Year: 1873

noting cheap transportation.


The United States Navy-Western Mon


and Eastern Measures.


When there is truth patent and glaring,
even though unpleasant, we see no reason why
we should not put it into our pipes and smoke
it. One of these very smokable truths is the
United States Navy, which we were about to
say is a minus quantity, worse than thing
of the Imagination, and therefore not very
tangible even for smoke. We are very well
aware that there are those who believe that
our navy is the strongest armed marine in the
world; but such feeling, while very con-
soling, will not avail us in the hour of con-
fict with feet which was built long after
our own vessels had lived out the tenure of
their natural lives The plain, simple fact is
that our navy, considering the wealth and dig
nifty of the United States, is an absolute dis
grace to the nation. 1t is as though Mr.. Astor
were o resident of Baxter street, or Mr.. Stewart
conducting business on small loans from the
accommodating gentlemen who cluster about
Chatham square. To whom do we owe the
debt of gratitude for this condition of our
naval decrepitude? We think that the dis
tinguished benefactor of his country is the
Western member. Somebody has said that
the Western member is the product of Eastern
lect-a giant who, finding no peers among
the pigmies of the seaboard, flies to the prairie
and the gold mine Of that wonderful region
which has been described as being bounded
on the north by the aurora borealis, on the
east by the interminable sea- on the south by
the American Eagle. on the west by the
setting sun. This able and extraordinary
gentleman who goes West is known in
our Washington dispatches as On economist;
perhaps he might say of himself, political
economist" When we peruse the proceed
ings of Congress we find him always on his
feet (if he be able to stand), and the peculiar
movement that he selects for forensic effort is
on appropriations" 1t is always grand
field day for him when it is to be vote on
some project for supplying crutches to our
tottering marine. "What is the navy good
for? Why should we keep up war estab-
lishment in time Of peace? Is not one
American equal to six of another ma
navy 60 to- This is fair abstract of his
grafton. Now, if the Western member were
a simple unit all this rubbish would avail
naught Unhappily he is not. The Western
member means to WELD an overpowering in
fuence in the legislation of this country. All
of his craftsmanship is shaped for one pur-
pose and with one end in view, that of the
future of the "Great Northwestern Empire"
1t is not uncommon for him to speak on our
national politics in an unguarded hour and to
say that the West has no longer any need Of
the East that God made the Mississippi
River and the Gulf of Mexico for the North
western Empire especially, and selected Dem
yer for the future capital of the human race.
He would have the West and the South secede
from the Atlantic seaboard, because the sea-
board is populated by fossils who still believe
in such medieval institution as commerce.
This is all very well-it has been very we'll for
some years past; but when the Western mem
Der, having made some money and thinking
that he would like to travel, sets out on his
journey he finds that an American citizen does
not amount to much-in fact that American
citizens make very good targets for very
bad Spanish riflemen. Then be asks himself,
'Why is this thus ?"-hs own phrase. We
will take the liberty of answering, because
we have not o navy" We are not sure that
the Western member even smarting under
the conviction that he is not the peer Of one
of those famous men whom we read of rs Ro-
man citizens, can yet forget the great North
western Empire; but we would suggest as
points for his forthcoming Grafton the inves-
tigation of these queries:-


If we had been repres ented at Santiago dc
Cuba by On American man-of-war would the
virginus have been conveyed into that port
as a pratical ship?


If we we're now represented at Havana by
an American fleet would American citizens
tremble for their lives and property?


II we had a navy would Mr.. Fish, having
accepted settlement from Spain, calmly sub
NIT to the reckless bravado of the Spanish
volunteers?


II we had an iron-clad squadron would tho
Spaniards point to MORO Castle and grimly
smile at Yankee impotency2


If we had strength, dignity and respect on
the sea would we have been nearly month in
arranging the preliminaries to rescue fourteen
American citizens in the hands OF an insane
race of Burries2


II is not, perhaps, worth while to notice the
feeble nonsense injected into the ears of ths
auditors who listened to the debate on the
Naval Appropriation bill the day before yes
terday. 1t was tho same in kind and quality.
that annually distinguishes the House Of Ran