Smyrna times., 1863-04-23

( faction by the ruling classes of England as a
serious damage to the National cause This
will be a mistake. 1t is no damage in a
positive sense, for little or no actual loss has
been sustained. We have only tailed to
gain and are simply as we were before,
Just as was the case with England in her
| Il isSian war, after the unsuccessful attack
upon the Sebastopol forts by Admiral Lyons,
and the unsuccessful demonstration upon
Sweaborg by Admiral Napier.
But this failure has practical bearing,
upon which the English Government will
have no reason to congratulate itself We
mean for the virtual demonstration of the
fact that any American harbor may be put
III such a state of of defence rs to absolutely
dyy tie continued fleets Of Europe. 1t has been
problem whether iron-mailed vessels can
Outmatch forts. We consider it to be now
proved that they cannot, if the forts have
proper Sub-aqueouS Out-wOrks for the pur-
pose of obstruction and destruction. The
Monitors are the most effective irOn-maied
vessels that have been built and what they
failed TO do, it is very certain that any Eu-
ropcln vessels would fail to do What has
been done ia Charleston may, on OccISlOn
br done III Hry other American harbor aud
i'll fact, mor" easily than there, for the prin-
clpal forts Of almost any other harbor are
newer and stronger. 1t is, therefore, prac-
tlcally demonstrated that i'll case Of foreign
war, we can make cities on the seab0arl
perfectly secure from damage.
This is fact of the highest moment
Were we to have war with England, it
| h, n1, 1nfo
two particulars we should invade Canada,
and should launch hundreds of privateers
against British commerce on the high seas
Our drf@h>irc invincibility on the scaboarl
established as it now is by the developments
at Charleston, there is lett no room for doubt
but that England would get the worst of it
in the struggle.
As for Canada, it is admitted that il cam
not protect itself. The population OF ali
the British Provinces is about three millions,
extending over breadth of more than Il
thousand miles. They are unaccustomed to
the use Of arms. and have little or no mill
tlry spirit, As the ridiculous failure Of the
volunteer movement III every Province,
abuudantly shows y detachment Of o,.y-
enty thousand of our veterans might marcA
through the heart Of their county without
serious impcliment. The mother country
would be pOwerleSS to prevent it. England
could not better protect her commerce.
There is probably full six hundred million
worth of British merchandise now af at
We have the swittcst clipper ships ever
known, and u multitude of them all of
which would require trtliag operation
t. be coverted into the m ,st eff ctive
privateers the world ever saw The re-
bel privateers, Alabama and FTor'a, fr-
/ nished by England, have in their brief ca
reer despoiled American commerce to the
extent Of 1T least one hundred millions
This furnishes excellent data for reckoning
the length Of time which British commerce
could hold out against one hundred equally
effective vessels. 1t can be safely put down
that within six mont of III commence
mcnt of war with England, every com
/ mcrca keel Of tl,at nation would bc swept
away from the two oceans
IT, therefore, we should he forced into :
/ war with England, which we do not anlc
| pate for she well understands her interests
all the prime elements would be in ON
f favor. What she needs to protect-name
e ly, her colonies and her commerce-sh,
; could not protect What we need to pro
i tcct--namcIy. our scaboard citic>-wc nov
t know that we can prot ct. AN to Outlayin!
{ provinces, we have none. AS to our com
II merce, that is already suffering about :.
o much us it can suffer, because OF the Anglo
= rebel privatecrs, all Of which injury work
4 corresponding benefit to English commerce
g In the present condition of things, Eng|an
must lose immensely by war we compar'
E. titcly nothing.
5, England could give no material aid to til
eS bells she is not now giving She coul
oi not send troops 10 the COntederary, tQr h
s neither has them nor can yet them. II
could not treat our blockade to any scrlo,
Is extent, for our blocllading vessels could h
Id protected by our from IDS, of which "
y already have five to England's one, and ca
al multiply in the same proportion. She CT
or lend money, to be sure, and supply credi
e. but that she is already doing, as the late
IN negotiated Confederate loan attests. The
sc is positively. no particular in which w
'e- with England would materially help Il
ie' rebels, save in the diversion Of sixty or Sc
enty thousand soldiers, which would be er
On ployed in seizing Canada. But this cOu
~ easily be made us by fresh levy.-Nt
u" York Times.