Middletown transcript., 1870-07-23
AMERICAN INTERESTS AND THE WAR.

and Prussia, and it may involve all Eu-
rope before it is ended. If the American
people were in condition to profit by the
carrying trade, to supply the demand for
breadstutfs and the munitions of war, it
would be source of great profit to this
country and would build up our commerce
and our shipping interests in rcmarka-
Bile degree. But they are not in such
condition. We have no boats; the tariff
upon all articles which enter into their
construction is SO high that we cannot
build with profit, and we are not permit
ted to buy, because foreign bottoms will
not be admitted to registry. Being una
BILE to build or buy, we are without COM
mercial marine, aud in no condition to
profit by the state of things likely to spring
up in Europe. President Grant called
the attention of Congress to this subject,
just at the close of its late session, but
nothing could be done, at that late hour,
and the matter went over. The fault lies
in not curing this state of things before,
and putting our commerce in condition
to recover the ground it had lost. Had
Congress prolonged its session and taken
up this subject for legislation, it would
probably have produced some measure,
crude, hasty, and inadequate. 1t is i'm
possible to extemporize commercial ma
rine and an adequate navy; it is the work
of years. The decay of our shipping and
the ineficiency Of our naval vessels is the
consequence of years of neglect and mis-
management, and years will he necessary
to regain our lost strength and prestige
on the ocean. Had Congress set about
the work at the close Of the war, instead
of wasting time upon the malignancy of
reconstruction" and legislating for the
benefit of the negro, exclusively, we might
now have been in position to reap the
harvest which is offered to us. But no !;
such measures did not suit the temper of
shortsighted Radicalism.
The New York World has INDUCED in
some reflections on this subject in which
we fully concur. That journal, of Satur-
day last, says:
General Grant is clearly correct in his feel
ing that the country is in no state of preparation
for the exigencies incident to great European
war. We, OF course do not expect to be drawn
into the struggle. Our policy is strict neutral
ity and in this view the crazy ineficiency of
our navy is of little immediate consequence. But
we are in no condition to reap the advantages
of neutrality. IL We held the same maritime
rank which we did in 1860, the abundance of
our shipping would render a European war be-
tween two maritime nations great harvest for
American commerce. The merchant vessels of
France and Prussia are exposed to capture and
confscation by the ships of war of their enemy.
The war, by crippling the commerce and raising
rates of Insurance. will throw great amount Oi
business into the hands of such neutral nations
as possess the means of transportation. In for
mer wars, we have en- Dyed the full advantages
of our neutral position, and have been among
the chief carriers of the commerce of the world
In the great Napoleonic wars in the early part o
this century, we laid the foundations of our sub.
sequent maritime greatness by the profitable en-
; ployment given to American merchant vessels
by the interruption of European commerce, iu
the present war; Great Britain will monoplzt
: the advantages which we should share with her
! if our government had not blindly ruined our
shipping and reduced us to abject dependence or
II foreign vessels even for our own trade. Withou
G ships for transportation of our own merchandise
we are of course in no condition to profit by oul
neutrality, and grow rich as enterprising carrier
: for other nations. While we have been occupied
G in expressing and humiliating the South anc
s Keeping alive the exasperating controversial
: which ought to have closed with the civil war
, our maritime Importance has dwindled unde
the blightng effects of bad legislation, until ou
e improvident government is suddenly awakene,
e to a sense of national loss and insignfcance b,
% the shock of great European war.
; Our navy is in state of dilapidation almos
i as humliating as the destruction of our mercan
IS tile marine. 1t has recently been confessed il
% Congress, by committees who have investigate
q the subject that the money lavished on our ma
- Wy for the last seven or eight years has been mis-
l. applied and wasted, and that we have very fey
is ships of war fit for ocean service. When othe
lie nations are at war; We cannot afford to be weak
:, Our security against trespasses and insults de
% pends upon our ability to infict prompt chas
lie tisement.
h The proper attitude of our government is on
e. of vigilance and conscious strength. Instead
n, this, we are in position of conscious and (sinC
g" the Presidents message of yesterday proclaime
IL weakness The interruption of industry on Il
ell Continent the waste of war, and the bad ha
v vests whch nave happened to fall this year, wi
:. create demand for our productions; and "
~ have strong interest in keeping open the char
IN nels of commerce and preventing any infring
III ment of the rights of neutrals. We cannot q
6 ford to hold these rights at the mere mercy
other powers; but our naval weakness in til
10 conjuncture subjects to that mortifying nece
sity. These are among the heavy penalties v
pay for intrus.ing our government to demagogu
anG fanatics instead of statesmen capable of a
- preciating the exigencies of national life, an
mr. possessing the foresight and wisdom to provi,
III for them
e.
o. Mrs. Mary Lincoln, widow of the la