Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-16
THE NAVY APPROPRIATION

| The debate in the House on the bill appro-
pria,ing 100000 for the navy was of SO in
teres,ing and important character that We pub
lish the more important part Of the report
which has appeared.
| In the course Of the discussion Mr.. Cox Of
New York. said that there was not fight
enough 10 the House to kill mouse. That
had been proved the other day on the bellig-
erency question. The diplomacy OF the Gov
eminent was not up to the popular sentiment.
The flag of the country had been draggled
| in the dust through our diplomacy. One thing,
however, was certain, and that was the navy
ought to be better and stronger than it was.
The city of New York o-day was at the mer-
cy of any Of the European iron clads that
might choose to enter that harbor. 1t could
close up the business and destroy the proper
ty OF that city. BY some peculiar refinement
of naval architecture and naval warfare that
city was to-day at the mercy of even SO mean
and contemplate power as Spain.
Mr.. kellogg, of Connectcut-Is it good
time, then, for going to war? Laughter
Mr.. Cox-I am not speaking of going to
war. ! am speaking Of the increase OF the
navy, irrespective of our diplomacy. When
we get all our diplomacy published we may
have an opportunity to understand the BUSH
ness. We will find that the Administration
has not come up 10 the sentiment OF the peo-
pie. There is no question OF the fact that the
House is pusillanimous before all the world.
On the old principle that the flag OF the coun-
try covers the ship, we have not shown the
first scintia of the patriotic spirit, but will
vote at all times to strengthen the navy from
other considerations. Even if we had the
pluck we have not got the guns to 60 inside
the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, and take the
Virginius thence. We want q stronger navy,
better spirit, little of the old spirit which
belonged to the country in the better days OF
the republic.
Mr. Hale of Maine, said it was gratifying
to witness the conversion of the gentleman
from New York, MIR. Cox.) He had in his
memory the constant attacks made by that
gentleman hitherto on all the Naval Appropri-
alton bills. He congratulated the House and
the country that the gentleman was to-day in
favor of good and fair, liberal and noble APP
preparations, but there was mOnstrous in
consistency in the gentleman's cry for war.
He had started out by declaring that the House
was pusillanimous, that the Administration
was lacking in proper sentiment, and that if it
had been guided by better spirit, it would
have proceeded to take the VirRinius out of
the harbor of Santiago de Cuba and bring her
into American waters. AT the same time that
he (Cox) was thus urging and bounding on to
war, he had said what was not borne out Ivy
the facts, but which was all the more incon-
| sstent in him. He says Mr.. Hale continued)
that single Spanish frigate can blockade
our ports, can lombard our towns, and
can burn down millions and millions of prop
erty. If that is so, if he believes it is
so, what is the sense of his infatuated cry
for war? Sir, the best thing about the
appropriation bill and the conduct Of the
Secretary of the Navy in this emergency, 10
that all his naval preparation is an argument,
not for war, but tor peace. TO be well pre-
pared in an emergency, and to show TO the
world that We will not bear insu II, if such is
put upon US, is the best protection against
| insult. The Secretary of the Navy found the
battered ships Of the American navy in the
distant waters of the globe, old and broken,
| rotten and hardly seaworthy, and, in a time
| coapassed by five or six weeks, he has put u
| respectable navy atloat which is on its way
to the Cuban waters. lie did that in the best
interest Of diplomacy; he did it in the best
interest of humanity. 1t was not to precipi.
tate war upon this country when to- day we
are big with the memory of war, which, un-
less it is forced upon us, no sane man wants
TO see again in this generation. He did it in
the interest of peace, and / venture to say
now, that peace is looming in the sky, and the
| snprk of tha war.rlnud hos n.sead o..,,