We have no navy practically speaking-
We cannot, create one right off. Feeling
secure, by reason of our isolated position
and our neutral policy, from foreign in
vasion, we have lain dormant so long
that to build up a navy able to cope with
the gigantic war fleets of Europe to-day
would take years of time and fabulous
sums of money.
But there art devices for the protection ;
of sea-coasts agaiast which the most :
powerful armed ships are impotent |
We must either have a navy more pow
erful than that of any foreign power,
which is well nigh impossible, or else
abandon the idea of a navy altogether,
beyond a few fast cruisers, such as we
are now building, to prey upon com
merce, and turn all oar brains and money
into one channel the rendering of our
sea-coast line, Atlantic and Pacific
impregnable.
This is possible, and the pnce of de
stroying ship# of war costing several mil
lions of dollars is infinitesimal as com
pared with the cost of creating and main
taining a great war navy. The proud
American Eagle may shriek his wildest
note of national defiance and scorn of
tnouarchial institutions, but wind against
metal avails but little, and when we least
expect it a foreign squadron may appear
off cur const and one after another of onr
wealthy commercial cities be laid under
such tribute as would long impoverish
our merchant princes', and strike a blow
at their prosperity from which they would
be slow to recover.
