The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-12
AN FRESHMAN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
In your paper of the 9th lust appeared commune
cation under The head OF "English as we'll as Yankee
Prlvateers." ia which the writer, Mr.. Edward Lee
90 William street, seems intent on soaring the uni
versal Yankee nation out of the Idea OF going TO war
with Great Britain. He has carefully read all your
arGcles on the Alabama question. he says and
wishes to be informed through the columns OF the
HERALD ''what sort OF prlvateers the English could
make out OF those magnificent. powerful and swift
sailing iron steamships OF the Cunard. Inman,
National Anchor lines, &C., OF British packeis.n I
will state that tdese vessels are unfit Tor war pur
poses for the reason that they are ten times long
as they are wide and If they. carried guns
on their upper decks they woulu roll them all
alter leaving the British Channel ana they should
be avOre'i VITA fair weather and the guns not be
lost the rccoil or brOadside OF such guns as they
must carry would nearly, II not quite capsize
OF those SHIPS. Tney roll at such q fearful rate IN
moderate sea that their guns would DC OF but little
use to them III any weather.
Besides, they are propclcd by screws, and would
be unable to nlalleuyre In SUCH manner TO avoid
tue broadside shots oil snerter and wider side
wheel ship like those OF American but1d whose
a dish and enable them TO turn IN less space. and
thus enable them 10 outuianpuvre the long, awk-
ward and rolling propellcrs.
Moreover, Deing built 0f iron Is another dsquali-
ncaron; for their sides could bc more easily pierced
by the shots OF the terrible guns which would be
used against them; and then what sort OF plugs
would stop the many-corncrcd ana ragged holes
made In tho iron side2
II those ships are depended on by Mr.. Lee, he Is
leaning on broken reed. To ofset all those pack
cts even II they could be used In war, We have
many snlewheel steamships that could DO very
quickly ciOtlcd with The pan0ply OF war; for IN.
stance, those running to the lsthmus, in the Calor
MIA Inc and many other coastwIse steamships, on
the Atlantic; whe on the Pacific there are the great
packets running between San Fr0ncsco and JAPAN
whlch were built expressly TO be turned war pur-
poses when the exigency might arise; and there are
many 0tncr line steamers on the Pacific that would
terribly cripple the commerce OF Mr. Bull In case Of
war.
En- gllshmen read our partisan newspapers ana
come ~ the conclusion that we have neither q navy
rience Will teach them different IL war does
take place. The War OF lo12 should he q warning to
Them. When that war was declared by the United
States against Great Britain member OF the House
OF Lords rldicued the Idea OF navy being able 10
make demonstration, and said:-"What have we
TO lear from lew Yankee cockboats, with bits OF
striped bunting at thclr masheadsg They Will all
be annihilated III very short time"
One OF those yankee c0ckboats," called the Con-
her-t0Ok two OF the finest friRates that the British
Han ever set aAOat Ia the first year OF the war;
THese were the Guerrero and the Java, each OF
superior force to their captOr. she also captured
the Cyano and the Levant aud others VIVA. tho
other "Yankee cockbOaisn did was sufficient to
make John Bull o loser, In two years ana half OF
war, OF twenty Ave hundred and seventy odd vessels
" al sizes ana descriptions on tue sea and lakes
and that was sixty years agol
There will be more Yankee c0ckboats a1oat
sabout these dayso than tnero were then II war
takes place, and Mr.. Bu will be very much aston.
ished at their proves, believe.
Y. W.. 3o5 East Thirteenth street,