The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-11
sPxRxT OF Tuu PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
WHAT is A NATION WITHOUT A NAvYp


ness and desire to outstrip other nations in
power. In this respect nations differ but
little from individuals, who, no matter how
comfortable and happy they may be on COM
paratively small means, are never satisfied
until they are on an equality if not ahead of
the society around them. When nation has
made itself great in commerce, In railroads,
in public buildings, in literature, and in the
arts, it has the elements of strength; but if it
has no military or naval power, it cannot be
respected like other nations of equal preten-
sions. Its citizens having amassed wealth
flock to foreign parts, as ours do now to the
continent of Europe, to spend among
strangers q portion of the money they have
accumulated. Although they may be treated
with courtesy, on account of their wealth.
they find that there is a certain kind of defer
ence they do not receive-viz., that accorded
to representatives Of nation not powerful
only on account of the emoluments above
mentioned, but on account of its fighting or
aggressive power, which will always COM
mand respect in all parts of the world.
Whatever may be our military power-and
we have had proof of its greatness-it does
not extend beyond our own shores 1t is
manifest that our power is more than ample
to protect us from invasion, and we know
that any foes would but leave their bones to
bleach upon our shores. This fact is not,
however, felt beyond the limits of our own
country. Foreigners abroad see nothing that
indicates the actual power of the United
States. They get sight of our national ves-
sells so seldom that they naturally infer that
we are no naval power at all, and Judge that,
no matter how large an army we can raise, it
would be of little utility against any other
country without navy to cover and protect
it. Mexico can raise large armies yet what
nation respects or fears her, for she has no
navy? What would the army of England be
without her navy No one would fear it.
What hordes of soldiers the Chinese and Ja-
panese can raise, yet who fears them /? And
how easily few heavy ships of the European
powers keep the naturally lawless authorities
OF those nations in subjection. While tn .
flag of England or of France is - u,.,,, *, 80
rooe - ''"''' ..ore is no fear of an out
-. ~sing committed on the subjects of
either power, while the prestige Of their
armies carries no weight whatever, because it
is known that they cannot reach those shoIes
without great trouble and vast expense, and
would then be opposed by immensely supe-
rior numbers.
II is, then, after all, a navy that indicates
the power of O nation abroad. No nation
can be great that is not powerful in COM
merce, agriculture, railroads, literature, and
the arts, for in all these lie the resources
from which large navy springs. We have
all these resources, but yet we are not
powerful nation in the actual meaning of the
term; for we have not the quality of self
protection. We cannot at a moments notice
redress an injury or demand reparation for
an injustice to our citizens who may be op-
pressed abroad. We have resources which in
time would enable us to take measures to
redeem our honor, but it would require SO
long to do it that the merit would all be lost.
In the meantime we should suffer in the esti-
nation of the world as man would in the
estimation of society who spends year
practising with pistol before challenging
person for palpable insult.
When British subjects were imprisoned and
ill-treated in Abyssinia, Great Britain never
stopped to count the cost She had the power
already at command, and it cost her but little
more to put it in motion than to keep it lying
idle, and she at once proceeded to relieve her
subjects, who but for this timely aid would
have fallen victims to the brutality of a
savage ruler. What would the United States
have done under similar circumstances? We
should have talked bombshells and grapeshot,
and after getting a few canal boats ready,
and spending year in preparation, we should
have settled down to the conviction that we
should not make demand that we were not
capable of enforcing. We are pretty much
in that condition now. Was there ever
nation that had greater, grounds of
complaint against another than we have
against England? She inflicted on us
the greatest injury she possibly could. She
destroyed our commerce and deprived us
of one of the great sources of national
wealth. She sent her fleets upon our
coast during the rebellion to protect her sub.
jects and to see that we complied strictly with
all the laws of blockade, and that it was not,
like many of her own blockades, "paper'
affair. 1t was humiliating to us to see the
heavy ships of our ancient enemy sailing in
among our extemporized men-of-war, instruct
ing us in our duties and csutioning us how
we invaded any of the rights of the British
lion. Here was England looking after her
commerce-her great source of power. Law.
less as the business was in which her com
mercial vessels were engaged, England was
true to her traditional policy of protecting
them at all hazards. They were only per-
mitted to be molested in casts where theil
violation of all law was so palpable that Eng
land herself from whom the laws emanated
could not interfere without drawing dowr
upon herself the reproaches of all mankind
She did, however, protect and encourage he
commerce in its efforts to help the Rebellion
and she also brought her power to bear ii
protecting the Rebel cruisers when they wer
assisting her by destroying our commerce
Had we had a navy of suitable vessels during
the Rebellion our commerce, which ono
equalled that of England, would now hav
been one-thlrd greater than it was, for W
should have been not only able to shut tn
Alabamas up in foreign ports and catch then
if they ventured to emerge from their shelter
but we could have SAID, to England ''Stop thi
piracy or we will make reprisals ON you
commerce, which we have the power to do.
We all know how much English merchant
dread q war with this country. They ar
awara from the results of the Alabama