The National tribune., 1889-01-17
A NAVAL NURSERY.

the protection to our fisheries as a nursery
for our navy But he did not show the his
torical Importance of the matter to be so
great as it really is. Beyond question
we are indebted to the training given by our
fisheries for very much of what is glorious
in the history of our country. There is no
calling which develops to higher degree
the manly qualities, courage enterprise
and daring like the vocation Of fisherman IN
the stormy waters of the North Atlantic
AS early as the great seven years war of
1856, go the hardy fishermen of New Eng
land were winning victories and gaining
laurels by the capture of Louisbourg and
Havana, while the militia of Virginia and
other more Southern colonies were having
Indifferent success in their contests with the
French and Indians on the Western frontier.
During the Revolution it was really the bold
privateersmen, who had been nurtured in
whaling and fishing vessels, who delivered
the most hurtful blows against England and
made her people most anxious for peace. So
far as the war was being prosecuted on the
land, it attracted very little attention in
England, and might have been carried
on indefinitely without exciting energetic
protest, even though armies were captured,
as Burgoyne's was at Saratoga, or Cornwall
is's at Yorktown; but the privateersmen
who were swarming the seas brought the
war home to England by the capture of mer-
chant vessels. This touched the pocket
nerve of her merchants and manufacturers,
and made them weary of struggle in which
there was so little to gain and so much being
lost The result was a clamor for peace, and
recognition of the independence of the rebel
lious colonies. The same thing is true of the
warof1812 The disciplined English armies
made rough work with our hastily gathered
hordes of militia, which an incompetent Adj
ministration sent into the field ilI-provided
for and worse commanded. With the ex-
ception of the battle of New Orleans, won by
Gen. Jackson, and the battle of the Thames,
won by Gen. Harrison, the military history
of the war of 1912 is a succession of almost
unbroken and shameful disasters.
The naval history was entirely different.
From an abundant supply of the finest sailors
the world had ever seen, were drawn crews
for our superb frigates, which we're more than
a match for any similar number Of men that
England could pit against them. Whenever
English and American ships met on any
thing like terms ofequality, the victory was
so invariably in favor of the latter that at
last there became real panic in the English
navy.
Senator Hear read letter from Mr.. James,
the author of the History of the Navy of
Great Britain" to Prime Minister George
Canning, written in 1927 in which he can
didly admits that "our seamen are more
than half afraid to meet the Americans at
sea. Unfortunately, this depression of feel
ing, this cowed spirit prevails generally over
the community" Again, American priva-
eers-transformed fishing, whaling or clip
per yessels-swarmed the seas and reaped a
richer harvest in capturing British merchant
men than they could have drawn from the
fnny inhabitants of the briny deep. Again,
the sensitive pocket-nerye of the English
commerce was rudely bruised, and again
went up the cry for peace; and the English
Government in spite of the success which
had been achieved on land, was glad to stop
the fighting without any mention of the
causes for which arms were originally
taken up The need of the continuance
of such a nursery of seamen is now more
imperative than ever, since we have so few
American sailors employed in our commerce
1t is question whether we shall have oul
citizens engaged in fisheries and in course o
training for future war, or allow the tiSherie:
to pass entirely into the hands of the Cana
dams, to train their citizens for naval pur
suits and be the source of incalculable dam
age upon us should war break out between
this country and Great Britain.