Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-31
ARE WE PREPARED FOR WAR
WITH GPAIN4

An impression prevails pretty generally |
that we are on the verge Of war with |
Spain, and perhaps this impression is
strengthened by the fact that the War De-
partment has commenced repairing and
improving the forts in Charleston harbor
and Fort Pulaski, below Savannah, while
there are reports of considerable activity in
several Of the yards connected with the
Navy Department. The Washington cor
respondent of the New York Tribune re-
Gently visited the Navy Department to see
''what signs there were in its sleepy old
officers, of the increased activity of which
so much has been said of late," and that
paper gives the pith of his discoveries in the
following paragraph: .-...
''Most people viii be alarmed to hear, on
the authority of an Ancient Mariner Of
the Navy Department, that, in case OF
war with Spain, that power could blow US
out of Cuban waters in three weeks. To
learn this is bad enough, but we are also
told that that great naval light, Admiral
Porter, docs not bet on monitors as much
as he did, having provided himself with
new hobby. To this eur Washington cor
respondent adds other equally dis
couraging information about monitors
which will not carry turrets and are turned
into RATS, iron-clads that are not salable as
old iron, and long list of costly failures
and unsuccessful experiments. However,
It is now proposed, We believe, to wipe out
all of this and begin again. If the Ancient
Mariners statement is credible, it will be
lucky for us if spain does not take the ini-
tiative and blow us out of the water before
we have begun to spend our millions for
new navy"
Spain appears to be as fully aware of her
ability to elbow us out of Cuban waters in
three weeks as we are, as the following ex-
tract from EL argos, the leading journal
published in Madrid, will show:
1.-THE nature and disposition ofthe Ameri-
can people cause us to suspect that they
will not be toward war. A people who live
essentially by commerce will not rashly
| risk, without grave motive, the quietude
and the normal march which are the bases
of their prosperity. The Americans, al
though friends of adventure, are not lovers
of war. Unfortunate as has come to be the
state of our Spain, we count, nevertheless,
a national marine (navy) very superior to
theirs. We possess Cuba, the Canaries, the
straits of Gibraltar, and the Philippines
that is TO say, the passing places Of mer-
chant vessels for all parts Of the commercial
world, and marine nursery very capable
Of covering the seas with corsairs, and o.
not leaving on them any vestige Of the flag
Of the Stars and Stripes.
A maritime war would not affect Spain
in anything; for her commerce is relatively
small and not indispensable to her revenue
nor to her mode of life, while it would ruiI
the North Americans, comprising their eX
istence, and perhaps giving life to the hardl!
extinguished ashes Of the Confederacy
True, there is no doubt the potent re
sources of that nation would give them the
mEans of constructing and organizing tn
naval ndterieL they are short of, eventual.
improving their State for the struggle; bu
before this could be realized, we repea
Their commerce would have been killed
Just remember what one single vessel-th
, Alabama-caused them to suffer. TIL
United States would gain nothing by wa
with Spain
\ reference to the respective naval regis
tiers of the two countries obliges the 81
Louis Republican to confess that-shame
full as the disclosure Of the truth may be-
= the picture is not so much overdrawn ate
all. The existing navy of Spain consists a
: follows:
3 screw-steamers carrying. .....734 gun
a side-wheel steamers with. ..... 127 gun
Is sailing vessels with. ...........202 gun
10 vessels altogether, carrying 1903 gun
: The effective naval force of the Unite
States at present is given thus:
25 screw-steamers Of the sold" navy.
| Il,