The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-08
Protection to Our Senports.


The deplorable condition of our navy has
suddenly been brought before the people, and
anxious fears are expressed on all sides for the
safety of our seaport cities in case we are
compelled to maintain our dignity and defend
pur rights as nation. What we are to do to
protect our property Is the subject often dis
cussed by our solid men, our merchants, and
our ship-owners. The subject is grave one,
requiring quick and intelligent action, and on
our legislators assembled at Washington the
responsibility now rests. They alone can
Needle whether we shall build up navy and
defend our harbors, or quietly and passively
allow any aggressor who may be our enemy to
come into our ports, lay our cities under con-
tribution and con6scate or destroy our pro-.
perty.
The present Secretary of the Navy has ad-
tHitted, in his annual report that the navy is
not in a condition to oppose anything; that
khe iron-clads are not seaworthy and that the
few wooden vessels are only little
better off, Instead Of demanding of Con-
gress, as a man who knows that
he is only asking what the nation
requires ought to have done, a sum sufficient
TO put our naval establishment upon decent
Footing compared with that Of third rate
powers, he permitted the appropriation to be
cut down nearly million of dollars, and
binted to the Committee on Appropriations
that next year he might be able to reduce it
Etill more. Such will invariably be the result
where politicians are placed at the head of
paval officers; therefore we shall address our
selves directly to the representatives of the
people. We call upon them TO provide the
treans first to- fortify our harbors. That can
DE done In few months. We call upon them
next to provide means for building up navy,
such as would at least be able to ssprotect
transports on their passage from Key West to
Cuba" with troops. That would be navy
Equal to that portion of the Spanish navy now
I'm the Gulf, which amounts to some fifty ships
with fifteen thousand men. This would do to
start upon; and then, after the English officer
pow on an inspecting tour Of our
Forts, navy yards and defences. thinks
The iron-clad feet of England needs increasing,
we might also add some vessels to our navy
enough for coast protection at least. 1t is
not the policy OF our government to have
navy as large as that of England, France,
Russia or Prussia; but it is the policy of this
government to have navy large enough for
home defence in time of war. And that is
all our solid men, our merchants and our
Ship-owners ask for now. In time of peace
sixty well-built ships can protect our CON-
merce abroad. These will require fifteen
Thousand seamen, and that should be the
peace standard of the navy. 1t is only about
pne-fourth that of England Politics should
be excluded entirely from our navy yards
for it is we'll known that at the present time
skilled labor is of secondary consideration
I'm navy yards. The first question is not
A'Can you build ships?' but how ''How many
votes can you control?" This is all wrong,
and equivalent to stealing so much money
from the pockets of the people.
The present Secretary of the Navy is in
favor of legislating out of existence three
grades of the higher officers of the navy.
AS he took very little part in the late war he
probably does not know the necessity of hav-
ing officers in command Of our fleets equalin
rank to those of other nations but Congress
knows it, and will not permit such views to
have any weight. What we urge now is pro-
lection to our harbors and new ships OF
Improved models for our navy. The person.
asel is not wanting.