The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-01-13
The Unanswered Question.
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let form the question What is the
use Of our navy Where ther. was
I one 80 ask that question then, there are
thousand nos, ami neither then noI
! now has one been found to answer It
Let 1t 60 again before the public mind
J Wha. is the use of our navy No one
can e.y i. is 20 capturs pirates, al
drive them from the seas. Not oaa 0f
our war vessels is made for that pur
pose. Is it to cruise around the globe
to repel or svenge insalts TO our flag OF
TO our citizens residing in fSreign
countries: Are, then, the captains and
other officers of our frigates to be
judges. jurors and executioners in mat
tiers of international law: or in cases
OF alleged injury or insult, to execute
drumhsAd justice or punishment at
their free will and sole judgment to
bOmbard South American villages for
Q Quarre. over bottle Of whisky or .
game Of cards To yindica,e the bon
or of our national flag. indced. How
has it indicated that honor in the
past
Well. if we have no use for our navy
in time Of pc ace. what is the use in
war! What was the use of the Great
French feet Of iron -clxds in the late
war with Prussia: WHAT did they do
tor France9 Did they delay her fall
Did they win her any glory or defend
any Of her ports. No; they never
csptared enough Prussisn ships to pay
for the coal they burned in cruising for
them. What is our navy going to DO
in casa OF war with a European
power. Enlarge the area Of conflict,
as il this continent were not large
enough to fight on. Let US bring cool
reason to the appreciation Of this con-
tingency. As England Is the greatest
naval power in the world, and rs our
navy has more reference To hers than to
oil others ia the world put together,
let us leap with bound over all pro-
liabilities into the possibility of war
with her. Let us suppose that We
and she arc going TO take
the back track toward the barba-
rism OF the dark ages; that not sat,s-
fed with the result which pacific solu-
tions have realized in both countries,
she may do something to us or we to
her. that cannot be settled by Geneva
arbitrament of war, like that Of 1912.
which settled questions 81 SATISFACTORY
lyI,) Well. war, let US suppose, IS de-
clared. What next! Can any honest,
mind believe that England
alone. or with the help of France or
Germany; could or would send fleet
OF $4,000 men across the ocean and in
wade this continent 1t would take .
whole week TO land $4,000 men with
their armament. If no opposition were
made to them. 1t would take months
of preparation to collect ships Of war
and transports for such m expedition.
The sub marine telegraph would give
us morning bulletin OF the operations
the very number and names of the
ships and every other particular. We
should know the very hour when they
weighed anchor for America. What
would be the result! Why. 100000
men would or could b. concentrated at
any given point Of attack on our Goa
at two days notice. What spreposter-
ous fantasy to indulge. that any Euro
pean power or alliance would send over
SO. OOO mon TO Invade this continental
nation Of 100000
Bnt in case Of this almost unsuppOsa-
Bile war. whs. would be the use OF our
navys 1t could not beat back the grea,
flset of European ironclads- 1t could
not encounter them on the high seas.
Ii would not bs wanted to prevent the
invading force from landing on our
shores. Then Whist: Some one may
say it might scatter its ships over the
seas and capture the enen.ys merchant
vessels, and destroy great deal OF its
commerce. But whose commerce would
il destroy The word commerce Is a
CON pound one. beginning with the
word con with" 1t don't mean . one
sided transaction, but one between two
parties. Well. our supposable war is
with England. aud our navy would de-
s,roy her commerce. would it: Who is
the con in the case. and what makes the
| commerce. The most expanded eon
| known 10 the Atlantic, counccts Eng.
/ land and the United States. Cotton,
| rice. tobacco. wheat, corn. pork, butter,
| lard, etc, constitute our part Of the ooH
or our exports to England. We sell he'
more Of raw 0ateriAl in these produc.
t,ons than she imports from sll othel
nations pu, together. Now. then. cup
po>s in case of war with her our pavl
could destroy this commerce. ~hics
country would be the most damaged by
,his destruction. Would il pay on
agricultural States to support such I
navy tftv years IN view Of the l,osieii'
" Of such . war and such destruction
Of their prodne; on their way acros
the SEA. Certainly i, would damsg
business IN England much - preven
the trade IN these American pro'iuc'ions
hut " ould this weaken her. or tend 1
br,ng the war 10 spced.er close: Doe
this destruction of private proper'
tend In that direction usually
: Is i, net time 10 srr,s; this Anne
peace policy. which. like the drops,
grows by ih., i, feeds on. Think ho'
i has grow o upon this nation IN the la'
twenty wears, from So. 900 per a
mum 20 go. .ooo. 600 Shall this sres
nation held IN the protecting arms
, the broad ocean. j,ooo miles from th
neares, European power take s's chr
drea's bread, is chiljreGs tolls and esr.
,aSs. and offer them as All ever la>sifi