The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-31


tages of the Pacific Railroad and the shortest
route from China.
Our navy has never kept pace with the in
crease of our population or commemorative
rule that should govern nation in building
up navy. When the Rebellion was crushed
was the time for our statesmen to build up
and maintain permanent navy; for it was
apparent to every one that but for the assist
ance given by the navy we should never have
terminated the war. During the four years
of the Rebellion we captured or destroyed a
thousand vessels of all kinds. If this destruc-
tion we're to take place during war between
this country and Great Britain it would do
more to bring about peace than the capture
of a hundred vessels of war. The loss of the
latter would not touch the pockets of the
British merchant, while every capture of
trading vessel loaded with rich freights would
be felt throughout England.
We had an example in the Alabama and the
Shenandoah. 1t is well known to the world
how much damage was done to us by these
two ill-equipped Rebel cruisers, which de-
stroyed millions of dollars worth of our
commerce without our being able to help
ourselves, while our merchant ships in self
defense had to be transferred to foreign
flag, thereby multiplying the commerce of
our natural enemy. Had we possessed proper
vessels at the commencement of the Rebel
llOu, WO COulu hdNO hOpI bhOoO OOOuh hONOlo
from doing us any injury. At this very mo-
ment there are one hundred and seventeen
foreign steamers running from our ports to
those of Europe, which, if equipped and
turned against us, as could be done in a
week, could blockade every harbor on the
Atlantic coast of the United States.
These are facts evident to the dullest COM
prehension; but the Bourbons of our country
do not seem to learn anything. They rather
.Io ,,ol 1ofar
must occur if steps are not taken to place the
navy on a proper footing and take its fate
from the hands of its enemies, or those who
are charged with appropriating money for its
maintenance. 1t is not necessary that we
should keep up the expensive naval establish
ments of England, France, and Russia but
we should at least aspire to navy equal to
that wornout nation Spain, which has at the
present time larger force of ships and men
| in the waters of Cuba than we have in our
| entire navy. For what does she have such
a force there but to intimidate us
| and prevent our interfering in the in
| human contest now going on? If we could
| launch upon the ocean the ships of -the-line,
| frigates and sloops we had in our dockyards
| in 1855 we could dictate terms to the Span
iards at once and bring them to sense of
their inhumanity. They know our weakness
as a naval power, and although they are
aware UOdU we COulu raise u
| troops in twenty-four hours to throw upon the
ever Faithful Island" yet they are also
aware that Spain commands the position, and
could capture any land force at sea before the
| latter could have a chance to put foot on the
| soil of Cuba. This shows the necessity of q
navy, providing we accord belligerent rights
| to the Cubans; but there are thousand other
reasons affecting our commerce which abso-
| lutely demand an increase of naval power.
| Our commerce, although at low ebb just
now, cannot long remain so We are young
and rapidly increasing country, with more re.
sources than any other on the face of the
| earth ,witha debt that is a mere bagatelle, and
| is rapidly being paid off. Although we may gel
| set back for time we cannotlong remain So
any more than enterprising merchant
would in case he should meet with business
reverse; and if Congress is wise and not en-
tirely Bourbon it will resuscitate our oom
merce by its votes this winter. Should this
be done, in three years more our steamships
would be driving from the ocean those whC
first crippled our commerce and then usurpe(
it; and we owe it to ourselves that this JUS
retribution should overtake those who actet
with such bad faith towards us. England i
not going to yield and give up system tina
has reduced our commerce one-half and in
creased her own proportionally, and she vii
find means to involve us in difficulty whic
|
less we have a certain naval prestige that wi
cause her to respect and fear us.
All that is required is for the people of tn
United States to understand the wants of tn
nation to make them demand of Congress
proper navy for the protection of its citizen
abroad. Now that we have Navy Depart
ment competent and willing to advance th
service, and the whole naval corps alive t
the necessity of bringing it up to high-wate
mark, we say the occasion should not be los
and instead of cutting down the approprii
tions Congress should increase them. Th
navy yards should be put in condition
build, equip and repair any force we may nee
in the future, and we should have one hui
dred vessels at sea or ready for sea within I'll
present year. This it only little more tha
the Spaniards have in Cuba, where we ha,
twelve vessels, one-third of our entire nav
HOW HANGING SECURES IMPUNIT
| TO CRIME.
From the NJ Y. Tribune.
J The Legislature of Pennsylvania is q
pected soon to vote on bill which propos
that the jury which adiudges a culprit gull
of murder shall also adjudge that he be pu
5 ished by death or by Imprisonment for lif
as to it shall seem best We hope that til
8 bill may pass, for many reasons; and amor
Q them because it will preclude the too genei
escape of murderers from any legal punis
= ment at all
t Within sight of our citys steeples the
4 have not been less than one hundred murde
S per annum for the last three years; yet II
g five men per annum have been hung with
q that radius. If it be held that the murder
: goes unpunished unless his life be taken
S the State, then it is clear that but one mt