The New York herald., 1873-11-22
The United States Nnvy-ShouId We
Conffnne To Rc nm Tn


Continue To he Inland Powers
The Western man can now observe the
fruits of his legislation as patriot. The
country is brought to the bitterest humila-
ton, and the administration is compelled to
adopt timorous and time-serving diplomacy
in lieu of healthy broadsides from iron ships.
Does any one suppose that British Cabinet
would have permitted an English vessel to be
seized on the high seas, then to be conveyed
into seaport whose filthy terraces are in
habted by the canaiAe of the tropics, the
Captain, crew and passengers told off accord
ing to the routine OF Spanish etiquette and
shot by scores, and carted away after the pop
ulace had, like vultures, preyed upon and
mangled the mutilated dead? And if there
ever were British Ministry who would say,
1--WE forgive you this time; please do not do
it again." could one be found who would con-
done the offence after that British
vessel had been sent to Havana
as an empty bottom-a trophy to q
gay capital and a jubilant population2 Or,
having been meek under oil these eccentricities,
would body of British statesmen dare to
say to the offending Power. "Take your time;
consider the case. We wish an amicable set
tlement p And would that same conclave
permit their diplomatic representative to be
snubbed, his house to be the scene of an
angry rabble, insulting the nation and the
flag? This would pass even the method of
a stolid Englishman; it would confound
amiable, mild-mannered Gladstone and soft
and good-natured Granville, and British honor
would not resort to correspondence to explain
away these slight indeicacies Of friendly
Power. Why, then, would Britain be heard?
Why would she be respected? Because she
has navy, and in having navy she has the
respect of the world. We in the United
States have no navy, and we have not the re-
spect of the world. But what does that
matter to the Western member of Congress.
He can fill the halls Of Congress with
echoes of s'The Great Northwestern Empire"
''The Valley of the Mississippi and 'Trade
to Europe via the Gulf of Mexico" The
Western member thinks we must live within
ourselves. What is commerce to himp What
is an affront to the nation? Well it seems
the Western member of Congress does
care sometimes. 1t seems that Senator
Morton hurried to Washington to tell the
people, and we find that the Western people
are quite as angry about Spain as the Eastern
people. In fact, the Western passion for war
is stronger than the Eastern clamor; yet
the Representatives of the West are to-day
guilty for the crippled condition Of our navy,
for our senility on the sea. We are all famil-
lar with the history Of naval legislation. A
bill is presented in Congress for more eff
cient navy, allowing liberal appropriations for
the end in view. The Western member
of Congress says to himself, "Oh. this
is an Eastern scheme The Lightning,
Phoenix, which this Eastern gentleman
wishes to build at an expense Of several mil
lions of dollars, do not interest our people;
they are only for those Eastern protective
tariff chaps who wish to spree over the world
while we ore building Pacific railways and
propagating stock. The navy is not our insti-
tuition; we have nothing to do with the sea-
boards, and what do we care tor shipbulding?
No. Wharves and piers at ST. Louis,
and the future capital of the nation
at Denver, the future capital of the world
there's where the money should CO." The
navy goes into "ordinary" very ordinary
and the result is that Mr.. Fish has to write de-
spatches to cover the nations shame. These
are plain words, but they speak the sober
truth, and the evidence of its emphasis may
be seen near the slaughter house wall of San
tago de Cuba.
Now we wish to ask our members of Congress
whether they intend to permit the country to
remain in this condition of naval decrepitude,
even if war does not supervene. Shall ''the
Great Northwestern Empire forever condemn
us to the punishment we are enduring now?
Would it not be the better part of wisdom to
legislate upon the ground that without the
East the West would be like subterrapean
community, destitute of outlets? Would it
not be better to say, We will no longer consider
the interests of the West, but we will consider
those of the nation? We hope that the mar
tyrs OF the Virginius, if they have died for no
nobler cause, have at least laid down their
lives to teach the American people that without
q navy we are not nation.
"ABJECr SURRENDER. The Mobile Re1is-
ter asks, under the heading Of SCUBA
Americanized' ed'-"Wil the government act,
or are we to have disgusting repetition of
Il. IL,