The New York herald., 1873-11-26

popular of modern Italian composers is hardly
recognizable in his new dress There is more
thought and dramatic purpose in this work
than in all his other operas. Instead of pour
ing forth melody after melody, as in former
years. without any more distinct purpose or
design than a mocking bird, the composer
here combines his wondrous gifts of song
writing with the scientific genius of a Meyer
beer or Wagner. The mise en- scene is an exact
copy from the La Scala performance, and both
chorus and orchestra have been considerably
enlarged for the occasion. With the excep-
ton of Nine. Nilsson the entire strength Of
the company is in the cast.
The United states Navy-A Few Facts
That II Would be Well to Re-
member.
selves in the possession Of one hundred mil
lion dollars invested in Monitors. We did not
know what to do with these craft, but after
several attempts to sell them, we laid them up
to rust and decay. few sensible, plain
spoken men, who had studied the science of
and who had practised it with rare success,
had protested in the name of reason against
the wild mania which had seized the Navy De
partment under Mr.. Welles. BY combina-
ton of fortunate circumstances the little
Monitor, with her heavy calibres, had driven
the leaking Merrimac from Hampton Roads
back to the Gosport Navy Yard. There was
simultaneous howl throughout the Union
monitors ! Monitors! Give us Monitors |"
and they were given without parsimony. The
navy became Ericssonized, and the idea that
any other form Of vessel Of war would in the
future be serviceable was suddenly aban-
doned. Our war was fought out to the
end without encountering the enemy
in any very dangerous strength, and
our Monitors gained little other reputation
than that of going to the bottom. They
simply proved, as long as they would float,
good marine gun carriages nothing else; and
in harbors they did valuable work. Europe
took the hint from these operations, and did
not with the same hoarse voice shrek for
'Monitors ! monitors - The different Powers
marshalled their naval constructors and engi-
neers, and proceeded to apply principles
already proven. England, after tedious
and costly experiments, developed o gi-
gantic squadron, and if America ever equals
it in point of ordnance, speed, or armor
protection we shall be most agreeably
disappointed. France built some fine vessels,
but the iron employed for all the service her
cruisers ever did in the critical emergency,
might as well have remained unsmelted ore.
Spain and Italy were alive to the improve
ments needed, and both of these Powers en-
barked in the construction of iron-clads that
now do credit to their marine importance.
During these eight years our commerce has
been emitting its protracted death rattle; our
navy has taken again to wooden walls and
third class steamers; and officers who should
have been commanding powerful cruisers have
been performing the duties Of executive officers
and navigators Secretary Robson, anxious
to employ the fine talent at his command, did
not unwisely order the surveys of the Valley
of the Atrato under Captain Selfridge, the
Nicaragua route under Commander Lull, the
Tehuantepec Isthmus under Captain Schu-
feldt, to say nothing of the valuable surveys
prosecuted in the Pacific and Gulf Of Mexico.
These scientific labors have received, as they
deserved, worldwide recognition. But in our
naval dockyards there has been nothing of i'm
portance accomplished but "repairs," and
unless Congress evinces patriotic spirit we
must resign ourselves to repairs until the
close Of the century. Now, there is gradual
method by which we can regain our CONNER
cial ascendency, again cover the ocean with
American ships and again protect them with
navy in harmony with the spirit of improve
ment observed among foreign nations. We
must direct legislation in such man.
ner that American steamship lines will
seek out all quarters of the world
Congress, we believe, has passed law giving
small percentage towards the payment of the
cost Of each vessel built in American ports.
On ship costing one hundred thousand dol
lars this sum would amount to about three
thousand dollars, which is no subsidy
at all. However this may be, it is not
necessary to subsidize shipbuilding Our
ships have always cost more than those
Of other nations by ten to twenty per cent
But this never prevented foreign buyers
coming to our market. Years ago, in our
happy commercial days, our rivals began to
get frightened at our growing carrying trade
Why was it advancing? They saw the reason
We made swifter passages, we built faster
ships and, desiring to compete with US, they
said to themselves, "To beat the Americans
we must use their ships, which are faster than
ours" They came to us, and our ship
building interest was a thriving power up to
the outbreak of the rebellion. We are still the
best marine mechanics in the world and il
only requires intelligent legislation to achieve