The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-01
A Voice Of Alarm.

the whole argument. Is 1t conclusive one
A Voice Of Alarm.
In the April Humber of the Tendon quar-
terly, the organ of the English High Tory par
ty, we find an article entitled Our Ships and
Guns: Their Defects aud the Remedy" which
may be regarded as very direct and vigor-
Gus attack on the conducto of English Naval
affairs under the Wing administration. The
writer comments sadly on the decline of that
naval superiority which treat Britain former
ly enjoyed, and which, owing to her peculiar
position and character, he thinks it of vital
necessity 70 her to regain, and bitterly assails
the stupidity, ineficiency and attachment to
rodline which place such obstacles in the way
OF advancement and reform. He is especially
anxious that the control of naval affairs should
be taken out of the hands of the Admiralty
Board, and given to a Minister of Marine or
Secretary of Navy. he says, "Let us have
personal supervision, and not diluted respon-
sibiIity; one strong spirit to command, and
not six water grog." Then he proceeds to de
scribe three classes of powerful armor plated,
modern built ships, numbers Of which furnish
ed with the newest inventions in guns and
projectiles, he thinks the necessities Of the
service demand.
In this connection he draws the following
doleful picture. "If this ideal. of what our
fleet should be is correct, the state of the Ma
Wy after ffty-eight millions Of Wing expendi
ture cannot be considered very satisfactory
In the channel, our iron clad feet is with few
exceptions unseaworthy. We have only four
ships with turn tables, and not one of them is
sea going ship. In tue Mediterranean there
are only three iron clads, and the two admi-
rails there hoist their flags in wooden screw
line'Of-battle ships, with which it would be
madness to meet the smallest iron clad OF It.
ally or France. lasele 6N
Ofthe "a wooden ships on the coast OF
North Americs. none are iron plated, and it
is said that no gun is on board any of them
capable of making any impression upon an
iron-cad ship. The other stations are smi-
larry unprepared and the force OF a squadron
OF II ships is maintained on the West Coast
of Africa for the Suppression of The slave
trade, which the slavers laugh to scorn-a
squadron OF which about fifteen ships are gun-
beats, or vessels built too late for the Rrus
sian, war not one can steam nine knots,
though their duty is to catch steamers no.
toriously the swiftest on the ocean,"
After this dismal statement of the very In
adequate force with which Britannia is ex-
pected to rule the waves hestirs up his read
ers by presenting The following alarming con-
trast:
sNfIt is instructive to compare our crude and
unsatisfactory system with that which has de-
yeloped, in spite Of all disadvantages, the
formidable navy of the Federal Americans
There, the Secretary Of the Navy is all-pow-
erful, and exacts from the various chiefs Of
-.s.se.Au the most accurate attention to the me-
-. 80. service. The whole arma-
| meDL Oh tnelr snlps has COsa.@as. -, n ,
cannon Of enormous calibre now forth e an1
ship-batteries. The governing rule in form.
ing our ships of war; says the Report, has
been to place on board of them the very heav
lest and most effective guns they can beal
with safety The result of this arrangement
is, their new irst-rate, with only 4S gun.
throws broadside of 2608 lbs whilst the Eng
fish 9l-gun line-ofbattle ship throws only 212(
lbs. But the American guns are thus ar
ranged: one 150pounder, rihed, pivot; one
ll-inch smooth bore do; forty-two 0 inch
bore, brcadsde; four 100 Founders, rifled, dc.
and four howitzers.
Their smaller rates are equally armed, ID
proportion to their size; whilst some of theil
monitors, on the turn-table and turret priac
pie, are armed to fire as much as 1764 lbs. II
one direction. 1t is worthy of remark, though
the b0astfu1 tons in which 1t is related rather
Injuries SO valuable State paper, that the vic
tory OF the Keasarge over the Alabama il
Justly attributed to the deadly injuries inflict
ed upon the Alabama by the l1-nch shells free
from the pivot guns Of the Kearsage; and il
spite Of the lesson conveyed by this example
brought to our very shores near a year ago
we have no such guns yet afioat; whilst gun.
oieven 10 inches in diameter; are in use in tn.
Federal Navy ssQsA@
In conclusion, the writer earnestly protests
against the idea that 'the country which ia
the consumer, should alloWfts agent. the Ad-
miralty, to be the producer, tho purchaser
and the judge,s while nobody is held respon.
sible for anything; but despairs of seeing any
favorable change 'andera government such
as the pres edt." In view of the near az.
yproacbiag parliamentary election the article
has lively interest. .,...y