Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-07-21

That, it IL better to fail in noble enterprise than
teW suckseed in O mean one
From tho London Times
The Confederate Rams
few days ago there lay, as there still lie in the
Mersey, two enormous which twenty years ago
would have been astonishing, if not ridiculous. En-
cased in massive irop they are furnished with prows or
beaks, of form and purpose familiar enough to school
boys, but till lately exploded In modern warfare. Peo
pie are slow not only to learn, but to reflect and
to remember and when lt had taken twenty Years to
remind naval builders that ship OF war could be
moved with steam well as with three Or fve banks
OF oars, 1t took Longer time for Admiralty to per-
ceve that the revival Of the rirene gave the oppor
tuny of reVving the rostrum. But here, at last were
two capable of doing much mischief on their
own element as the ares OF ancient siege operaoos.-
No doubt they meant for the Confederates, and
were to be employed in the destruction OF b!ockading
squadrons
splendid career-not SO brilliant, indeed as that of
the Alabama, but not less useiu-aWaited them but
they bad already history. Consuls had watched th r
growth, and spies bad fund their way on deck corr
pondcnce had grown into blue-books about them tl;
teegraphic wires had been kept continually at w01 Z
upon them finally, they had been actually seized ,e
highest responsibility of the Grown had been exercised
against them and had been met by litigation, by suits
N various courts, by debates in both Houses, by
respordence between two worlds and if ality
not enough, forgeres and had gathered like
tarnacles about the monsrous bulls. They had h. en-
built on speculation, it alleged, by Frenchman
they had been ordered by tie Pasha Of Egypt; they
were simply articles On sale, like a couple Of steam
plovs Who could say what and whom they were not
for? The wits of Washington and New York we've
busy hoaxing the anxious public with alleged reports
and correspondence about them. The British Govern
ment menaced with heavy damages for seizng them
with Confederate quarrel for stopping legal ransac
ton with Federal war for allowing the equipment of
ships of war with Parliamentary defeat and ezpu-
sion from office for doing either one thing or the
other.
Could the twin rams have been conscious of any
thing, could thought sensation have pierced their
thick epidermis, they might have been proud to
py TIE attention of mankind and affect the eesnies of
Governments and nations But all at once, myth and
mystery, litigation ard debate diplomacy and
subsided and disappeared. Nothing remained but the
solid huls ard impossible iron The stroke OF pen
across slip of paper conveyed these famous shps
with all their liabilities and engagements to the posses
sion of her Brtanic Majesty aud coudt mned them to
life rottlng and repairing pulling to pieces and patch
ing up, slow decay and an ingorous death in one Of
her Majesys dock yards, without having crushed
in the flank Of hapiess oe
This s quick and easy solution OF great difficulty
The impatient public always looking forward and ask
ing g What next" has been taken aback by the dis
coyery that nothing is coming, and half dozen
careers, fortunes controversies, and suits have been
capped by extirguisher. whole illumination, not
to say possible coIfagraticn, has been put out The
Rams dark as their hundreds of brethren ly
ing in ordinary, waiting for possible resurrection
to the light of day. Even after the announcement last
week there lingering hope the fire might break
out in come form Or other. 1t was hoped that Her
Majestys Government might be found to have CON-
pounded felony might be still liable to costs for the
seizure But the previous proceedings hostile enough
in effect, were only against the innocent Rams, not
against their owners, while, by the possession Of the
vessels the inherited themselves any poss;
BILE claims in respect of the seizure.
The purchase is ct mprebensive and concusive.H For
9220,OO0, it appears Government has become posses
sed of two tremendous zines which most devouty
hope, and most certainly expect it will never have the
least occasion for But, though this concludes every
thing as between Government and the Federals, the
Conederates and Mr.. Laird, it leaves Parliamentary
speakers something to say still. Is not the precedent
dangerous? Will not man now build all sorts of i'll
frnal devices tbs spec uation that if begerent
will take them own Government will? How that
may be we know not, but England may congratulate
itself the possession of private ship building yards
capable of turning out such OF the deep, even
without an immediate demand, and with the purchaser
still to present himself The possession OF such yards
is worth far than the possession OF the ships
themselves for the ships may be destroyed or wrecked
but the yards will remain and will always be capable
of repairing our losses
The stoppage of these rams fist by force, then
by CMet purchase all that have been enabled to
do in the enforcement of neutrality. 1t is strange
comment on neutrality laws that oil do, wheth-
er by stretch of authority or by good management,
reaches only the least offensive and most purely deen
sve munition of war. We cannot prevent the emf gra
stumens of destruction of all kinds great and SMALL or
tie sale of fast ships convertible into cruisers All that
prevent is the sale of ships meant to act only On
the defensive, for the protection OF ports 1he fece
ais, itappears may have procured from US every ship
every man, evey gun every shot and she'll every ounce
OF powder every cutass employed in bIockadiDg Con
federate port but if the Conederates want ha means
of sayDg forth and sinking the foe their gates they
must not come to this country.
The ram s only floating tortifcation. 1t is incap
eble of long voyage, or even of blockade duty. 1t
can only just do, it militia work, aud make an
occasional suly against beleaguering host Yet this
comparatively harmless engine which cannot take the
initiative, and which meets the active operations
of war with simple negative, is the ony thing that
We succeeded in Withholding from the heligerents-
With the state of the law we quarrel not. We can
only submit But it is to say the least paradoxica
and we look to time to readjust the law to common
sense.
From the Salisbury Watehmau
MAKE THIN CONE OUT.-We warn the people ct
-I1t1 CAoRa lr,, and of