certainly succeed—the French Emperor has placed the two countries where one or the other must yield or retreat. If Louis Napoleon abandons his purpose, it will be the first time in his history; if the Papacy retreats, it will do what as yet it never has done; and to yield in Mexico would be for Napoleon and the leaders of the Papacy to give up one of the main ideas, the principal plot of the Romish Church and the French Emperor-one which, more than any other, has occupied their thoughts-the reconquest of the Western continent for monarchy and Romanism. What, then, of England in this threatening future? So long as the alliance lasts, she is simply a tender to France, as much as the Deerhound was to the Alabama. She will be most happy to announce that she acts in concert with France, her policy being the same; and nothing would rejoice the leading spirits of England more than an opportunity of striking a successful blow at the United States for any cause which could be made to appear justifiable before the world. People may please themselves by talking of the friendly spirit of the English people, but they should remember that a successful war against the United States, for any cause, would be cheered and supported and gloried in by the almost universal population of England. To this threatening fact our statesmen can not safely close their eyes for a single moment. We need cherish no hatred, no bitterness toward England; we may study the things that make for peace, so far as self-respect or prudence will permit; but let us never be unprepared for war, and a war that may bring against us all Western Europe. The only remaining question is, will the new-born American nation pause on the very threshold of the new era upon which it has entered? Will it yield the great cause of Republican institutions on this continent, and timidly retreat at the insolent command of a foreign power that has forcibly, and against the will of the people, seized on Mexico, and overturned her government, and announces itself to be the barrier to our further progress? To believe this is to believe that American pride, self respect, love of free institutions, and regard for national honor have all perished together. It would be to believe that we are insensible to, or that we feel ourselves too weak to avenge, the scornful insult which France has given us by the seizure of Mexico, and by the purpose which she has avowed. Nothing of all this is true. On the contrary, this robust American free life, this force of a true Democratic Christianity, will move on with resistless growth to the peaceful occupation of its whole dominion, if other nations permit this; but if not, then it will be supported by a million of men in arms, and a thousand ships or more, if needed; and whatever improperly opposes will be swept away. Not France alone, nor all Western Europe with her, will be allowed to dictate to this nation where its territorial limits shall be. In view, then, of the probable future, it becomes a matter of deep interest for Americans to study the character and strength of our navy as compared with the navies of Europe. To this subject some of the following chapters will be devoted. CHAPTER XXXV. THE NAVIES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, AMERICA, AND RUSSIA. MANY varying newspaper reports of the strength of the navies of Europe have been spread abroad. The following statement of the condition of the English and French navies is copied from the NORTH BRITISH REVIEW, for August, 1863. The writer gives the following in a foot-note as his authority: "The figures for England are from a Return to the House of Commons, 1863, No. 30; for France, from the official statement for 1862, transmitted by our (the English) embassador, (Parliamentary Pap., 1862, No. 177)." This table is worthly of especial study. It presents the latest official statement of the actual condition of the English iron-clad navy, and from it we are able to form a correct estimate of the force with which England supposes she can blockade our ports and crush our navy. It shows us exactly the character, the size, form, and armament of her most formidable ships, and in which her power, skill, and science are all concentrated. They are, doubtless, among the most powerful broadside vessels in the world, and, perhaps, would find no equal among ships of that class unless in our own New Ironsides, whose armament is much heavier than theirs. Whether they are a match for our Monitors is a question to be considered. The account, we are informed, includes vessels afloat and building: "At Kinburn the French Emperor proved that iron-clad batteries could, without injury, sustain a fire which would be utterly destructive to wooden vessels. He pursued the conclusions thus arrived at, and finally, in 1858, ordered the construction of four iron-plated frigates-La Gloire, L'Invincible, La Normandie, and La Couronne. The first three are on wood frames; the latter is iron throughout. They are about two hundred and thirty-one feet in length, carrying thirty-six 50-pounders on a single protected deck, with two more on an upper deck, unprotected. Their engines are of nine hundred horse power, and the crew five hundred and seventy men. All these are at sea, and nave been found successful; but the ports being only about six feet above the water when at load draught, they are placed at a certain disadvantage in bad weather. Subsequently two others, the Solferino and Magenta, were ordered, which have been launched, but are not yet completed. They are armed with a 'spur,' projecting from the bow, carry their guns in two tiers in the center of the ship, and the lower ports are eight feet from the water-line. Their length is two hundred and eighty-two feet; draught, twenty-five feet; and horse-power, one thousand. "In November, 1860, ten more were ordered, which are still on the stocks, and are being slowly proceeded with. They are to be of the Gloire type, and all of wood frames, except the Heroine, which is of iron; but the thickness of the plates has been increased from three and a half to four inches of the Gloire, to four and a half to six inches. All the other iron-plated vessels under construction in France at the present moment are merely floating batteries for harbor defense. "Our own armor fleet, though more tardily commenced, now stands thus: Agincourt, 37 778 600 600 160 Other authorities state the number of iron-clads in the French navy at ninety-four; but, as the English reviewer remarks, all but those enumerated are merely swimming batteries for harbor defense, and small gun-boats, such as were used at Kinburn, in the Crimean war. Of these swimming batteries and gun-boats, the NATIONAL ALMANAC for 1863 enumerates seventy-seven, leaving, of the ninety. four iron-clads, only seventeen for the ocean-going ships, |