Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-11
APPEAL
SUNDAY sOsNIEs. FEB. II. 1871
- ro sEAIN RoTTEN moNTTons

GeTEG 70 SEA IN EoTTEN AOEITOks
While the New York Herald and
other papers are crying, "Iet slip the
dogs Of war" it IS well to count ouT
resources. In a contest with either
England or Spain, invasion Of the
limited States is not seriously to be
thought OF, and as Canada has been
guaranteed complete independence In
case Of war, there would be no Occa-
sion for the employment Of our land
forces in that direction. 1t would
therefore, rest with our navy to main
tain the honor and character OF the
Republic as against the descent upon
our coast and attacks upon our cities
to levy contributions, which now IS
the chief end of war, as, for instance,
the example of France and Germany.
With seven or eight thousand miles
Of coast-line to guard, even though
cur navy was equal to that of Great
Britain or Spain, this would be no.
easy task. But, without even one
frst-class sea-gOing irOn-clad, and
only a few seaWOrthy steamers, il. be
comes almost impossible, and the
pufed-up ~pTetensiOns and wind and
fury Of Grant and Fish truly signify
nothing. Only recently Commodore
Rogers testified before the naval COM
mittee of the house, that the vessels
Of the navy were not in 8 condition to
be really efficient, and that many, in
Guiding the iron-clsds not just now in
service, were absolutely worthless, 1t
was mis- Opini n that there is not a
We sci sh0at, belonging to the United
States, capable OF coping with the
Spanish irOn-clads nov in the West
Indies, thus verifying the statement
by the Spanish Minister that our navy
was inferior to that Of any, even OF the
second-rate powers Of Europe. The
Washington correspondet Of the New
York Journal g~COHtHerce, upon close
investigation OF the condition Of the
navy, pIayfully observes that OF fifty
one monitors now owned by the
United States, forty are so badly put
together that after the turrets were
adjusted the shifting Of a quid in the
gunner's cheek would cspsizs them.
-Four are still on the stocks, where
they are safe, and should remain.
Only five out Of the whole lot, it is
reported, are ~seawOrthy. How ex-
travagantly these vessels we're paid
for, and how little adapted to the
stress Of war, may be seen in the auc-
ton price OF the Chattanooga, which
was knocked down at Philadelphia
the other day for S45, zoo, having or
riginally cost half a million. This
vessel had never been to sea, but
seems to have quietly and cOmfOr-
tsbly rOtted from the day Of launch
ing TO the present time, when she is
purchased only for the old iron, etc.
A number Of our wal vessels were
made in part OF U~nSeasOned
oak, and the rotting process com
menced before they were finished.
Thus it is that the curse Of the shOd-
1y contractors, who T ~ largest
oOndhOlders, the staunchest support
Frs Of gift-tsking Grant, and the
-hieving carpet-bsggers who rob the
is perpetuated. Courses, like
chickens, come home to roOst."
Here We have them in the costly e1-
DeTiments that are s hiking, sinking
very day. While not only England,
)ut even efste, wOrn-Out Spain has 7,
AIKEN advantage of Confederate ge. I.
Illus, and have each two dozen or ;
more irOnelads akin to the Arkansas, :
tennessee and HerTimae, either of .
but for defective machinery .
which the South was too poor in me- ;
.hanical facilities to remedy, would ;
proved a match for all the :
United States had of sea-gOing or :
monitors. England's navy, in J
'ebfuary, 1870, was reported as COM :
.rised of siKty-One thousand marines !
nd seamen, and four hundred and :
ight vessels Of all descriptions, Of :
which three hundred and seventy-6ve :
7eTe steamers, hfty-twO ironclads- :
wenty-seven Of them wholly of iron,
fteen OF them wood, plated with !
on, nine armOred vessels under con-
TuetlOn, and one armOred sailing =
essel Of the floating battery class, -"
.hich has since been completed. I
here were fOrty-seven ships OF the !,
ne, all but two creW-steamers, and -
yo Of these building; twenty-nine =
.rew-fTigates, and three paddle-fri- '
stes; tWenty-fom ~cOrvettes, thirty :
ur sloops, both classes screW-steam- p
S, fifty g~un-vessels, ~ffty-eight gun y
pats, all screw or doUble-screw, and ID
remainder iron m~Ortar.ships, =
ore-ships, tenders, tugs, transports, =
C. The navy Of the United States,
The rotten monitors, con- q
ted on the first Of December, 1870, -
one hundred and eighty-one "
Of all classes, calcula- +"
1 to carry one thousand three W
.ndred and nine guns. OF these, p
are Of the monitor class,
irty are sailing vessels without
am power, and the balance are (
iamers OF sailing vessels with aux ca
airy steam power. Together we ter
We, " says Admiral Porter, in his re- IN,
10 the secretary Of the navy, "a mas
n-tOtal OF one hundred and eighty IA.
naval vessels, of which number VII
y torty-nine are at present svails- ssy
as ships Of war. Many OF the Ru
sels in the register should be en- Crs
cd ss 'hulks,' for at present they an,
d to deceive our own people," vii
Is answers the question OF our fit at ,
s for war, and will dispel any no the
rs Of naval sscendancy that our am
may have growing out Of the wa
? war between the States. But, in der
OF war, should Spain determine nal
DIN with Great Britain and take of (
lie with Us, we would have an ad- ma
onaI navy to contend with, consist clui
OF one hundred and twenty-four the
smers, carrying eight hundred lori
Is, twelve Of them ironclads Of the say.
and several sailing vessels. ser,
We won't have war, because, in a Ror
.ey sense, we are as little pre- Cal
ed for it as we are in point Of a con.