The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-11 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL DEFENCES,

The Morning Chronicle of Tuesday, publishes the let.
ter of the Duke of Wellington, on the national defences,
respecting which so much has been said of late. It was
dated "Strathfieldsaye, 9th Jan. 1847," and is addressed
to "Maj.-Gen. Sir J. J. Burgoyne, K.C.8., &c."—"My
Dear General.—Some days have elapsed, indeed a fort-
night since has, since I received your note, with a copy
of your observations on the possible results of a war with
France, under our present system of military preparation.
You are aware that I have for years been sensible of the
alteration produced in maritime warfare and operations,
by the application of steam to the pi opellino• of ships at
sea. This discovery immediately exposed all parts of the
coasts of these islands, which a vessel could approach at
all times of tide and in all seasons, by vessels so propelled,
from all quarters. We are in fact assailable, and at least
liable to insult, and to have contributions levied upon us
on all parts of our coast ; that is, the coast of these
islands, including the Channel Islands, which to this time,
from the period of the Norman conquest, have never been
successfully invaded.

" I have in vain endeavoured to awaken the attention
of different administrations to this state of things, as well
known to our neighbours (rivals in power, at least former
adversaries and enemies) as it is to ourselves.
" I hope that your paper may be attended with more
success than my representations have been.
" I have above, in few words, represented our danger.
We have no defence, or hope of defence, excepting in our
fleet.

" We ought to be with garrisons as follows at the mo-
ment war is declared :

Channel Islands (besides the militia of each

well organised, trained, and disciplined,.. 10,000 men.
Plymouth
Milford Haven 5,000 men.
Cork
Portsmouth
Dover
Sheerness, Chatham, and the Thames_ lO,OOO men.

" I suppose that one-half of the whole regular tOrce of
the country would be stationed in Ireland, which half
would give the garrison for Cork. The remainder must
be supplied from the half of the whole force at home sta-
tioned in Great Britain.

" The whole force stationed at home in Great Britain
and Ireland would not afford a sufficient number of men
for the mere defence and occupation, on the breaking out
of war, of the works constructed for the defence of the
dock-yards and naval arsenals, without leaving a single
man disposable.
" The measure upon which I have earnestly entreated
different administrations to decide, which is constitu-
tional, and has been invariably adopted in time of peace
for the last eighty years, is to raise, embody, organise,
and discipline Cie militia of the same numbers for each of
the three kingdoms united as during the late war. This
would give a mass of organised force amounting to about
150,000 men, which we might immediately set to work to,
discipline. This alone would enable us to establish the
strength of our army. This, with an augmentation of
the force of the regular army, which would not cost
£lOO,OOO. would put the country on its legs in respect to
personal force, and I would engage for its defence, old
as I am.

" But a 9 we stand now, and if it be true that the exer-
tions of the fleet alone are not sufficient to provide for
our defe ice, we are not safe for a week after the declara-
tion of war

" I am accustomed to the consideration of these ques-
tions, and have examined and reconnoitred, over and over
again, the whole coast from the North Foreland, by
Dover, Folkstone, Beachy Head, Brighton, Arundel, to
Selsey Bill, near Portsmouth, and I say that, excepting
immediately under the fire of Dover Castle, there is not
a spot on the coast on which infantry might not be thrown
on shore, at any time of tide, with any wind, and in any
weather, and from which such body of infantry, so thrown
on shore, would not find, within the distance of five
miles, a road into the interior of the country, through the
cliffs, practicable for the march of a body of troops.
" That in that space of coast (that is between the North
Foreland and Selsey Bill), there are not less than seven
small harbours or mouths of rivers, each without defence,
of which an enemy, having landed his infantry on the
coast, might take possession, and therein land his cavalry
communicationan d artillery
with F
allcalibLe,cea,nd establish himself and his

"'The nearest part of the coast to the metropolis is un-
doubtedly the coast of Sussex, from the east and west
side of Beachy Head and Selsey Bill. There are not less
than twelve great roads leading from Brighton upon Lon-
don, and the French army must be much altered indeed,
since the time at which I was better acquainted with it,
if there are not now belonging to it torty chefs d'etat,
(Major-Generals), capable of sitting down► and ordering
the march to the coast of 40,000 men, their embarkation,
with their horses and artillery, at the several French ports
on the coast; their disembarkation at named points on
the English coast, that of the artillery and cavalry in
named ports or mouths of rivers, and the assembly at
named points of the several columns; and the march of
each of these from stage to stage to London.
" Let any man examine our maps and road books, con-
sider of the matter, and judge for himself.
'• France having been in possession of nearly every ca-
pital in Europe, and having levied contributions in each,
and having had in its possession, or under its influence,
the whole of Italy, Germany, and Poland, is reduced' to
its territorial limits as they stood in 1792.

" Do we suppose that we should be allowed to keep—
could we advance a pretension to keep—more than the
islands composing the United Kingdom, cedipg_dilyntase-
fnuelvleyr 'etbstuablaaeldin 'mlsselalfrisdinceonthesvipthiodanof'riNleorrinnat
Conquest ?

" I am bordering upon seventy-seven years of age passed
in honour.

" I hope that the Almighty may protect me from being
the witness of the tragedy which I cannot persuade my
contemporaries to take measures to avert.=-Believe
ever yours sincerely, " WELLINGTON:"- --

This document, if it does notning else, will relieve the
fears of those who have been frightened from their pro-
priety by the contradictory and exaggerated views said to
have been put forth by the illustrious Duke. The orga-
nization of the militia, and a small augmehtation of the
regular army, are the summum bonum of his grace's sug-
gestions. Beyond this he does not venture ; and all the
columns written about coast fortifications, &c., &c., seem
to have sprung from the vivid imaginations of our terrified
contemporaries. As the Times well observes, " unless
iwithv esstehlseir which
French can reasonably expect to elude our cruisers in
the Channel, to land unhurt on our coasts, to march un-
impeded to London, to exact and pocket a fitting ransom,
hgbalgveugahnd t them, and totheyw
rille -
probably resolve upon staying at home." And no doubt
they will stay at home.
leoro fisnsdthaegan seas the