The weekly Arizona miner., 1881-08-19
TaE UNITED STATES NAVY.

The naval and military requirements of
the American people are wholly unlike those
Of any other independent nation. Occupy
ing the larger part of the habitable portion
Of the North American Continent, and hap
PLY destitute Of any reason for taking an
active interest in the Dtrigues and rivalries
Of European powers, the probabilities OF the
United States being involved in a war strug.
Ole with another power are bat few. In
deed, bad it not been for their domestic
quarrel Of about twenty years ago, the
American people Of the present generation
would know nothing of war except by hear
say and tradition. Like everything else
that is American, their quarrel assumed
huge proportions, and transformed a nation
IF peaceful agricultursits and traders into
two contendLng armies, A navy they had
before their civil war commenced; but, ike
their army, it was only a small one. When
split into two there was not much fighting
power on either side But such is the ener-
getic power Of the people that ere long the
rivers of both the Northern and Southern
States sent forth mail clad floating creatures
Of novel form and death-dealing power, to
contend against each other. Very soon
there existed both Northern and Southern
Navy; but not a navy Of ships III either case,
bat rather a tiOtilla OF monsters. Never be-
fore had the sea borne upon It's breast such
hideous burthens of such terrible weapons
for the destruction Of human life. Since
man FIRST trusted has life to a floating log OF
followed tree trunk, he had never ventured
forth upon the ocean in less sea worthy craft
than these. Some went down Readily in
the first storm they encountered, and others
blew up when put under steam. But, when
Ii came to a combat between them IT was re
uarkable how-hard thing it was TO dam
aye one another unless by ramming. Shot
and shell glanced off their mail clad sides
and decks like falling hail. and after several
hours hard fighting neither seemed much the
worse for the encounter. But when the
iron cl.d monsters ON either side came
across the remnants OF the old wooden fleet
possessed 10y their opponents, the action was
brief and decisive. 4 few shot and shell
sent the noble looking though frsil wooden
snip u the bottom, and left the black,
slapcless, mail clad monster victorious and
unhurt. The American civil war struck the
death knell Of wooden fleets everywhere,
and left legacy Of naval construction to
every European Power.
Having dismissed the wooden ship Of war
from the Sea, and pointed out the mischief
which swift cruiser might work on an Ell
-mys commerce, the American navy went
into is harbOrs, and has never since come
out Rotten and useless. there now lie the
ships which helped 80 much III preserving
lie United States, and which fought 50
hlavcly IN the attempt 70 sever 1t. The
American ciyjl war destroyed American conn
merce and created the coast defence monitor
TODAY the United States have neither a
mercantile marine nor war Navy. One or
two 81 the few naval officers still retained IL
keep up the semblance of Navy Depart
nent have been sent Ia Europe to see what
naval construction has developed into since
the Monitors and MelTImacs, now rotting III
American harbors. were built. These inqul-
res have returned, and their reports have
been published. Fifteen years have
wrought wonderful changes IN ship building,
and especially So in war shipping. Messrs.
King and Very report t. their government
two important facts. One is that the United
States have practically no navy at all, and
cause their earlier ships are rotten and have
not been replaced. The navies Of other
powers are expensive, because naval science
as a state Of rapid development which causes
types To- socn become obsolete, and because
The tendencies are in the direction Of heavier
ordnance, Increased protection, and aug
,,eIjed GestIucaiye powers.-Arlny and
Navy journal.