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Tilden On Coast Defences

Tilden On Coast Defences image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
December
Year
1885
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

S;imuel J. Tilden has sent the fbllpwios letter jo John G. Carlisle. Greystone, Yonkers, N. Y., Dec. i, 18S5. "Deau Mk. Carmsi.k: As public opinión pointe tD you 119 the Speaker of the next House of RepKseMMtVM, I ilesire to suhmil a sujTt-t ion us. to one of Ihe public objeets tbr which an appropriation oujilit to be prompt uiJ libertri. En oónsideriog Ihe Unte nnd m inagenaenl d the public revfiuics, t lic iybject involves the questions whether we shall extinguís!) cue Uliplug by reduchig the revenue; ét whether we slmll Rpply the surplus to payments on the public debt; or wbctuer we sliall sieze the occasion to prorlde for hui feítcoast defences, which h;iv 1U2 been ueglected. I hui qf the opinión that the latter is a pnrumount nicessity wliich ouglit to precede thé reddCtSon ot the revenue, and ought aiso to pïtrorti au exce.-sive rapidity in the paynient of the public debt. "The property exposed to destruction iu the twelve seaporls - i'ortl;tnl, l'oiimnutü, BeetoH, .Neupoii, Kw Vork, Pliilalelphia, Iiiltimoiv, ÓimricgtSB, Shvannali, New Orleans, G ilvcston, aiul San Francisco - ewvool b; lesa in ralue than live IhouKiincl millions of dollars. To tbis niut be ddcil r vhs) aniouni of ptoperty dependent t'or ila ie 011 iiicsr aports. Nor does tbis statement afíbrd a trne measure of the damagfl which ui'ght be cansed to the propirly and ItnaioeH ol' the country by a t'ailurc to protect Mjege seaports from bostiie 111 val attacks. They are tbc ceñiros, int only of foreHftl commerce, hut of most of the internal trade and exchangea of domestlc production-. To tbis state of thins the 111 icbinery of trautporttttlon of the whole country has bt'cotue aüapted. The interruptiou of the curronta of trafile by the oociipatlon of one or more of our principal seaporta by a foraigO fiifiny, or the destruction of them by bombaidinent, or the holding over them the menmiee of desiruclion for the purpoM! of exactiiifr contributlon or ransoni, wou ld intlict upon tbe prosperity and bualueu óf the country uu injury which can neither be fore.seeu nor meusured. The best gnarantee agabüt airgression, the beft HMOranee that our diplomai'y will be BUOOeMfu] mul paclflc and that our rights und honor will be respected by olhcr natiuiis, is iu their knowledfe thut we are 111 a situation to vindícate our reputation and interest. While we niay aö'md to be deficiënt in the mea 11 s of otfence we cannot afforü tobe delenceless. The notoriety of the fact that we have nefleoted the ordinaiy precaution of deteuce invites want ol conflderatiod in ourdipioniMcy. lujiwtiwi, :nloancc, and iuMiilt at the hands ol fori(n nationg. " It is uoiv more thau sixty years sincc we announced lo the worid that we should resist any attempls, from whatevir quarter they inight come, to inake any ncw colonizatious on any pirt ot the American continent ; thal tvhU we should respect the titdlus (va we should protect Ihepeopio ot the different natlona Inhsbltlng thls continent fioui every attetnpt to subject them to the dominion of any ICuropiMii power, or to interfere witli "their undisturbrd exerctae ot the rights of self-government. The elabórate snd costly fortilications, which wcre construcled with the greatest engineering skill, are now practically uselcss. They are not capable of reslsting the attacks of modern artillery. A stiü greater defect exists in our coast defenecí. The ranjre of the best modern artillery has beeouie so extended that our present fortilicalions designedto protect the harbor ot New Ifotic, where two-tbirds of the import trade and more than one-half of the export trade of the whole United Htates is carried on, are too near to the prent populations of New York t'ity, Jersey City nnd lirooklyu to be ot any valué as a protection. To provide effectual def'ences would be tiie werk of yeais. It