The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-01-16
OUR NAVY.

In oar issue of Saturday, we published
an abstract, giving the present condition
Of our Navy and showing the irsuffciency
Of the whole establishment, which should
awaken serious contemplations on the
part Of the people There are
many subjects that fall under the notice of
the press, especially those Of national
character, in regard to which misconcep-
ton is SO universal and SO perilous, that it
becomes our imperative duty to correct
the popular mind and set it right.
While We are not Of that class who delight
in pointing out the defect, which exist in
the administration Of our government or
marking the errors that may have been
committed by our rulers, we believe that
the Withholding Of truth from the people
would be greater crime than exposing
our weakness in point where the public
most strongly rely.
The condition Of the Naval arm o. the
ervice as shown by the abstract above re-
ferred to, is neither catering to the nation
al name nor crelitable to the state.man-
ship Of those entrusted with the response
bility Of providing TOR the national well
fare. For years the people Of thi, coun.
try have INDUCED ia the dclusion that they
possessed powerful uayy-hardly second
to any On the g.D.e. Intent on selfish
end, and imt1sI H.l. tie prevailing spirit
Of dema22g1i-'l e..r p-t..c men have
avoided dealing ao,ss;I Z with the qucs-
ton, Pfefes'.ag rather 3 sickle the couceit
o. their Constituents than % state flc,s a.,
they actually existed Il +, right that the
people should be enlightened, in order
tba, they may liz the blame where /, be-
longs AMI in-i't up0a the reparation Of a
dangerou. mistake.
Practically we have no navy, and such is
It's condition that we are unable to protect
ourselves On the sea in tho event of sud-
den war. With sum total Of fifty
vessels, mainly second and third rates
most Of them engaged in the promotion Of
our commercial interests abroad-so that
in case Of II collision with any respectable
power, the security Of our coasts would
be seriously endangered. Approoiativo of
the revolutions wrought by science in the
art OF war, other nations have hastened TO
improve upon ideas which NC were the frs,
70 suggest while we, as If exhausted, have
Nnce 1865, sunk into state Of apathy with
res.'l to this subject, from which it seem;
u'mcuN,o arouse.
s'Ns assurance Of safety, We neeC
sN'P' ana gs0, competent 10 contend OF
VT nus WIN those now possessed by
o'her nations, In Ae,e we ore wofulI,
= deficient, and before ", CON o,o,,o ,hou,
We must procure the ma,,,,,l roooh;nor,
and accommodations requisit, A..
struction. This will demand tmo on,
preparation. Our navy yards do no, o.n
- tain the facilities for building hrst-cln
> iron-clad they cannot even expeditousI
; dock and repair the few vessels which v
: now possess and worse than all thi
their situation Is so exposed that some
4 them would fall m easy prey to an eneln
before they could manufacture the meal
Of self-protection. The principal ma,
. yard in Maine at Kittery, is situate
: within three miles of the ocean, and HI
no defence whatever. While with regal
to other navy yards, though their dcfenc,
might be adequate for what was science
: 1860, they would be unreliable to repcl
: naval attack in 1872.
While we have stood still, The rest {
the world has been moving OF
leaving US behind. Not only are III
fleets of other nations far superior 10 our
but the guns they carry have more sun
cient destructive power than any on