Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-05-04
WHIG NOMINATION,
DANIEL WEBSTER,
THE FORTIFYING OF NEW.
PORT TO BE- ABANDONED.
OF fMassachuseiis.

II BTeut IhteIest - snttuTdi'yIeH ny th'
citizens Of Newport, and by our State il
general, in the effectual protection o
Narrag Bay by the works now il
progress at Fort Adams, and the further
prose Of the system Of defence re
commended by the able and practica
officers Of the Board Of Engineers. W.
had supposed it was conceded by all en-
lightened and unbiased minds, that
whatever might be the advantages o.
other ports and stations for the building
and equipping Of vessels of war, this Bay
stood unrivalled by any other water
north of the Chesapeake, for a port ol
expedition and principal rendezvous Of
our gallant little Navy. We thought
that as consequence Of these great ma
tural advantages, it was the settled poll
cy Of the Government, under all admin
istrations, and with all parties, to secure
the possession of this Bay by such works
and Notifications as the most competent
eng gineers had pointed out, and that the
sy stem of defence, which had been pro-
secuted so steadily for the last ten years,
was to be carried forward and perfected
with all the despatch which the nature
of such works and the finances of the
Government admitted. We knew, that
we had the recorded opinions Of the a.
blest men Of the Engineer corps in ia
vor Of this system, and that they still
maintained and adhered to those opin-
ions What then must be the surprise
and astonishment of our fellow-oitizens
of Newport to learn, that all this mass
of authority in our favor is summarily
set aside by the present Secretary Of
War, Gov. CAss, in his report to the
President Of the United States Of the 9th
April, SO, recently published. In his
opinion q great mistake has been COM
mitted in erecting even the works at
Fort Adams, which this able critic and
profound engineer pronounces--a fortress
Of very unnecessary magnitude! We
give the passage in the report entire that
every incredulous and fair minded man
may Judge for himself. What is most
alarming to US in the whole Of this busi-
ness, is the strange fact that these crude,
and as we are compelled to term them,
unwarrantable suggestions Of Gov. Cass,
which strike at every thing valuable in
the system Of defence connected with
these waters, have received lin some
unguarded moment we should hope) tho
counte nance and sanction of Gen. jack
son himself! In his message to the Sc
nate, communicating the report Of the
Secretaries Of War and Navy, he says
"In respect to that branch of the subject,
which falls more particularly under the
notice of the Secretary Of War, and in
The consideration of ,Uhich he has arrived
at conclusions differing from those con-
tanned in the report from the Engineer bu-
reau, Ithtnh it proper to add my concur
renee in the ris~s expressed by the Secrs-
tary. ANDREW JACKSON"
We forbear further comment at pres
ent upon Gov. Cass's opinions, but we
do trust, that this subject will arrest i'm
mediately the attention Of our fellow
citizens, and that proper measures may
be taken to obtain distinct expression
of the Legislature, now ;n session, as to
the value OF this Bay, and the necessity
of fortifying il as originally contempla-
ted. This is subject Of such deep and
momentous import to the people of this
town, and to the citizens ofRhode-
generally, and 80 Ear removed from the
ordinary collisions Of party, that we
would fain hope, if properly presented TO
The General Assembly, not member Of
that body would be found who would de-
ny the aid of his vote to the rights and
of Rhode Island.
The works at Newport cover about twen-
y acres, and will mount 46S guns, and will
need for their defence about two thousand
four hundred men. cannot, myself, foresee
the existence of any circumstances which
now call for fortress Of this magnitude in
the very heart Of New England, constructed,
not merely to command the harbor of New
port. but to resist siege which would, prob
ably, require nearly twenty thousand men to
carry IT on. | AIN at loss to conjecture