The New York herald., 1873-11-24

The United States Navy-Its Rela-
Honor and Future Political Gram
dcur.
All nations which have been rich have been
maritime They have made their wealth in
commerce. PhGnicia, Carthage, Syracuse,
Venice, Portugal, Spain, Holland, and to-day
England, are examples of this almost forgot
ten truth. The moment that the maritime
strength of any one of these nations has declined
and has gone into final decay the nation itself
has all but passed from the political family Of
the earth. When the rebellion burst sud-
denly upon US like tornado, sweeping our
commerce from the seas, we were unprepared
to protect our carrying trade, and England,
with that keen appetite which has always dis
tinguished her statesmen, hailed the day of
our commercial despair and saw in it the
triumph of q long-cherished hope. Her
Ministers have always fought for the CONNER
cial supremacy of the seas In their diplo-
macy with us they have been cool, cunning
and audacious, binding US at every point by
treaty stipulahons which can only expire by
their own limitation. The result has been
that all legislation must take place within the
area of circle the circumference Of which is
British supremacy on the seas. England
aspires to be the shop of the world, and she
is But she must also carry her own wares
to market and this she does too.
Before the rebellion we shared this important
trade with England, and we grew rich
and prosperous. Wise maritime laws regu-
lated our commerce then, and the Western
influence had not made us an inland Power-a
nation of grain-growers, ironmongers and
cotton spinners. When the fatal day came
and our ships had to fly to foreign flag for
protection the decline and fall of our COM
mercial prosperity were almost hopeless. Ship
building became lnane, our steamship lines
passed into foreign hands, and the Atlantic
States saw themselves shorn of that power
coast line in the world Jealous men made
frequent efforts to recover this lost ground, but
all attempts were in vain. Our skilled arti-
sans became dispersed, seamen rare, and
to-day we cannot obtain sailors to man our
ships of war. Naturally enough, when our
commerce was fattened in this manner
the argument prevailed that we no
longer needed navy; and hence our
deplorable condition to-day The navy fell
because our commerce fell-that is the story
Now, when an American, travelling in foreign
countries, visits seaport, say Havre, he finds
a sixth class Power represented by more
formidable war vessel than the United States,
and the commerce of the country by time
worn hulk. What palmy day was that when
the American flag could be seen at the peaks of
hundreds Of vessels along the shores Of the
Mediterranean Now the rising generation
OF Southern Europe will have to turn TO their
ALnandch de Gotta to find out the coors Of
our national ensign! Can it be, in view of
these facts, that Spain cares whit for the
naval prowess of the United States? Do
we, indeed, inspire the respect OF
any Power which exists by virtue
of the fact that all nations which
are maritime are strong? We think not
Spain has defied and insulted us, and her
officials in Cuba have treated American citi-
zens and American ships with more contempt
than they would dare display toward Greece
or Denmark Thus it follows that, while the
navy's most intimate and natural rela-
ton is to our commercial marine, rising with
it, falling with it, its subsidiary relation is to
our national honor, which it is powerless to
protect Our argument, then, is, foster ship
building, widen our commerce, compel our
trade TO be carried in American bottoms built
IN American yards, and then we will have o
navy Of which we need not be ashamed The
| hour has como when this great question must be