The New York herald., 1870-04-08

| When nation Is marching to prosperity ana
its resources are rapidly increasing 1t Is naau-
raj to provide for tho defcnce Of it's commerce
in distant seas and for the protection OF It's
coasts and harbors, by supporting navy which
should be in proportion to the size of Its mer-
camille marine and tho population of the coun-
try 1t cannot DO expected TINT commerce
| extending as ours does all over the world can
protect itself, particularly as our merchant
vessels carry no guns and have smaller num-
ber of men than the vessels of foreign nations.
No one who has not been witness Of it can
realize the JOY that is felt by Americans In
distant places when the flag Of our country is
seen floating at the peak of a national vessel.
Our merchants abroad welcome the flag with
an enthusiasm that we at home cannot appre
ciatc, and the officers of the navy are received
with those kind courteses which only Ameri-
cans abroad know how to bestow.
II Is a long time since our national vessels
have been sent abroad in such numbers that
they could show themselves in places where
the commercial and missionary interests Of our
country demand their presence. In former
| days, besides the vessels attached to the DIFF
ferent stations, we were in the habit Of sending
| through the islands in the Pacific flying squad
rons of discovery and protection, which pene-
trated to all accessible places; but when the
rebellion ended we were left in no condition
to pursue policy of so much Importance to
our citizens abroad. It might not be expected
that our government should at once enter
vigorously upon the reorganization of the navy
after having just emerged from 80 stupend0us
contest, with depleted Treasury and matters
and things generally in disorder, although we
possesseda large number of vessels which many
people were Of opinion could bid defiance to
any navy on the globe. Mr.. Secretary Welles,
on the eve Of his retiring from Office, asked
for the appropriations which were to enable
his successor to successfully continue the re-
organization of the navy. He transmitted
good report to Congress, representing the
necessity of providing means for the proper sup
port of the naval service and to prevent the
deterioration OF vessels on the stocks and lying
up in ordinary. The only notice, however,
that was taken of this report was to cut down
the appropriations to one-third of those asked
for. aud from that time to the 4th Of March,
1869, it may bc said that nothing was done to
prevent the ships that were not sold ont Of the
navy from going to destruction.
As we have remarked before, the present
head Of the Navy Department has laid the
actual condition OF the service before the coun-
try in language not to be mistaken. His
report has destroyed the illusion under which
nine-tenths Of our people have been resting,
viz.-that we were great naval Power. Never
since tho war Of 1912 has our navy been in 80
poor condition as regards the number and
force Of our ships. When steam was intro
duced into naval warfare 1t was an actual
weakening of our navy, instead Of adding to
its strength and efficiency. as many persons
have supposed. Before the introduction of
steam our mercantile marine exceeded all
others in the sailing qualities Of It's vessels,
and we built hundred clippers where other
nations built one. Our merchant ships could
outsail the fastest foreign frigates, and they
could also carry guns that would have rem
dered them a match for many fighting
ships of foreign navies. We had thus a
source from which to draw in case Of q
war, and in our merchant officers and
seamen we saw the means of Increasing our
navy with rapidity known to no other coun-
try. We were, In fact, the strongest naval
power in tho world; for with the means at
hand we could have swept the commerce Of an
enemy from the ocean, and would have COM
PEELED governments like Great Britain, France
and Spain to sue for peace in less than six
months. All this is very incOmprehensible to
people who know nothing of naval matters,
but it is well understood by our merchants,
who in few short years have seen that
maritime power which was our protection
against the navies of Europe swept from the
sea and transferred to our greatest rival.
Who does not remember how we crippled
the commerce of Great Britain when We had
but half dozen frigatcs and the samo number
Of fsloops-of-war, assisted by the numerous pri-
vateers that VIC sent ont in quest of our ene-
! my's merchant vessels2 All that power ia
lost to us the days Of privateering are over.
for no country can successfully war with pri-
vate armed vessels against another whose navy
numbers five hundred steamships, and whose
steam mercantile marine is so large that hun
dreds Of vessels, equal to ships-of-war, can be
converted into means Of annoyance at a weeks
notice. Privateering will not be undertaken
unless it pays. To make it pay the prizes
must be got into port for condemnation. This
could not be done on coast left to the mercy
Of a foreign foe, and in case Of war we should
have to look on and not only soc our mercan.
; tile marine entirely oblterated-while that O.
our enemy was harmlessly pursuing its voca-
tions-but should have to submit to the humili-
| alton of seeing our coast hlockadad from Maine