The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-29
THE ATLANTIC SQUADRON.
Alismanagement Of the Savy-Why More
Cannot Be Expected Of It.
IRREGULARITIES OF COHCRESSMEH.
Life i'm the WardrOOm - No
Better i'm the World.


Prom the beautiful little land-locked harb0r OF
villefranche TO the open roadstead OF Key West
from Nice, with Its background Of Woody hills,
craggy heights. towering Gins and receding slopes,
covered wirh gardens, clothed with olive trees and
Slctsed with villas, lying warm and sleepy in the
son December sun, while their feet are being
pofay kassed BY the ripping waves Of the Medfter-
Ranean to the low. level sandy mats OF the Florida
eeels; frOm the splendid hotels. the cosey restau-
Rants, the gay prone nsdes, the blooming gar
hdens. the delicious music, the beautiful women,
brilliant toiettes, pleasure seekers lounging.
hoa0n9, nirting the cosey comfortable, old
fashioned French village snugy planted among
Hhe southern slopes Of the Mediterranean hills. to
tho scrambing, scattering, wooden American
Hown Of Key West, with its hybrid, mOngrei negro
Spanish Cuban American population, dirty streets,
dirtaer shops, drtiest dearest and most execrable
OF hotels-from Nice to Key West In short, Is
change, . disagreeable and much to be regretted
hhange as every of1cer Of the American squadron
ON the European station is ready to MAINTAIN. Ahi
there were curses, not loud, perhaps, but deep,
hesped on the heads OF the Cabans and Spaniards
when the order came to sail, and change thus
scene OF beauty pleasure for the sandy desOla-
sion Of the Florida reefs Within eighteen hours
after Admiral Case received the order from Wash
lngton to return the wabash was under way. The
rest Of the squadron had already been commanded
90 rendezvous in Gibraltar, In anticipation OF this
movement, and on Sunday afternoon Of the 23d OF
November the nagship steamed slowly out Of the
pretty little harbor of vilefranche, whlle her
omcers, gathered on the poop. gazed sadly on the
eetreating shore, the quaint old fashioned, sharp
rooted houses, the mounting, winding road leading
60 Nice, now crowded with carriages horses and
people, come ont to see us on and wave adieu.
Many of them left families wives and children from
whose arms they had been torn on the short notice
OF six hours, they might not see them again
for months, while many of the single ones opine,
left attachments and brought away heartaches
scarcely less dear. .,
For my own part reached Nice in time to catch
the Wabash, and, with an hours time to pack my
travelling bag, found myself very unexpectedly
ON my way to my native land on q man-ofwar
AFTER an absence OF i've years. was very kindly
received and welcomed by Admiral Case and Cap
tain Franklin, Wen all the officers Of the ward
room mess, and in q short time was as comfortably
Installed as though I had been among them all
my lie. We left the harbor OF vtllefranche,
rounded the point separating 1t from Nice,
steamed past the latter place, with Its broad,
clean promenade along the waters edge, its white
villas and dark background OF mountains, rocks
and trees lying batned in q sea or mellow light
left 1t as well the far-famed Monaco perched
back among the mills in the smoky distance far be-
irregular line ofhaze along the horizon.
We were six days rom Nice to Gibraltar, and
found upon our arrival at the latter point the
Congress, Alaska and Wachusett waiting for US
and ready to put to sea- They all left few hours
afterward, while we stopped twenty -four hours to
take IN 200 tons OF coal; then, on the 3Otn Of
November, at eleven O'Clock at night, again got
under way, and by morning were far out on the
broad Atlantic
ssHOMEW ARD BOI-Np.D
Running down the coast or Africa, under steam
and sail, leaving the Canary Isles to the south, we
struck the trade winds In about Latitude q, when
out ten days.
The Wabash cannot carry enough coal to steam
across the Atlantic, and is therefore obliged to
depend on the wind for the greater part of the
voyage.
THE NAVY.
An idea may be formed OF the pitiable state OF
decay into which our navy has fallen, when 1T is
learned that the Wabash OF the largest and
swIftest ships In the Meet, only steam six
knots per hour, while consuming coal at the fright
full rate Of forty tons per day. Spanish iron-clad
could run her down, run around her, run away
from her, out-manRuvre her with the greatest
ease, so that she would be little better against
such antagonist than an old noating battery.
And yet, with the exception OF the Tennessee, q
new ship just finished, the Wabash is among the
swiftest vessels OF our ieet
This is very embarrassing position in which to
be found with a foreign war upon our hands; but,
strange as it may seem, it brings out IN brilliant
colors the peculiar smartness Of the American peo-
pie, and the sage wisdom Of our statesmen. We are
economical, and, unlike the old-Iogy governments
Of Europe who keep up their navies In times of
peace, we allow ours to go to the dogs; but when
war does come we hurriedly scrape together a
number OF old, SLOW rotten, worthless ships, that
remind one something OF Falstafrs ragamunins,
and about as efncient against respectable enemy.
The beauty OF this system is that It does not
much. neet hurrediy got together aud built up
under these circumstances will always cost some
thing more than the magnificent iron-clad neet OF
England and then in the end, even II victorious,
We have nothing to show for 1t.
THIS IS TRUE ECONOMY.
And yet nave met people who were mad enough
to instnuate that one Americans were not the most
Intelligent people in the world and their states
men not tneSvery Improvisation Of far-seeng
wisdom.
II Is true that even now we have not single
man-olwar in Europe TO protect American CON-
merce, and that Spain has only to mount couple
OF nowftzers on Q fast merchant steamer 10 run
down and capture every snip bearing the Stars
ana Stripes in the Mediterranean. or in European
waters for that matter; bus as Mr.. Boutwell, and
Mr.. Fish, whose breadth Of mind and grasp OF in.
tellect are acknowledged py the most vulgar, have
truthiuy and forcibly observed III Americans do
not wish 10 be maitreated. robbed and shot in
foreign countries let them keep away" and 'if
American snips do not wish TO be captured let
them stay at home" This original and striking
proposition, this bold and ingenious conception
Tor protecting American interests abroad 10 one
tnat the old fogy statesmen OF Europe, bound
down TO the routine OF the past, would never have
mighty tnteliects ana comprehensive views Of
There II one remark that may be made on the
subject which may be new to the mass OF Ameri.
cans, usually so well informed and SO intelligent.
II 10 that our navy costs nearly half as much as
that OF England. am AFRAID that we have allowed
ourselves to believe that the English spend about
hundred times more upon their navy than we
do upon ours, and that they are thus impoverish-
ing themselves while we are boarding our wealth
for future needs. This - mistake, pnimporsant
1t 10 true but that should Nevertheless not be
allowed to escape uncorrecsed.
The secretary OF the Navy In his report, SAYS -