National Republican., 1878-10-10

Inc annexed editorial extract from inc
Providence Il. I.) Journal is worthy Of extra
ordinary attention. as the probable product Of
the able pen Of Senator ANTHONY, of that
State
There Is no more valuable and better use to
which the navy can be- PAT In time Of peace than
IN such cruises u INST pTHp. ed ny Conmndon
SHrFELBr, who Il already ruiillpd To credit for his
reorganization Of tie ,ystCm Of recruiting for the
navy. 20 n - supply ], with tho lvst body uf sga
n.sn aioat, for the extension Of cur comm, ruiGl
lMow!u igu and the discovery Of mvw channels Of
trade. There Is uuIuyllt,liy strong, although
States Will never have any muTu wars, that inter.
MGl discussions were settled for generations
al least by the war Of the rebellion, and that no
rFy!sm nation wil dare to;atinck country sVl!Ch
an powerful even although It Is unarmcI This
fur,luW although 10 great extent uuncknOwl-
edged, has been one reason why we have regarded
with Indifference the decay OfOur navy, nnd made
no effort 70 keep il up 10 the standard Of advance
In the building Of lrOn.Cluds and improvements
IN uavul architecture I'm comparison with tie Of.
forts Of European nations in that direction. The
immense cost Hna experimental nature of naval
rs one Improbable ship Is bUil,, II is succeeded
by another before which Il would be useless and
hepu,s has been one causc,H1d very proper one,
why the United States has not made greater cnCTts
TO Keep up a great navy, But tho main reason
has been, a. We have stated, the feeling that 1t
was not needed for protection and that It's ser.
vices were not worth what they cost our carrying
trade has sunk 10 lis minimum, 80 that the mani.
iuld services which the navy renders 10 the mer-
chant marine in time OF peace arc not required,
and an impression prevails among many that all
the work which our squadrons or cruising vessels
do Is u amuse the officers with variety and change
Of scene or at best IN prepare them for warlike
service which Will never he required. This i'm
preston is fed aud strengthened by those 10 whom
| the navy Is little less repugnant than the army
from the memory of the service which II did In
crushing the rebellion, and by those who desire to
cultivate popularity by pinchng economy in all
branches uf the public service. For these reasons
thcGpprOpratiOns for the support Of the navy grow
| moro and more mengre with every Congress, until
| 1t bids fair to bo reduced 10 almost AN Rbsurdty,
and Tuf or Pirogue will be all that will be LEFT
to fly the nag Of the United States.
It Is almost needless to say that this Is very mis-
taken economy. Even although the chapter OF ac-
| Cidcnts may be lett out Of the question In both
foreign complications and domestic troubles and
we may rest In assured confidence that we will
never be called upon TO protect our honor or our
Interest upon the ocean, which Is very violent
presumption upon Providence, the work which the
navy does and should do In scientific explorations,
IN contributing TO tho WORLDS share OF nautical
| knowledge by surveys, aud by doing police and
life saving work in unknown seas, Is one of great
Importance. and one which we cannot shrk with.
out losing our proper place In the brotherhood OF
civilized nations, oven although our merchant
marine isrcduced to such small proportion As fur as
the condition OIouT navy Will permit II Is done, and
the pleasure cruises Of our men.ofwar are much
fewer than the people Imagine But there can Ger.
tainly be no harm In extending It's field OF opera
liOns, and the work OF discovering new openings
for commerce, II Il can be done, Is at least i'm
pOTtant Rs protecting merchant marine, II we had
one 10 protect Of that sort would be thor
Oughly appreciated by the people, and the ecOnO'
mist who now objects u paying for d navy, tht
value Of whose work and the necessity for Whose
existence he does not understand, could find nc
excuse for the failure to support an agency fol
commercial information and improvement. i
would tide tho naval institutions over this period
Of national niggGrdllness and reaction from the *
trcmc sacrifices Of the war, and furnish II with
reason for existence as permanent beneficial
The operation Of such work will be slow and Tho
sooner the beginning Is made the better. Let Com
modore sHuFELpr start On RyUyUge Of discovery 70
an African market.