Year: 1862

Is the Anne rican Republic Afraid OF the


Maritime Powers OF EuroPes


The New York Tribune, which denounced our
righteous war with Mexico and sympathized
with that country when it was the enemy OF the
United States, now proposes to abandon her to
her fate when she is our friend, and when, in
violation of our long cherished Monroe doc
trine, she is assaled by three of the maritime
Powers of Europe, for the purpose of subvert-
ing republican institutions on this continent
and placing scion of royalty upon throne
to be erected upon the ruins of the inde
pendence of free country and amidst the
wreck and debris of democracy. In yesterdays
number of his cowardly journal Greeley de-
precates the idea of the American republic
stances between Mexico and the Western
Powers" because it would "plunge the nation
into foreign war of incompatible magnitude,
the end whereof no man could foresee," and
because these Powers, ''owning large prepOn-
derance Of all the naval force on earth would
seal all our ports within month after we made
war upon them."


To this balderdash the Tribune adds that 1--WE
could no more endanger their West India pos
sessions than we could take Gibraltar" Why
did not Greeley say we could not endanger
Canada' And what right. we ssk: hss the
Tribune to assume that with due preparations
we could not capture Gibraltar If IRON
clad vessels of war had not been in
vented we admit that that fortress would
still be impregnable. But the revolution
in naval warfare wrought in Hampton Roads
a few days ago has changed all that. Though
patent to all the world and when the news of
it reaches the Western Powers none will more
thoroughly appreciate it than they, or better
understand the futility of any attempt to block
ade all our ports with their wooden walls while
we possess iron walls from which they can be
burned or sunk.


If we depend on our old oak ships, there can
be no doubt that the united navies of the mari
time Powers of Europe might blockade several
of our ports, but we question their power even
in that case to seal them all. We have wooden
ships which could teach the best of theirs
lcSSOu III tuC dAt VI WoA, oo OuA uOlO0o
have often done before. But our getting the
start of them in iron-cased vessels alters the
case. We shall soon have some fifty of these
ships, which will be able to sweep from the
ocean everything wooden that floats. Num-
bers are of no avail against the iron armor;
neither can stone Notifications resist the terri
BILE broadsides that can be delivered under its
protection. Consequently the West India
islands are at our mercy, and even Gibraltar
must succumb to such force as we could bring
against it, had we sufficient object to induce
US to attack it. Iron-clad ships have destroyed
its prestige, andit is probable that before many
years the once impregnable fortress will be in
the possession of France or Spain.


In the event of naval war, the maritime
power in possession Of the greatest force of
iron-clad ships, at the beginning of hostilities,
will be able to retain her preponderance over
her enemy. There is no doubt that Napoleon
now possesses that superiority over England,
and in very short time the United States will
have preponderance over both Powers and
Spain combined. If these Powers should not
have evacuated Mexico by the time the war
with the rebels is closed, we shall then
be in position to speedily compel
them; and We will do it, too. We shall
never allow the Powers Of Europe to build
up monarchy side BY side with our re-
public to undermine it; and il they do not
speedily desist from the attempt we will not
only drive them out of Mexico, but from every
portion of tho North American continent and
all the islands which geographically belong to
it. Westward the course of empire takes its
way"