National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03

| u tOthl OF IL Vessels, WIN 90 kuUss
Since the date Of the last report the swa-
tara and NantaskCt have been detached from
this station and put out Of cUniinission' inc
former at Norfolk, In December, and the lat
ter at Portsmouth, In July. The POwhatan,
Richmond, Canandulyua, Wyoming ana Sau-
gus have reinforced the station.
The principal islands Of the West Indies,
the Spanish Main, and the coasts OF Mexico
! and the Isthmus have been visited by vessels
ON this station; our interests have been pro-
toctod by them during the blockade OF inc
OrinoCO by the Venezuelan Governments the
cases Of the Vlrgiulus and Mary Stuart have
| received such attention and such protection
a. circumstances Justified; and they have
aided In tho surveys for IN inter-oceanic
canal between tho Atlantic and the Pacific
SOUTH ATLANTIC STATION.
Rear Admiral William Rogers Taylor re-
licyed Rear Admiral Joseph Lanman Of the
command OF the South Atlantic station on
the 22d Of May last
No change has been made in tho force on
the station during tho year, which consists Of
the Lancaster, - guns; TicOndcrogal u
guns; and the Wasp; In all vessels, with 63
guns. The officers aud crew Of the Lancas-
ter, who had been absent for three years,
were relieved In June by others sent out by
the Portsmouth and Supply, and returned
home In those vessels.
cruised along the whole coast, visiting re-
pcatcdly the chief ports Of that region,
while the Wasp has assembled tho Parana and
Paraguay rivers as far a. Asuncion, atording
TO Mr.. Stevens, the United States minister,
facilities for visiting that place, and has been
cruising generally In the waters oi tue L"
Plata.
The Pacific station, ut the date Of the last
annual report, was divided into two squad
rOns tho north squadron, commanded Dy
| CommOdorr X, N Stembel and the south
squadron, commanded by Commodore d:
McDougal with the whole under command OF
Rear Admiral John A. Wlnslow.
The extent and Importance Of this station
were such that the proprioty OF dividing II
into two separate commands was apparent.
This has recently been done, and the divisions
arc now tho North Pacific station and the
South Pacific station. Tho limits and extent
of these stations arc ~ follows, respectively!
The North Pacific station embraces oil that
portion lying north Of the equator, except so
much Of the west coast OF south Amerlcn
and Of the Isthmus as lies between the cqua-
tor and Panama.
The South Pacific station embraces the west
coast Of the Isthmus and of South America
living between Panama and the equator, and
the west coast of South America and the Isl.
unds and waters Of the Pacific lying south OF
the equator as far west Us the 10th meridian,
and includes, In addition, the coasts ana sea-
ports Of Australia.
Previous TO this division the following
| changes In command occurred! On the 18th
Of February Commodore McDougal, ngreea-
bly, to the orders Of the Department, relin-
aulshed command Of the South squadron Of
the Pacific at CallaO, and returned to his
home; and In March Commodore Stemboi
who had hitherto commanded the north
squadron, was ordered to the command OF the
naval force on the whole station. In July
Rear Admiral Wlnslow was condemned by
medical survey, and, In consequence, detached
from the command, and Commodore Stcmbcl,
In pursuance af orders given him, took tenn
poTary command Of the Pacific station, Au-
gust 10, Of which he was relieved October TO-.
On the North Pacific station, Of which
Rear Admiral 4. VI. PennOck assumed COM
mand at San Francisco, October ~, there arc
. the following vessels California, 81 guns; Be
nlcin, II guns; Sarnnac, IL guns; Narrugan-
sett, guns; and the Saint Marys, 10 guns
total, vessels and B5 guns.
On the South Pacific station, OF which Rear
. Admiral Charles Steedman took command at
Panama, October 10, there are the Pensacola,
81 guns; Omaha, IL guns; Tuscarora, guns;
and stOrc-shlp Onward, guns; In all ives
The Ossipee, Mohican aud Resaca have
i been detached from service In the Pacific
The former arrived at New York November
IS and the Others have been put out Of com
= mission at Mare Island. Orders have been
Issued Withdrawing the Saint Mary's also,
, and she will return to the Atlantic States
The TuscRrora Omaha, and Bcnlcia have
A been added to this station during the year
= The vessels In the Pacific have been actively
cruising and have shown the flag In almost
7 every part Of the station. Our interests among
. the groups of islands In the North Pacific
!, have received special attention by frequent
I visits, and our citizens there and at othel
q points assisted, as occasion required TO th'
II fullest extent In our power.
