The Portland daily press., 1864-02-11

vessels beside those enumerated by him have
made even greater speed than those mentioned
in his letter. 1t has been charged, Mr.. Presi-
dent, and over again that it is the policy of
the Navy Department to confine engineering
and the methods of constructing engines to the
plans OF Mr.. Isherxood. AS the Senate il al
ready informed by the letter of Mr.. Mckay,
while the Nypsic, which made on her trial trip
upward of eleven knots, and understand has
since made over thirteen. was built under the di-
rection OF the Navy Department, and with the
sherwood machinery, the Pequot that has Just
returned from her trial trip was built outside of
the Navy Department and has not accomplished
near as good speed rs the Nypsic which was
built by the Department proper, instead of be-
ing built by a contractor But il is not true
that the Department has confined itself to the
plans of Mr.. sherwood | could cnumerate
several vessels that are now in process of con-
struction, and one of them in the city of New
York, magnificent vessel the plan of the en-
gines of which is being prepared by the very
Mr. Dickerson who is SO profiise in his attacks
on the Navy Department and all of its friends.
As to the character of naval engines am not
qualified to speak | only look at the results at
tained Those results are to nv mind entirely
satisfactory. So far as know, or can under
stand, they receive condemnation only from
those who are interested in some patent. some
untried project, some undeyeloped idea. some
crazy conception, and from the friends of those
persons.
But, Mr.. President il is asked why we do not
catch the Alabama it our vessels are so fast. |
might ask why do you not catch Mosebyp
Moseby for eighteen months. or nearly that
time, has been living within the lines of the
American army. and has DESTROYED three times
as much property as the Alabama has no Won
condemn the army or the War Denartment ho-
cause he is not caught, Why do You mot catch
Forrestg 1t was with good deal of difficultv
that you were even able to catch Morgan IN
Ohio. Morgan traversed the States of Indiana
and Ohio and would have got away s.ot frea ~
last had il not been for the much-abused navy
The trouble is not that our vessels have NOT
speed enough TO catch the Alabama for the Ala.
bama, according to the best il formation that I
can get, is not nearly so fast a vessel as She is
represented 10 be- Captain Baldwin. who has
Just returned on the Vanderbilt having been in
pursuit of her about wear. and who has been
in divers ports where she had been. who has
seen men that had been attached to her and
knew thoroughly what her capaeity was told
me in an interview / had with him few davs
ago, that she could not exceed eleven knots an
hour. We have plenty of vessels that will ex
coed that by two knots an hour. The dfieulty
is in finding where she is The Florida was 90
ing into port when one Of our vessels was
coming out of it. The officers on the Florida
said that they could Just distinguish the smoke
of a steamer as they were bearing off TO the
right and our vessel was going in at the left
The next time those two vessels were heard from
they were seventeen thousand miles apart. One
was in pursuit of the .,1Aer but our officers snn
posing that the Florida had gone in one direction
went off in that direction, while the Florida, in
stead of going in the direction supposed. went i'm
an exactly contrary direction. The intelligence
came to US only two or three days ago that the
Wyoming aud the Alabama were within a short
time, when last heard from, within TWENTY
five miles of each other. People do rot reflect
upon the difficulty of finding these corsiirs.
When found, they will be easily caught, unless
in the vicinity of professedly neutral.port into
which they caa dodge. 1t is the action of pro-
fessedly neutral powers that prevents their cap
ture.
Ii was with great difficulty that tl,e British
with all their vast i}eet were able to can,,re ,,
. 90 '''~i ."9N ny, IVY "cie w ZAP eur
1919. 10 you remember what chase they had
for that gallant old Commodore Porter and
that finally they had to run him into the harbor
of Valna,-liso n neut,aJ mort and tb.rc sa,..,,,.r
h;s vessai +; san,,@s In - 49, - Nat..e ,
Ia Ca.., at "iii .,Ae .he 'foupie 10
reaa .oopef NaSai history ,hey VIII discover
that there were precisely the same clanors raised
By the British people, only moro bitter and de-
nunciatory, in regard to the capture of our sail
;no veasaIs In tho ,rar az 1910 H., s,,,ar ,sia
.'s - ~. ~" =, 20 'ha. sunny Schtie-
men no" attempt 70 RAISE against the Navy De-
paftment because they do not succeed in captur-
ing the Alabama and her sister pirates.
SIR, the real difficulty we have to encounter in
the capture OF the Alabama IS the position as
sumea oy ioreisn powers that allows her, the
moment tnat one of our vessels gets near her, to
sup INTO neutral port, ana we are not permitted
10 ioiiow her IN We are not permitted 70 lay
on abreast the port TIL she comes out; and if we
w io..os nv ~, our VESSELS are coinpeiied 10
remain enere 'wehts-iouf hours after she escapes,
and during those twenty-four hours she will
have had such n start of our vessels that it will
have become almost itnpossihle m eonture ber
i"o oos, ,e's Va WY sass, III MS very aole re-
port " po'h HOUSES OF congress at the COM
mencement OF this session, has stated the obsta-
cles to be encountered in this regard better than
| can In that report he saws
..r,.. ,-.,o..,,,a- !, 49,,
A.. lne eso5.ion oi uie repeis as beiligerents by
VIZ prinePsi msratime powers at the commencement
" ,, Se s.fenStn anu character TO the in
"ch ~ e"u,a never nave had but Tor that
fecesmliuvon,
Win Iuil khcwiedsc oil these Facts the princi
Iai mara.ine powers OF Europe hastened to recog-
l.e & We M Ienyis as nciserenis and TO declare that
'i ' shoaa DO treated allke In their
Pos that te pupilc armed vessels OF neither should
remain more than twenty-iour hours in their har-
might be absolutely necessary 10 carry then, home
ana ior three months thereafter they should not
sesornsn IN. IN any q the ports Of those
moi affect Snolc shin af ,b riI Gu y ala
not one to be Affected II cxrlnded no i"., , ns
of the United States from the ports of the prncipal
maratime powers throughout the world, except un-
"e. .'e ies'iie'iohs enumerated.
Mr. President, II is within the knowledge of all
the members OF this body that when one of our
vessels went to the harbor of Nassau, where the
rebel vessels had received supplies that they
mieh prey upon our commerce, our vessel was
denied the same privilege that had been granted
to the rebel cruisers
''The theory of recognizing rebels as bsliirerants
50 soon as they lin their arms agsinst the govern
lheni ana,tnus declaring them entitled TO national
pi on ny nigh ssAs ana IN the harbors OF the