The New York herald., 1863-11-25

| rfouOu PoVPio uVt w upprcctoS0 VIC ueauAug
Of these sigas And the proof that he does sp-
preciate II Is to be found in this pretty little
manouvre by which he hopes to tickle the
French imagination, and to turn the attention
and thoughts of the people from his unfortu-
nate Mexican expedition, from his unpopular
Italian policy, from his eoquettings with the
Southern confederacy and from his repressive
internal policy towards this grand phantasma-
goria of q European council. which he promises
to create by his art of legerdeman That is
really the explanation and Interpretation Of
that oraoular jargon with which the great
| French mountebank has confounded the dull
lards of Europe. and set them gaping In
smazement at what is to come next. And all
the time the wizard ia piayfully drawing out
the ends Of his mOustaohes, elevating the outer
corners of bis eyes. and enjoying the bewilder-
| ment into which he has thrown the nation, and,
most Of ALL his dear old friend. John Bull.
The European council ia undoubtedly a capi-
tai trick-one Of Louis Napoleon's very best
The Capture OF enc BaasAee-Aaosher
Hint for Secretary Weiics.
We published yesterday the very interesting
dstails Of the capture Of the blockade runner
Bsnshee by the army. transport Fulton. The
Fulton had previously captured another block
ade runner, the Margaret and Jessie. This
vessel and the Bsnshee were The fastest in the
Anglo-rebel feet. The Margaret and Jessie
has run our blockade sixteen times, and the
Banshee eight. Both these vessels deded any
ship in our navy to catch them. The Banshee
had run in and out OF Wilmington lately with
perfect impunity. On her last trip in she was
chased by three Of our blockaders, and easily
escaped them all. She was at last captured, it
will be aoticed, not by one of our naval YES
sells, but by an army transport after long
and exciting chase
Ever since the outbreak Of this was we have
urged Secretary Welles to place our fastest
merchant steamships upon the blockade, and
upon the track of the rebel privateecs He has
taken no notice whatever Of our arguments and
our remonstrances. He might have had the
Vanderbilt the Baltic. the Atlantic, the
Fulton. the Ocean Queen. the Illinois, the
Arago and dozen ether such 6eet steamers in
the navy year or two ago If he had only had
the disposition to accept them. Instead Of
that he permitted his agent. Morgan. to
buy up and charter q lot of useless sailing
vesseis which have cost the county two or
three millions OF dollars aud have'enrlched
no ono except Morgan and the rebels. Con
grea virtually censured Secretary Welles for
| this transaction, and upon this the Secretary
ought to have been removed. and would have
been had not President Lincoln been great
deal more kind than just But gross nepotism
aud the folly Of purchasing slow sailing vessels
at extravsgant prices. when East steamers could
! be had for low prices-and even for aothing-
are By no means the worst OF the. offences Of
Secretary Welles. As obstinate as- he is- igno-
ran. ia the affairs Of his department, this incu-
bus upon the navy continues the folly Of which
be wss long ago convicted BY public opinion.
It will scarcely be believed, and yet it Is .
fact that not one of our fast steamers 10 now in
the navy. with the single exception Of the Van
derbilt, which was forced in despite the open
opposition Of the stupid Hartford -Philadel-
phia fossil who prstends to preside over the
Navy Department Commodore Vanderbilt Of.
tered to sell his fast ships to the government
for fair price Secretary Welles would not
take them. The Commodore offered them ct .
mere song. Secretary Welles would not take
them Indignant at this treatment, which is
unparalleled in history, the Commodore at
tempted to shame the Secretary by presenting
his finest vessel, the Vanderbilt, to the govern
ment freely aud without reserve. Secretary
Welles would not take tho Vanderbilt into the
navy, aud this magnificent ship was to have
been used as an army transport had not other
parties interfered. A ruse was contrived by
which the Secretary was outwitted. An As
sistaut Secretary Of War represented that
the Vanderbilt was un6t for q transport, aud
upon this representation the President CON-
PEELED Mr.. Welles to take her into the navy.
II is pity that this trick could not be played
in regard to q few more such ships. There
is the Fulton, for instance, that has Just
proven herself better than most block
aders. The Fulton ought to be com
missioned rs O cruiser at once; but we have no
hope of this being done. Why not no one can
explain, except, perhaps, the old fogy Secretary
and few Of his relatives. We submit, there
fore, that this is another and amply suficient
cause for the removal Of Secretary Welles, and
we urge the President to act upon It, Any Of.
fetal who wilfully, knowingly and systemat-
oally deprives US of the services Of such steam.
ships is guilty Of giving aid and comfort to the
rebels, and we have right to demand his dis.
charge.
The whole Navy Department needs an over
hauling and we shall insist that II be overhauled
We believe that more official corruption and
fragrant violations Of the public interest will be
found there than most people imagine. We
know that the government has been abomina-
bly, swindled in the purchasing. the chartering
and the repairing Of ships. Sworn evidence of
this swindling has been given in this city and
acted upon by the Navy Department. The
government has been humbugged into buying