Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-24
a Navy fer the gopCederaey.

y
Let US assume, not as possible, bat As \ very
probable contingency, the appearance ia lhe
North Atlantic, within the next few weeks of an
all powerful iren.cased Confederate squadron
Such a squadron is in an advanced state Of con-
siTuction, and The friends of the S0athern Con-
fgdersey viii be glad to learn that the shpsof ar
which promise shortly to Tsise the Confederate
States to the rank of great naval power are
without tbs grest faults of the irop-cssed ships
of war of the Northern States, sud tue minor
faults Of the iron-cassd ships Of war of this
country.
We cannot at the moment. without, perhaps.
inAc6ng injury on the Confederate cause, be more
precise. Sufies it to say that Just now, sfrar no
end Of difficulty and embarrassment, great cast
iron rolls have been turned successfully, and are
yielding an abundant supply of angle iron Of al
sizes that still more massive smooth rolls have
been fashioned, and are producing great rolled
armour plates from scrap and railway iron; and
finally, that the thousands Of willing wcgk-
men in the TredegaT iron works Richmond, the
Charleston iron works and the Ssvaunsh iron
works are toiling almost without intermfssion
night aud day. Again we rsPest we cannot at
the moment be more precise. The Confederate
States, IN word, are straining their energies to
the utmost, working as they have long worked
in the enrolment aud equipment of great armies,
bat this time with the intention of disputing
with the Northern States the command Of the
ocean. The effort is great one, but perhaps
not greater thaa Tesolute and skilful men are
more than equal to. Let us. encourage them
with our best wishes, and the assurance that
whenever the gallant Captain Ssmmes, Of the.
Alabama, commands a powerful iron. .oased
squadron the day Of recognition and indepsad
ence will be close st hand
What, then, are We to look for, if, for some
weeks hence We are startled with the intsi-
gence that Csptsiz Semmes is at sea with one
of the most powerful squadrons of this iron
age Will New Orleans be relieved from the
presence Of General Banks, the Federal feet be
destroyed in the lower Mississippi, and the stars
and bars of the Confederacy once more BupDlant
the stars and stripes which Mumfo.d hauled
down from the hag staff Of the New Orleans
custom house Will the wooden bloekadiDg
fleets before Mobile SsvaRnah and Charleston
be engaged aud sunk, and cotton once more
find its way to market in Liverpool and Uavre
Will the Chesapeake be entered and the Confed
crate squadron clear for action before Annapo-
IL, while General Lee makes denomination
on the Potomac Will finally, New York,
Boston, and Philadelphia, have TO choose
between submission and ransom or the smeni-
ties of an hours bombardment7 These are the
questions we may have to think Of and answer
before many weeks are over. They are new,
startling, and exceedingly opportUue just at
sueh time as the present, when Parliament is
sbout to meet, and the question Of recognition,
Lancashire, aud the navy are on the lips of
every one, it is desirable 20 have the Judgment
helped in this way. A powerful Confederate
squadron will change Lord Russell's tune, aud
no doubt be alluded to by our veteran Premier
in his usually happy manner Between the
government and the crest mass of Englshmen
there is this simple difference on the American
t1,nk
are Of opinion that the whipping Of the North
erners has been severe enough, Lord Russell,
and Lord PalmeTston, in consequences of seme
old grudgs no doubt, insist that the
fighting shall continue until the North is
so severely puninshed that it viii not be
in the humor to fight again for some gene
rstions. When, therefore, Lord Russell and
Lord PslmeIston are informed that The Confed.
crate States have a great iron-eased squadron
on the Federal coast, they viii begin to think
ike other people. They viii then acknowledge
the utter hopslessness of the Federal cause, and
perhaps put themselves right with Parliament
and the public by stating that from the time of
the attack on Fort Sumter, BY Gen. Beauregard,
they have had secret misgivings as to what the
end would be. This, Of coarse, is mere human
nature
Among the Federal Americans the announce
nlent thst we now make viii create much the
same anxiety that I've shell would do IN the
senate chamber in Washington. The spirit of the
Federals is fairly broken. Cursed with q Joking
ano story telling government when the chief
fragment Of great country is on the brink, if
not already in the abyss Of ruin, they were pow
eress against their enemy. Against the Con.
tederate States they have done Their tspest and
worst, and peacs and forgetfalnes5 would now
be to them both relief aud blessing. Up to
this time they have never dreamed thst al sea
or on their coasts the Confedorsles cculd 10
them harm. What alone they have sometimes
feared is an attack by Gen. Lee on Wsshingtoni
but Washington has a very small place in North
ern hearts True, ths Alabama has done them
injury. bat still she injury is borne by 'ew. i
is, besides au injury that the New England and
New York shipowners and others think no mere
about after an indignation meeting on Change,
at The Chamber Of Commerce, on the Board Of
Trade. Captain Semms and en- iron cased
squadron have not been. counted on.
Ships with ram bows, the stems Of each Of
which are solid ron forgings, weighing not less