Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-08-10
English ana American Naval
Forces.

England can no longer claim to be
mistress Of the sea, and what is very
significant, John Bull confesses 1t, When
he confesses anything against his own
power and prestige, it may be taken as
an established fact without any COM
FUNCTIONS. Blackwood's Magazine re-
Gently had an article on the Condition
of England" which after admitting that
France was outstripping her in the man
ufacture OF the very fabrics in which,
but a few years ago, she beat the whole
world that Belgium bids fair to become
henceforth the source whence she would
derive her steam machinery that Aus
tria would enter into no commercial
treaty with her that she was "eating
dirt" day after day in order to propitiate
the wrath of the Americans, says;
The army and navy cost us immense
sums, without anything TO show that
they are worth the outlay. VIGOROUSLY
we have neither cannon for our batteries,
ships Of war, nor firearms in the hands
OF our troops capable of contending on
equal terms with those Of other nations.
We cannot go on thus much longer
without suffering disasters at home and
abroad, the very thought of the possible
occurrence OF which may well fill us
with dismay."
A late number of the London Quarter
ly Review, in an article entitled "Our
Ships and Guns, " deplores the feeble con-
dition O. the British navy in these terms;
In the Channel, our iron-clad feet is,
with few exceptions, reported to be not
very seaworthy. We have only four
ships with turntables, 4. e., Of the Mon
itor pattern, and not one Of them is
seagoing ship. In the Mediterranean
there are only three iron-clads, and the
two Admirals there hoist their flags in
wooden screw line-of- battle ships, with
which IL would be madness to meet the
smallest iron-clad of Italy or France"
The Quarterly further states that Of
the twenty-four wooden ships on the
coast OF North America, none are iron
plated that no gun on board any Of
them Is capable Of making any impress
sion upon an iron clad ship, and that al
though the utility Of heavy ordnance
was proved on the very shores Of Eng
land by the Kearsarge and Alabama
fight, yet England has no such guns
yet afloat while guns OF even fifteen
inches IN diameter are in use in the fed
eral navy. 1t compliments the Ameri-
cans who, In spite of all disadvantages,
have developed formidable navy, and
throws the blame for Englands back
wardness upon the English red-tape and
aristoCratic system, whereby her naval
affairs are managed by Lords of the
Admiralty" who are ignorant of the
duties OF the service. The New York
Evening Post referring to these admis-
sions Of the Quarterly, says:
In these remarks of q leading Eng
fish magazine we find confession, recog-
milton and compliment confession
that the red-tape and aristocratic privi-
leges which attend monarchy stop prog
ress; tardy bat still hearty recogni-
ton OF the energy and quick wit of this
country compliment, which we may
accept without vanity because we know
it is true. Among the long list of useful
lessons taught us by our civil war, no
one was more striking than that which
ended in the revolution of naval war
fare. From the first imperfect Monitor
that engaged the Merrimac to the Dun
derberg which has no enemy to encoun-
ter, the record of our navy has been
record of steady progress. Blunders,
naturally incident to novel experiments,
we have repaired with marvellous celer-
ity; skillful inventors, amply encouraged
have been stimulated to fresh enter
prises; the navy, which was nothing
when the war began, has grown into
force SO formidable that it spurs Europe
to competition. We can now spare the
Roanoke, the Dictator or the Dunder
berg FOR while, If foreign potentate
desires model"