ISTER-OCEANIC CANAL.
The United States having developed pre-
pOndeTating commercial power upon DOH
a coasts Of the North American continent, w
!, are deeply Interested In all movements aimee
y at the creation Of new or the DETECTION o
y ancient lines Of traffic, and feel that VIC hay
I become fully competent to take into our Owl
Z control the commercial future OF this hcml
:, sphere. 1t Is now over three and half cen
i, turtles since the way around the Cape ol 600,
:, of Hope to the indies was dlscoyercdi and
~ was only Il few years later that the way hrOun
~ Cape Horn became known. Almost lmme
> diately many projects were Initiated an
z efforts made to shorten these long voyages
! and add to their security. At many point
" y, on the Isthmus, Of over 1000 miles In length
70 which connects North and South America
- enthusiastic explorers were confident oil dli
~ covering eligible points for the constTuctlo
"a of transit routes, by shlp-Canal or otherwise
~ from tie Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. 70
"a | more than two centuries the routes by IL
M hauntcpec, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rici
h, Panama, Duflcn, anu INC AlIuto HhNC u
IL traCted the attention OF naYlgators, Bct
10 graphers, and commercial men; but the prol
-, lem was formerly regarded almost wholly
IL It's relation To Spain, whose possessions q
~ tended over both cOasts OF America, or moi
~ recently In reference to European commerce
'o Only within the last quarter OF century hi
=, ~ II been really studied In It's more apprOpra
Is relation to the interest OF the United state
~ The paths Of commerce seek the shOrtes
quickest, and cheapest possible routes
h.. | transit; and the discovery and deyelopmel
in Of America have greatly modified the anGlel
r. :" routes Of the trade of the world, particular
~ | since our own commerce with India, chi
- | and Japan has become extensive. The gre
minds which direct the mercantile interest
Europe fully appreciate the changes whit
lin are taking place during the present centi
" in the Aslatic trade. To grasp and COntT
y, that trade has been the traditional policy
", every commercial power Russia has push
~ l,r conuuests In the East to the Chine
~ frontier has constructed long lines OF ra
Ia ways stretching eastward, and Increased
IN trading fleet upon the Black ana CaSpl
~ Seas; England has increased her steam 81
~ vice shortened her lines Of transit whoroN
"a IL was nossiblo I,nIt swft sailing vessels, q
~; InrltIpiied her Indian railways; Germany q
~ Austria are adding largely to their meTcant
IL, marine; aud even Italy has pierced the All
nc all with the hope OF finally cOhtrouinY u
of occupying tho pathways OF commerce betWt
VI the East and the West.
ry The present seems to bC an uppOrtune II
M ment for us to take into serious COnsldernt
To- the reports of the surveys and explorati'
of made upon the American lsthmus, with
Of view Of solving, II possible, the engineer
rev and commercial problems involved, and
an. tablishlng water communication between
yill two oceans. 1t will be noted, In the physi
md structure of the continents of North and So
America, that the meridian OF New York
lies about that Of the lsthmus Of Daricn, and I
the the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Is near the loT
our tudo Of Omaha, while u ship bound from
eTy York to San Francisco is compelled, In rOu
rn- ing Brazil and doubling Cape Horn, to
farther eastward than the entire direct
on lance between the two cities, andthe count
her of tlnee-fOurths Of the South Ameri
md and all Of the Pacific coast arc nearer,
steam or sail, to the ports Of Europe than
the Atlantic haTbOrs Of the United Sta
ion But the Gulf Of Mexico belongs to us and
ms; our Atlantic commerce, and the great Int
ms, navigation Of North America, which has
dis, outlet through the Mississippi, stretches
the arteries from the Alleghanies to the q
mer lakes, and drains region larger and rio
ms. than all Europe west Of the Adriatic, and
Inc resources and requirements Of that great
-. | ,rinn undpr tho favorable circumstance