New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-16


that could be given 70 the world. Hitherto II
had been s,,nposed that cruelty was inseparable
from life ON hoard a naval vessel and that re-
publican equality and neXorable discipline were
incomnatlble America disproved both Ana
when she broke the magic spell which britain
had woven over the life and craft OF the sea, she
rendered the ancient abuses Impossible.
In a more material aspect American influence
from the earliest days was potent Tor reVoiu'lo"'
The men Of the New World were new men III "
very significant sense They were quick To see
the utility Of devices which others derded ana
then adopted almost by force. The war with the
French Directory and the subsequent coh"Ic'
with Great Britain in 1912 caused vital changes
in shipping and in methods of fighting. BRUSH
experts not merely smiled at American 1rlga'es'
they laughed till the whole world was aWaKeheu
nv their shouts Of derision. But after few
experiments this merriment ceased win amusing
suddenness. From that day TO this. naval dis
putants have been more or less troubled by the
question whether or not American and british
ships met on even terms. one of the most IN
teresting parts of Mr.. Macay's first volume Is
devoted 10 a study of this question. 1t not only
recurs at intervals in the comparison OF the YES
ses engaged in the various actions Of the war;
hui II is summarized in the admirable introduc-
ton TO the book I'm 1872" says the author'
naval warfare had reached that stage OF ue-
velopment when brute strength and animal cout-
age had become secondary considerations sue
cess then depended more on the higher dlscipiihe
~ the men. better training at the guns. the in
teuipent use Of improved weapons. the skilful
manipulation Of the sails and the thousand ana
one little improvements in. about ana all over
ship which only cultivated Intellect would sus-
gest These improvements. together with 'he III
domitable pluck and quick perception 'hat nave
ever characterized the American seaman over
whelmed the British navy with disaster anu COLI
s,arnation This was the handspring of our
brilI;lnt successes" If the English were quick
70 cri;icise they were equally ready to Initiate.
The assertion was made in their beh2t that
American frgates were invariably of heavier
tonnage than their rivals. Mr.. Maclay shows
that this estimate was based on an aruiclal
ru,e and that there was no more room for can
NON ON an American than an English vessel.
The DISPARITY in losses on the respective SHIPS
shows where science and inventive SIKH ana us
cipline told. Hitherto 1t had been the boast "i
England that she had beaten the world ol''h
with inferior forces. Now she was TO see her
commerce practically destroyed In the space OF
fcw months and her best ships. hcr best sail
arg a rd her hest commanders beaten al their own
game BEFORE the War Of 1872 the heavy guns oil
the Americans were condemned by the hrl'is''
II was found on trial that these criticisms We're
partly just and the proper changes were h'aue'
pu, oftor the war these same criticisms were
turned into an excuse for Engish delea'S. II
VOC tho heavy metal Of the Americans which
won the day: 50 ran the refrain, when IN reah'y
this overweight had been an injury rather than
q help to the victors. Another allegation fc'er-
o,ad to WEAKNESS was that the British ships were
OH ,,orn-out and rotten. Mr.. Maclay shows that
this was n subtcrfuge Of historians ana essay
lists not the opinion Of the officers ana men
who did the fighting. The latter haa ''e i"''-
est confidence in their ships. ana IN their OWL
nrowess before battle. AS matter OF iac''
remarks Mr. Maclay. lin all these friga'e ac'l'''S
the American ship was older than the f'h6"Si''
~ ,ba Constitution Java and the United states
Macedonian engagements. the Enghsh 'Sh'pS
were new frigates." while the American ir'sa'eS
had been built in the preceding century Il
Con,ain Dacres had thought his ship, the Guer-
riare far gone in decay, IT Is not 10 De suPp''o'
,hat be would have challenged any American
vessel Of the same class 10 battle. But ne i""ue
h,s challenge in the most specific way in the case
Of the President. Captain Rodgers ana IN an
other case wagered hat with captain"
t1,,n ~ the Constitution the vessel which de-
tao,ed him When he came as a prisoner over
the side Of the victorious frigate and offered 70
surrander his sword Hull said with humor' az
well as chivalry: NO, no; | Will not take Il
cword from one who knows 50 well no" 10 use
Il. hut I'll trouble you for that nat.
7, was reserved also for an American captain
Paul Jones' to show how thoroughly 'he ''"
NJ England could be harassed by an a'ert All"
III. ore,uv II was the American naval man
who kept up practice first last ana all ''e "n'e
with the guns 1t was an American coihihahu'r
who gave the world an Object-lcsson IN sanitary
science by keeping his crew In good CONDITION
for months and months OF incessant lap'r'
nearly all the time the open sea. Compared
with the misfortunes Of his contemporaries the
cruise Of Captain Porter in the Essex se''iS "
miracle 1t America which swept away
forever the disgraceful anachronlsm OF Medi-
terranean piracy; and 1t was no iaut ol Inc
navy that the United States was not first In
the destruction OF the slave trade Through
ont the history Of the American navy has been
.bo history OF freedom; and this not less
trua in the sharp contest with the French at
the very opening OF the nineteenth century than
IN the later struggle with Great Britain. Mr..
Naclav has practically reconstructed the almost
forgotten history Of the war with France from
tho original documents. He sought to do the
same with the War OF 1872 but found that the
English authorities would not permit the in
spection of any official papers bearing date after
1900 However by gaining the acquaintance
and goodwill of Sir Provo Wallis, who was the
real commander OF the Shannon throughout a
great part of the battle with the Chesapeake. he
has been able to complete in a graphic way the
narrative Of one OF the greatest misfortunes in
American naval annals. Sir Provo died only
short time ago, after life Of more than n
century. It came out In conversation with him
that the English official reports OF the battle
were decidedly incorrect. and that charge OF
dishonesty might well be laid against those
who concOcted them. II that should be the case
with other English reports relating 10 the War
Of 1872. their publication, whether early or late,
may excite great interest. Mr.. Maclay's book
is illustrated with numerous pictures and plans