The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-09
Cutting Down tho Nsvy-The Costlf-
ness OF ECONOMY.

Within few months the provision made by
Congress for the support Of the navy has indi-
Gated, in striking relation to one another. the
two very contrary ways in which Congress and
portion of the public seem to regard this
part Of the national service, for we have had a
burst of bewildering extravaganza and spasm
of especial parsimony. -Four millions OF dol
lars were spent ridiculously in preparing a
fleet of impossible ships for war into which
we could not venture, and Congress author
lied the expenditure as precipitately as 1t was
made and seemed to rush to the sacrifice as if
fearful that some shadow would be cast upon
the national honor by moments delay.
Having probably relieved some sense OF pa
triotic ardor in that way, it next addressed
itself to the administration of the navy in the
spirit of one looking alter cheeseparings, and
made great stroke for economy by reducing
the force of marines to a number insufficient
to properly guard the national property at the
various navy yards.
In this inconsistency, however. Congress
strictly, if unconsciously, represented the true
state of the national mind-which is every
irreconcilable. At one moment we burn with
heroic ardor, glory in the gallantries of our
brilliant naval history and rejoice in the i'm
agination of hostile fleets and Powers swept
from the seas by the splendid ships and hardy
tars of the navy we fancy we ought to have.
In that humor we do not count the cost; and
we not only are not mercenary but we deem
it an unworthy or even insulting circumstance
if any one whispers that glory is not to be
had and martial spirit not to be INDUCED
without extravagant expenditure. But in
another humor we scan an outlay scarcely
sufficient to establish good system of coast
police and wonder why it should cost more to
keep up man-of-war than ferryboat In
this spirit we have ceased suddenly to indulge
heroic fancies and we are simply sharp traders.
We no longer care whose banner sweeps the
seas; we are not the sons of Hull, Bainbridge,
Decatur, Porter and Perry; and as for Cham
plain and Erie, and ''the coast of Barbarie"
sex, the United States, the Hornet and the rest
these are fancies fit for ballads; we care only
to save our coppers; we contemplate our ma
tonality as small trader does his shop, and
we are solicitous only for the condition of the
till.
No single voice can, with any propriety, be
raised against disposition properly taken by
the people, whether it be to deal with great
subjects on the principles that govern retail
trade or on the inspiration of chivalric notions;
but we ought to be prepared to stand by which
ever course we take whithersoever the conse-
quences may lead US, and, having saved and
boarded our money, we ought not to be sur
prised if we do not obtain those results that
could only follow expenditure. Only short
time ago the nation was justly indignant at
the insult and outrage put upon us by an
impudent Spaniard, and there was fury for
reparation, and if the reparation could have
been taken while our blood was warm it would
probably have been such as would have made
our ships respected for many day to come.
But the system Of handling our finances as if
the nation were only great peanut stand had
left US without the power to strike
single blow, and the Dons, having trodden
on our toes, may well have laughed
at the futile anger with which We regarded
their act. Fortunately for US their hands
were tied at home by political troubles; but if
such case occurred as between us and o
Power which though no stronger on the seas
than Spain should have its hands free our
position would prove exceedingly unpleasant,
for we should have to recede from any de-
mand we might venture, or possibly have our
Oft hoy, bar1 led of Nd
were by Spanish ships but short time since.
Spain has ten sea-going iron-clads At the
time referred to some of the most formidable
as the Numancia, the Tetuan, Mendez Nunez
Fernando ell Catolico and the Villa de Madrid
were in the hands of the insurgents, and the
government had no money with which to
complete the heavy armed ships in its navy
yards Spain was compelled by these facts to
recede from her position just far enough
to enable US to close up the difficulty
without an altogether open disgrace,
though certainly with very little credit
to our name. Now, however the Spanish
government has recovered the ships its rebels
had seized, and it is rapidly finishing the
Castella, Arragon and Navarro and if the war
that must come and is sure to come between
this country and Spain shall find us as help
less as we are now we shall be driven from
the seas at the outset and if we eventually
retrieve our glories it will be at an expense
sufficient to build half o dozen navies.
NJ. Theirs made, at the time France was
paying her fearful money tribute to Germany,
an epigram that involves the true philosophy
of that kind Of national economy which
exposes nation helpless to its foes. He said,
al en- coiae trop chere etre faible''-It costs
too dear to be feeble. There is no extravaganza
SO awful eventually as that parsimony which
cripples the defence of the nations cause 1t was
q singular political retribution that put these
words in the mouth of the man who had so