The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-29
mo- THE EpIToR ed rHE PILor.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PILOT.
take the liberty Of calling your attention, an'
that of the public, to the important subject o
our national defence; subject which has to,
long been neglected in our public councils,
The influence of the American revolution wa
not confined to these shores; but liberty, aoquir
ed by it, rejecting her beams back upon the OLE
world, has there warmed into life and action
those generous principles which promises to re
Ivolutionize the government of Europe Her op
ipressors are all well aware of the dangerous ex
ample and its inevitable results Speaking o
this subject, Frederick Schleyel, one Of the Aus
trian Cabinet, and confidential Counsellor o
Prince Metternich, in a course of lectures dsliv
cred at Vienna on the Philosophy of History
used the following words, as stated in the Pilot
Ne. 81
''The true nursery ofthese destructive princi
pies and the revolutionary school of France and
the rest of Europe, has been N. America. The
evil has spread through many other lands, either
by national contagion or by arbitrary cOmnuni.
cation.o
Such IS the feeling on the part of the mon
archists of Europe, They know that our exam
pie is an eUa which il not counteracted will cause
their destruction. They feel that to preserve
themselves, it is necessary to apply the knife to
the seat Of the disease to lay the axe at the root
OF the evils that the only mode to preserve their
own power is to destroy eur liberties Impelled
BY the strong motives of self preservation, they
will spare no efforts, and leave no stone UNI
turned to effect their object.
Gen. Gains, in a memorial defence saws:
SIT is proper in a state Of peace to prepare for
war. The wisest statesman ia all countries,
have acted on the principle here suggested 1t
is time for US TO enquire what would be the con-
sequence of our receiving the unexpected visit of
large fleet of steam ships armed as the French
fleet lately were in the barber of Vera Cruz,
bringing in the mouths of their cannon an unex-
Pected declaration of war"
The words of this gallant soldier are true of
any time. 1t is the part of wise nation in
time ofpeace to prepare for war But with what
peculiar force dses the warning address itself to
US. Utterly destitute of the means of defence,
and daily threatened with war with the COM
bined force of the monarchists of Europe, who,
from feeling of selfpreservation, are anxious
ly beset on our destruction; what folly does not
the longer delay of this important matter evincea
War threatens to enslave US. It may come, and
come soon, prompted by men who feel that they
fight for them all.
Thus threatened, shall we by our sloth forfeit
that freedom which our sires proclaimed with
their blood, and transmitted to us as holy trust
10 be guarded with jealous care, and preserved
oy ''eternal vigilance" for our descendants.
The subject of National defence has before
been repeatedly urged on the attention of the
War Department, and recently on Congress by
Gen. Gaines. There can be no difference of
opinion as to the necessity Of acting promptly
On this subject. The question is as to the plan
to be adopted.
On the one hand it has been proposed to build
a line of forts extending along the whole of our
wide spread coasts. But the objections to this
are insuperable. Apart from the original cost
of such a work, it would be continuous and
enormous drain upon the Treasury to keep the
works in repair and fit condition for war, vic
tualling the garrison, sc. A large standing
army would necessarily have to be raised to man
this leng line of forts, which during peace would
be worse than useless, and at best would afford
but an inefficient means of defence in war.
The difficulties being such as to render the
adoption of such plan most Objectionable, Gen.
Gaines, long tried and experienced officer, has
devised system Of national defence, which he
has submitted to the consideration of Congress,
and which 1t is to be hoped will be acted upon
by them as soon as the restoration of the none
tary affairs of the country will permit Taking
into consideration that the discoveries of Fulton
and Evans have effected great revolution in
the art of war in every thing else, and like a
skilful general taking advantage of those dis
coveries, the proposed system is based on the
Republican principle, that brave and well dis
ciplined militia is the true bulwark of our ma
tional defence.
1t is proposed, frst,-that our large seaport
towns, which would be points Of attack to an
invading foe, shall be protected by floating bat
teIies; which, since the discovery of steam
power, and its application to ships of war, will
afford the best if not the only safe means of de-
fence against an hostile fleet of steam ships Of
war, as the destruction of the Castle of San
Juan de Ulloa testifes. The utility of these
floating batteries is not to be confined to times
of war; but in peace they may be applied to
the purposes of commerce, or usefully employ
ed in opening channels of rivers, removing OBJ.
structions in harbors, sc. &C., and they may
also serve for schools, where practice may be
combined with theoretical study. A writer in
Virginia paper has lately urged the necessity
of reformation in the Navy, and, as regards
education and discipline, these floating batteries
hold out the best possible means of reform
perhaps as well in the Army as the Nayy.
L