Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-12-23

Naval Depot for Iron Clads.

Naval Depot for Iron Clads.
Hon. +. A. Pike, our able Representa-.
tive in Congress, made the following re.
marks on the subject Of new Navy
Yard at New London, c., in the House
on the 18th inst:
Mr.. PIKE. Whoever reads the lucid
and very able report Of the Secretary Of
the Navy must be grati6sd, if not sur
prised, at the rapid and enormous in-
crease Of the Navy since the commence
ment of this rebellion. 1t now consists
of over five hundred thousand tons OF
shipping very considerable fraction Of
the whole tonnage Of the country. All
sizes Of vessels are embraced, from the
tug of one hundred tons up to the Dun
derberg of Mr.. Webb, of more than
seven thousand tons burden. Almost all
of the kinds of ships known to naval
architecture can be found in our Navy
all the practicable shapes and models, if
not some which are entirely impractical
BILE. Machinery Of all the approved
patterns has been introduced to propcf
these ships. The Navy Department has
called upon the whole mechanical genius
of the country for the construction ol
these admirable engines of war. It has
gone into the widest variety of expert
ment in order to bring about the COM
pletcst vessels which can be obtained
Any one disposed to criticise its action
would say that it has been too expert
mental. know that this is not the
general opinion, but those who have
watched the detailed action Of the De-
partment must come to the conclusion
that if it has erred at all-and do not
say that it hast has been in being too
experimental, in trying too many now
devices rather than III adhering to the
old models.
In accomplishing this purpose, Mr..
Speaker, there will have been expended
during this Administration $3.50, 900, 900
very generous sum, and one which
would startle US were it not that We have
become accustomed to tho bewildering
figures of the War Department. This
large sum, on the whole, has been wisely
and prudently expended. The most
rigorous examination has been made by
committees, of both branches Of Congress,
some of them constituted strongly ad-
verse to the present officers in charge Of
the Department, and nothing Of miscon-
duct worthy Of the attention Of Congress
has been found. Frauds, of course,
there have been, but they have been
ferreted out in the Department itself,
and the guilty punished and, Mr..
Speaker, in reviewing the action Of the
Navy since hostilities broke out it is
only bare justice to say that it has ac-
comp shed all that could have been ex-
pected Of it. 1t had to do the dull. tedi-
GUS labor of the blockade, according to
the strictest of the latest decisions on
that ve1sd subject-a blockade of coast
over thirty.ive hundred miles in extent,
and which was pronounced impossible by
the European diplomats. You will re.
collect the surprise of Lord Lyons, when
he asked whether this Government really
intended to blockade tho whole southern
coast. 1t had in addition to that to hunt
the piratical cruisers Of the first naval
Power into their various hiding places,
all over the world of waters aud when
it comes to warfare, it was the most diff
cult kind of naval warfare, that OF at
lacking land batteries and who will say
that in all of these particulars the Navy
las not accomplished its purpose
The enormous price in the confedcracy
of articles which have to run the block
ade, aud the nineteen hundred and
seventy y-nine prizes taken by our vessels,
tell with certainty that the blockade has
been most perfect. And We have seen,
in following the history of the war, that
in its various attacks upon land batteries
the Navy has been equally successful
The genius of Du Pont devised new
mode, and most successful one, at Port
Royal, Of attacking land forces, and this
added greatly both to bis own fame aud
that Of our Navy; while the gallantry
and intrepidity Of Farragut at New Or
loans and Mobile placed our Navy fore
most in the annals Of marine warfare
And we all but lately felt that the CLEANS
of victory streaming across the Atlantic
from the guns of the Kearsarge OF Cher
bourg strengthened tie loyal heart Of the
country at time when it was grnatly
given to despondeney.
The blockade has been vigorously en-
forced, the warfare against land forces
has been successfully conducted, and the
British pirates sunk aud driven into con-
federate ports, as the ocean with its nyr-
lad hiding places was no longer safe for
them. A brilliant record for ou- gallant
Navy.
And the conclusion, Mr.. Speaker, at
which | arrive from the brief survey of
the increase, the present condition, and
the action of the Navy for tho last four
years, is that we have vessels enough for
the present. We can afford City steamers
lying off and on to blockade the port Of
Wilmington. We FL the harbors Of
Charleston and of Savannah, and the bay
of Mobile, with our armed ships, and
still have enough to protect northern ports
against the possibility Of attack.
1t is apparently idle to talk about tax.
ing any Of the principal southern ports
without the assistance Of the Army, but
when Lieutenant General Grant is ready