The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-18

loan flag, covering our so long unemployed mer-
chant marine, is again seen floating in all the
commercial harbors of the world. American
citizens are again travelling all over creation;
American enterprise is again beginning to
show itself in remote regions; In short, the
everlasting Yankee nation has again, after
brief interval, undertaken the work of spread
ing the lights Of civilization, progress and re-
publican liberty among all the benightcd peo-
pies of the earth. To protect American COM
MERGE and sustain the progress of American
ideas It is necessary, among the first things, to
establish our reputation as q fighting nation,
especially upon tho seas; and to show that we are
prepared to do so it is barely required to refer
to what we have already done in building up a
splendid navy within period without parallel
in the naval history Of the world. Contrasted
with the naval improvements within the same
space of time in England and France, the
United States seem like an ancient Power, only
to be likened to those Her0dotus speaks Of
when the operations of fleets numbering fifteen
hundred line-ofbattle ships In . single expedi-
ton were recorded. 4s...s, !. e-...s. -. y
| In the year 1859, or about I'VE years ago--a
period we shall make the basis for our COM
parisons-we find the total British navy to con-
sist Of seven hundred and 6fty-one vessels Of
all classes, with fourteen thousand two hum
dred and forty guns. OF these ninety
five were ships-of-the-line, ninety-six frigates
two hundred and fourteen corvettes and slOops
one hundred and sixty-two gunbOats, DC
There were no iron-clads at this time in the
British navy--in fact, it was not until some year
or two after that they were introduced. In
1864 the total navy of Great Britain consisted
of five hundred and six vessels Of all classes
with nine thousand seven hundred and thirty
two guns-nine thousand of which were car
ried by steamers with an aggregate of about
one hundred and twenty-three thousand horse
power. This shows an aggregate loss in the
number of ships in the British navy in five
years of two hundred and forty-fve vessels
and of over five thousand five hundred in the
number of guns. In, the meantime guns Of
heavier calibre and longer range were en-
ployed. Armor-plated vessels also began to
find place in the British squadrons; and not
withstanding the comparative failure of the
iron-clad Warrior and Black Prince, the first
experiments of the kind, we find, to quote an
English print that Gin order not to lag
behind in the terrible race of competition
which was forced upon them by other States"--
it might have said the United States--the Brit
ish navy, in 1864, included eleven iron steam
screw ships-of-the-line afoat and in process of
construction, four iron-clad corvettes and sloops
(screws), two turreted iron-clads, three iron
and four irOn-clad batteries. The total number
of screw steamers afoat was four hundred, and
thirty-seven constructing, several Of the latter
having since been launched. 1t will thus be
seen that while Great Britain has been reduc-
ing the number Of her naval vessels and guns,
she has adopted the American policy of intro
ducipg iron-clad vessels with better cannon.
At this time the London Times, while grieving
under the advancing strides the American navy
was making in improvement consoled itself
with the reflection that II the British iron-clads
were not yet the best that could be designed,
"thcy were certainly as good as any others
afoat."
The French navy in 1859 consisted Of four
hundred and forty-nine vessels, carrying eight
thousand four hundred and twenty-five guns,
including ffty-one ships-ofthe-line, of which
thirty-seven were steamers; ninety-seven frig-
ates, including four iron-clads, which carried
one hundred and forty-four guns; thirty-eight
corvettes, twenty Of which were propelled by
steam. The aggregate horse power was
h,rnI
twenty. About this period the British began
to exhibit considerable jealousy towards the
French on account Of their naval improvements,
particularly in the Introduction Of steamers
and iron-clads. The fact that, according TO the
French regulations, no captain in the merchant
service was allowed to command ship until
he had served two years on board a man-of-
war was descanted upon in English prints, to
show the advantage the French would have
over the British in the personnel of their navy.
In 1864 France had more formidable navy
afloat than her ancient rival. II consisted Of
five hundred and thirty vessels, carrying eight
thousand five hundred and fifty guns, or eighty
one ships and one hundred and twenty-cight
guns more than in 1859. The horse power Of
the steam vessels had increased to one hundred
and six thousand and seventy-tbree, or twenty
nine thousand two hundred and ffty-three in
five years. But this was not all. Following
fast upon every Improvement in the American
navy-and II would seem as IL the French En-
peror had secured models in advance Of our
naval inventions-we find that within two or
three years. during our rebellion, the iron-clads
in the French navy had increased to forty-six,
carrying one thousand and sixty-eight guns.
In the French papers our Monitors were referred
10 as "those strengthening machines invented
by the Americans"
Our readers will observe from the above the
impetus that American naval improvements,
which the rebellion melted, has given to the
naval ornaments Of England and France. We