Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-24


convention.
The News from England.
1t is stated by the London Daily Star, and
in letters from England, that the rebel rams
will not be permitted to leave that country.
The British government has decided to detain
them. The Daily Star speaks positively on
the subject, and says I'VE are able to state
on undoubted authority that the government
have ordered the two steam rams, which have
been the subject of much controversy, to
be detained" We hope this report is true;
and the circumstance that the London Her.
aid, the organ of the British tories, speaks of
it as probably true, and makes it an &C.
casion for denouncing the ministry, appears
to confirm it. The departure of those steam
rams from Great Britain, by the connivance
Of the government, would have been equva-
lent to declaration of war against the United
States. We shall be glad to know that there
is among the ruling aristocrats of that coun-
try enough common sense to prevent such
manifestation of hostility to our government.
There is something more that is noteworthy
that ra nntalisoe e9 from England is SAID
artillery near Savannah and Charleston
have caused something like a panic in
England. On all hands it is confessed
that Great Britain has no such artillery The
London Times discusses the matter at con-
siderable length, describing the capture ofthe
rebel iron clad Atlanta by the Weehawken,
and dwelling particularly upon the destruc-
ton of fort Sumter by Gen. Gilmores batter
les. The Times calls this San extraordinary
feat" and says, eve find in the incidents of
the siege of Charleston many lessons of the
utmost Importance to the military and naval
service. While we are theorizing the Ameri-
cans are practicing." Captain Coles, of the
British navy, who claims to be the in
Ventor of their turretted war vessels,
writes long letter to the Times, in
which he, too, discusses our artillery and iron
clads, with a very evident consciousness of
British interiority. lie speaks of the brief
battle in which the monitor Weehawken cap
tured the Atlanta Sat least three times her
size" although the rebels wer very confident
that the Atlanta would capture the two moni-
tors, and then says
"Does not this action prove, in a manner
beyond all controversy or doubt, that vessel
which can carry these heavy guns (tour hun
dred and forty Founders, with which the tur-
ret ship was armed) must be irresistible
against ships Of the present broadside con-
struction, which are reduced comparatively to
as helpless state, when matched against tur-
ret ships, as wooden ships would be against
ordinary broadside port iron clads?
IF the Weehawken, with one turret and
two hfteen-inch guns, throwing shot of four
hundred and forty pound weight, took the At
lanta in fifteen minutes, how long will it take
the Roanoke, with three turrets and six guns
OF the same calibre, to capture or destroy any
broadside-port ron-clad that we have, armed
with smooth-bore sixty-eight Founders or
breech-loading riGed e-huudred-and-ten-
Founders, COT protessedly inferior power,) be-
ing at present the heaviest guns which we have
for service in the navy?"
sit strikes me that this is a very serious
matter, for while the Americans are manufac-
turing these four hundred and forty Founders
at the rate of one per day, and are daily gam
ing experience in their application to the pur-
poses OF naval warfare, we have not as yet
got beyond trial gun, and have not ship
af1oat that can carry it."
If the gentlemen who manage the British
government have decided that those rebel
rams shall not be let loose from England to
make war upon US, it is because they believe
that to allow them to leave would certainly
result in war between the two countries. We
owe nothing to their good will. war with
England is not desirable to us; and, at the
present time, we should do everything that
self-respect will allow to avoid it. Neverthe-
less such war would be greater calamity
to England than to us. 1t would expose her
commerce to destruction, cut off her supply
of breadstutfs and provisions, and expose her
people to something good deal worse than a
''cotton famine" Moreover she has no ships
in her navy that could cross the ocean and
attack us, which our iron clads and new artil-
lery could not destroy without difficulty, as
Capt Coles intimates very plainly. The Eng
hsh navy would lose prestige in such war.
~ would Of course, aid the rebels, and pro-
long our strife with them, but Great Britain
"oulo get nothing from it but disaster and hui
initiation. 1t would not he in bor ,,,,rou O.,
operate against US with large army; and we
DO not DeheVe II would be possible for anv
fleet she could now employ, to prevent o,'.
navy from capturing and cleaning ont th,t T.,
famous Englisl-rebel hole, Nassau.
Great Britain, always arrogant and insolo,,.
to the weak, and usually servlle and treacber-
GUS to the strong, has heretofore acted on the
assumption that we dare not acceptwar with he,
at the present time. Seeing what strong rea
sons we have for avoiding such war, and be
lieving we would submit meekly to an,
amount of insult and injury, she has aided oul