The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-01-15
ENGLAND on the Seas.

England on the Seas.
The statement lately published IN TINS jour
nal that in thirty long years, the frehch
mercantile marine has only increased seventy
vessels, whilst England, in the same PERIOD
has added fifteen thousand vessels TO her al
ready vast mercantile fleet, would seem abso-
lutely Incredible but that II comes from
French official sources, and Is ACKNOWLEDGED
10 he the truth by the French journals. The
Fcnch it is evident, are no more no" hall-
time nation than they were before the lhfo-
duction of steam. 1t was supposed that the
apnlicat ton of this motive power TO Sea'Golh%
vessels yould neutraliZe the advantages when
Epplan nd had derived from the greater mari
,;,ne optitude of her people. But even steam
cannot convert Frenchmen into sailors. lhey
,ra among the bravest of nations on lahd
,b.ra ore no bounds to their military enterprise;
the architecture of their ships Is perfect; their
simply of material for seamen Is unlllllteo'
all the external appliances to success ABOUND
but the maritime soul is wanting, anu france
tor thirty years, during which the most vast
and astonishing naval improvements nave
been made. remains almost stationary III COM
mercial progress, whilst England bounds 1or-
ward with accelerated energy, ana throws
not only France but her own past marltllne
achievements into the shade. Inc waves
which for so many ages have sung TO the mu-
! sic of " Rule Britannia still keep time 10 the
same triumphal tune, and acknowledge III
! the most remote oceans, the old Sea King as
| their master.
The introduction of steam has taken OIL n
! oreat deal of the romance of maritime life,
and rendered unnecessary the higher qualities
of seamanship but ii has increased the stimu-
| lants to commerce, and given greater pre-
cision, speed and certainty 10 its operations.
The English, an island people, surrounded
on all sides bv the ocean, have for centuries
exhibited a taste and aptitude for maritime
adventure which seems TO have been hcrcdi-
tary. The love of the sea is now part OF
, their nature There is no object of all the
works of art so attractive 10 them as ship
under full sail, especially when she is bring
ing home rich cargo. The poctical and the
practical are combined in their composition.
They have no great aspirations for military
glory but a sea fight fills the measure of their
ambition NELSON is enshrined more deeply
in British hearts than even WELLINGTON. The
children in England take rs naturally 10
water as Young ducks The Frenchman, who
dominates on the land, becomes sea sick on the
ocean The Gallo cock cannot swim. He does
not crow as defiantly on the sea ON the
shore. He is q belligercnt bird but when the
water losses him up and down, and the waves
and the clouds meet together, his stomach,
even for fighting, is affected Neither Glory
nor Love has charms for the sea sick. Per-
haps there is not more helpless and mlscra-
ble- lookng.oblect in the whole world than the
most valiant Of Gauls, when NEPTUNE calls
upon him for 4 settlement.
The English show 10 us what can be accom-
plished by a nation which does not make mill
tary glory its guiding star, but which devotes
its main energies TO the promotion of peaceful
industry; which develops the treasures OF It's
mines and agriculture which gives prom
nence TO manufactures, commerce and trade:
which insures equality between man ana man
in the administration of justice. Fighting is
never resorted to by England except upon
vital point of honor, or for practical purposes
She NAV sometimes fight TO live, but she does
not live to fight. When she does draw the
sword however, she demons trates thatagcS OF
trade have not changed the bull dog pluck and
tepacity OF her combativeness. Nor are the
British, with all their national pride, and their
especial confidence in their nautical prc-emi-
nence. unwilling to take lessons from others in
their own peculiar domain. When the yacht
America went to England she distanced with
ease all her British competitors. The English
owned up to their defeat like men, and turned
themselves to studying those peculiaritieS in the
construction and management of the America
which had enabled her TO carry off the palm.
They soon cqualled the model, and, at this
time, America has no finer specimens of naval
architecture, no ships more graceful and fleet,
than those of England.
BURKE, at an early period, predicted the
maritime success of our own country from the
energy and seamanship displayed in the whale
fisheries. Americans have inherited from
Englishmen those tastes and aptitudes for
sea life without which no nation can ever
become great commercial people. We ven
ture 10 say that no people but the Americans
would ever have dared TO put ship 10 sea in
the time of the Revolution or even Ill the war
of 1912. We taught mother Britain little lesson
in that war. When she heard of the rampant
proceedings of decatur, PERRY, HULL, Nc
DoEoUsH, CHAuNcEY and others, she must have
regretted that she had ever begotten brood
OF Americans so called, but in fact English
men, chips of the old block, the old bird over
again, only more so. These two nations must
prepare TO divide between them the commerce
of the world. There is room enough III the
two hemispheres for us BOTH and we shall
best consult our mutual interests by keeping
the peace with each other.
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