the size of single. Whether the
government considers tho experiments and cob
illusions of the united captains Of the fleet, or
those OF Mr.. Sinners, as entitled to most weight,
10 pretty we'll settled in the f,te nf t,ess ~
trivauces For is il not strange that. il tho
"mud OF the government was so conlpiete n
convert tn their capacity as Mr. Sinners claims
they have never been seut to Admiral Dab eren
and not ony no, but they HAYS been thrown aside
aud ale now actually being used rs kindling
wood aud old iron
Such is the "baseless fabric" which forma tho
prdVdmen Of the railing accusation of Engineer
sinners. Indeed, with the exception of a feeble
attempt 10 show that "thc monitors were moi
materially injured" it forms the whole seone of
his argument Now We are willing 10 concede
that the monitors were not nil scnt 10 ,he hoi,or,
of Charleston harbor-that in tbirty-hvc min.
utes only five out of the nine were NM bors d,
comLat Wbnt the amount of that i,s,blin, ,vas
is not innterihl tn nnura (thn,,,,b n 90 rosii,
Alright instend of Mi being "ns gooa 40 evorn IN
a few hours. as Mr.. sinners osssr,s ,hey ,,ors
weeks and weeks at Port Ro,ol nndnrn1;n,, "a
puirs;) they were as onmnletelv ont Of tb, al,
~ if they lad been aent N ,Io hot,o,, ~ ~
barbor The essential NOM, ~ ,ha, ,,ioi h 'i'S
heen made. and tb,t eYsrv can,oin oa ,'' n,t
convinced lint to renew ,1s a.sani. 1onId O hs
madness aud utter destructian rheso 'nor, m
the very flower of our nsys and so ,nsu T'.o
assembiaee of officers a. c9nsnicndns ~. ,ha Sn
gallanttv and SKIN thst nrnLahI' ,h.;. -
was never seen in a,, .ar,;oo ~
They were satieGed hnt II soon,. A. S..
was not! ''''' N''A''''
We do not think tbat tho con,l,o, n .l.;..,
Dupont needs INV defence. hn. If i, al l' ,ha
course of events Las fnrnishaJ ono .itaL' wy Nv
powerfnl thai no nosshs "r,',,r,n, II = so
1.-THE of its forcs SJmirsI n,nor SOuu n a.,
placed and n commonJer ,lacat pYa, " 'to a'n,
uly innaoent Of MI nreinJ;cs aao;, w., %a9