The Portland daily press., 1865-01-12
Thursday Morning, Jan. IL, 1866.
The London Times on the q. S. Navy :,
ii has been treonent remark of our most.

4uo AVuaOu ~ WoS VI tuo W % NAVY =
1t has been a frequent remark of our most
experienced navy officers who are in cores
pondence with foreign officers, that Europe
would be the first TO recognize theextraordi-
nary increase of our navy, as well as the eff
cient and economical administration of its
affairs. The "Thunderer," in the following
able article, has done this with some fault-fpd-
ing and begrudgingly, where condemnation
and abuse Of our country has been the rule,
The following are portion of the Times
comments upon the Report Of Secretary
Welles: .aSi4aisam a sdo
Mr.. Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the
Federal Navy, is undoubtedly entitled to
claim credit for the exertions of his depart
mept during the great civil war. He falls into
the exaggeration characteristic OF his coun-
trymen when he ascribes to the American
marine achievements without parallel or prec-I
edent IN any navy history; for good admirals
have lived before Farragut, though they did
not go into battle with iron-clads, andgreat
naval expeditions have been undertaken,
though the means were adapted to the age and
the occasion. But if we look impartially at
the work which devolved suddenly upon the
American admiralty four years ago, Ut the
resources which then existed forits perform
ance, and at the manner in which it has been
actually performed. NE must admit that the
tone Of graduation perVading the Secretary's
report is by no means without Justification.
In the month Of March, 1861, when Mr..
Welles entered upon his duties as head of the
Naval Department., the navy of the United
States contained but 76 vessels OF all descrip-s
tions available for service 1t now contains
GIL, large proportion of which are vessels
newly constructed, on the principles suggest.
ed by modern warfare. In this powerful foct
there are no fewer than II iron-ciads, and $50
ships out of the 671 are propelled by steam.
At the commencementof the war the Govern
ment had but 7, 800 seamen in its pay, and of
these only POI we're In the home ports. In the
present month the number of men borne on
the estimates is 81 eco, while during the pres
ent year, though 26 vessels have been lost to
the Federals by shipwreck,a battle or capture,
the Navy List still shows an increase of SO
vessels over the fleet OF 1858. Nor has this
provision for the exigencies of sthewar been
upon any excessive scale. a1The blockade
maintained By the Federals extends, over a
coast line Of $500 miles, and this service, at
any rate, is really unprecedentedin in magnitude.
The "squadrons''o maintained on the several
stations occupied by the feet deserve the
epithet of immense" " which Mr.. Lincoln gave
them. 0l 90 0g ..,I - .saa5 iGaeiisa 81
The Mississippiitselfis is divided into ten ma
val districts, each under a seperate command
and the incidents of the war have taught as
how skilfully and serviceably the navy has CO.
operated with the army even in the interior
of the continent. The whole war, in fact, on
the Federal side has been half naval war,
and the gunboats Of the Uuion have enabled
its land forces to attempt and execute what
would otherwise have been impracticable en-
terprises. In the face of SO much success it
would be invidious to insist upon failures but
we cannot forget that all the chief seaports of
the Confederacy, with the exception of New
Orleans, are still in Confederate hands, that
the formidable navy of the Federals had no
enemy to deal with, and that the depredations
on American commerce, which Mr.. WelIes
charges SO bitterly to the account of British
malice, were due only ito the temporary ina
bllity of the Northerners to keep the police OF
the sea. .ls.sss s .,.t.- s.,s,ss- ,ss.ra,45s
II Mr.. Lincoln's statistics are correctly re-
ported we may say something more of the
Federal navy, and admit that it has been
economically raised and thriftily maintained.
The Presidents message gives the entire cost
of the navy, from the beginning of the war to
the present time, as less than CSC, ,O00, 600,
which would represent an annual expenditure
of some f12 000,000 oniy--a charge hardly
exceeding our own. But there Is eithersome
mistake in these figures, or the Federal navy
estimates must be increasing at an enormous
rates for Mr.. Welles now informs us particu-
larry that the charge for the approaching year
will be upwards Of e22O00, 600, or nearly dou-
BILE the average OF former years. Still, even
that sum appears moderate IN comparison
Nth the prodigious expenditure upon ihe ar
my, especially if we recollect that the Ameri-
can estimate includes the cost of the ordnance
stores, which in our own estimates are sepa-s
rately provided for. Mr.. Welles, however.
contemplates spending no less than eli ,0O0,-
600, In the construction, repair, and equip
ment Of vessels during the coming year. 9-
1t will not have escaped the notice of atten-
tive readers that at the moment when we are
urged In this country to abandon or curtail
our Government establishments for the MAIN
tenance OF the navy, the head of the Navy De-
partment in America is strenonsly insisting
on the absolute necessity of such establish
ments. What Mr.. Gideon WelIes said in pre-.
vious years he says over again now, and reit-
crates more eagerly than eVerihis conviction
that the Federals must have such wards and
arsenals as would place the Government above
the necessity OF depending on contracts with
private builders. He has argued this ques4
tlon, indeed, not only on the score Of exigen-
cy, but on that Of economy, asserting that it
would De cheaper as well as better for the
country to manufacture for itself the vessels
and machinery which 1t is now compelled 10
buy. We have remarked on former occasions
tnat tnese opinions are to be received, per-
maps, with some qualification as proceeding
from the pen of an official ;but it was impossi-
BILE not to perceive, from the mora detailed
statements given IN someyof his previous re-
ports, that the service and the Treasury were
realy suffering together from the system
which has been recommended for onr own
adoption. e i4,F Hi E.si9SrH,f S't-
The instruction which we might otherwise
derive from the experience of the Americans
IN marine armor and projectlles is materially
diminished by the circumstances under which
the chief reports have been, made. The great
trial OF the Federal iron-clads took place in
the attack upon Charleston, and the failure of
that attack was attended with SO much QUAR-
rellng ana recrlmination among the officers
concerned as almost to invalidate the accounts
received oilne engagement. The Admiral in
command reported disparagingly of the mon
uors anu tnelr performances: other officers
differed entirely from him in their os+im aaas
of facts, and the Federal Goyernmant ,yss
disposed to reject reports tendino ~ dorroD
ciate the new navy Of the nation ava - i,;,-a
corresponding encouragement to tha oo,is..a "a
erates. These contests led all narties
with so much personal feeling on tha s,bSo. Pyaa
that it is natural to suspect their statsnn.r 80
bias, and we feel unable to saw vUba,har 81 =,
model on which the Federals have ce,.t.,,.s .ne
ed an iron feet is or is not successful : Nc
do, however, know that the monitors sra a.
any rate, unfit for sea service, and that Admi'
raj Farragut has persisted, hitherto with i'm.
punIty, In hosting his flag on board a wooden
frigate. al- itsssds ~
It should not be forgotten IN looking at tn.