would take mueh time to construct permanent furtitications. A sniall provisión of the best modern guns would take scveral yc.irs. Xcithcr of these works can bc extouip3#teed in preseuee ofemerKenl dauger. A nullion of soldiers with the best equipments, on tlie nachts surroiindinj; t lio harlxir 01 New York, Id our present state ofpreparation, ur raüíeí in ,our total want qj preparation w o 1 1 1 1 bo totrail a siii.ill squadron of wur steaniers. This gente of tliings is discrcditalle to our foreïght and lo oui priideuoc. Tlils annouoccauent was formal y made by Pfesident Monror, nfter oonsultutiou wlth Mr. Madison and Mr. JeffciHon. It w.is fornmlatcd by John Quucy Adama. Out government has finnly adliered to ti Mouioe doctrine, aud even so late as 1S65, it warued Napoleon III. out o: Mexico. It is iniposMbie to fortsee in the recent serum ble of tlie Enropeai power for acquisition of coloules, how 80011 an occasion may aii-e for our puttiiiü iu piactice tlitMonroe doctrine. It ia clear that Hiere onglit to be soine relation between our asxeition of that doctrine and our prepaiation to mdintain it It is not intended to recoinmuinl any at tempt to rival the jfreat European powers iu tlie cieatiou of a powerful navy. Tbe cbanges whicli have rapidly ocourred by the dimiimtion of the relalive resittliig ixnver of tbe defent.ive arinor of ironclads, aud by tlie incieased efflciency o modern aitillery - wliicb on tlie wliole has gaiued iu the petilion - 8UKes that we sbould not, at present, enter lari;ely uto tbe creiuion of armored ves seis. ín thti questlons Liiat beset thissub ject uutil tliey (¦huil have reacbed a solution we can content ouifelves witli add Ing but sparingly to our uavy. But wha we do add hould be the very best tha science aud experiencc Cin indícate. This pruüential view is reinlorced I)}' thc consiüeratiou that the annual charge o maintainin; a ir-vcssel beurs an impor tant pioportion to the original coat o construction. ín coustructing perman ent forti dcatlong, aud in provldlng m ampie supply of tbc best modern artil lei y, the niinual cst 1 malntennca I inconsideiable. Nearly the whole ex penditure is in the original outlay fo construction. If we do not make the ex pendituru neeessary to provide for ou Ma-coait ilctiMicc wheu we have a sur pin-, and have uo nced to levy new taxes we certainly will not tiiake those exprn djturee wben we bave no longer a sur plus in the treuury. To leave our vas intercfts ilefenceles in order to redue tlie cost of whiskey to Itl cousuiner woulcl Ikíi .-iih'cism. " The present time is peculiarly favor able for providingfor tiiis rreat nationn iicccM-iiy, loo long nctfleeted. Xot onl_ does the Mirplns iu the tieusiiiy suppl, aniile DMUM to nieot tliis great pulili want without laying new barden upo the people, butlhe work can now bo don ata much lowcrcost than has ver helor been possible. The defens-ive work would consi-t almost eutlirlv oi steel am I rOO. These materials can now be luid t :i il tinprecriletitly Iow priee. A vast ipply Of iniicliiiiery and of labor called ulo fxistence bv a ;reat viciísitiule in ii' fwel and iron industries offers itself o om1 service. f shonld have the satl.irtion of knowing that wliile we wen vuiling ourselves of the supplies whicli 'i.ulil onlinarily be unattainablc, we re setttuiL u motion iiuportant iuüiieries umi givinv uinpluyinunt, to labor in a eriod of üepression. Wltli encourngenoiit by the ifuaratitce of work, or perpips liy the liovernment itsclf funiisliiiis ie plnnt, tlii' iiveutivu i'iiius of onr peole wmild be applifd tp the creation ol mcaiis and improved jnachincry, and -ial)lishtneuta would npring into exist!icc cnpablé of supplying all the national ants, and rendering us completely iuependent of all other countries in res)cct to the mean of national defence. I ndcavorrd to iinpress these ideas upon Ir. Jïandall the last time I had the pleae1e of seeing hitn. VVith my hifjlH'st regards to Mrs. Carsle and vourself, I remain v;rv truly

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News