Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-18

against US. To secure n proper influence over them
III peace and 10 couneract and control their disposition
IN war, TO secure territory and protect
traders, 1t Indispensable that chan of posts should
be established, extending from Council Bluffs TO the
mouth oil the Columbia river, so as to command the
avenues by which the Indians pass from the North to
the South; and at the same time maintain a communi.
caoh with The territories belonging the Pacific.
lie present state OF our relations with the Indians,
ana other considerations which will readily sugges,
themselves, seem to demand prompt ;entoa to these
views and The adoption OF the necessary measures 10
execute them
second The deiences on the Northern frontier will
be OF different character from those already
se.s'ae@d they must be designed for protection
s,,Ga pIkweriu enemy, possessing all the Of
u,los N 'oI 2 distance Of more than two thousand
chef l ,o'es on The lakes undoubtedly lfford our
shelter from, >.pce aud offence. Tof.rn,sh them
and rendered nc' the harbors must be enlarged
supplies, us well the | ," nen .nu
zens from an enemy, those bs "' na ia - W., ~.
portant of the straits and rivers anu '"e nus ~
should be fortified The comprehepn eetng the lakes,
Of the board Of officers this subject" aue
Of May, 1910, already mentioned, cannot .e.
ed by any remarks from this Department. s''e''
The omission to make the necessary approp.
has prevented nylhng more than partial exeeons'
Of the defence of the Northern frontier Fort Naga
has been reported ready for armament, and company
has been ordered 10 garrison it, So much has already
been done at Fort Oswego, TO Justify the belief that,
at the end of the season, II will be III condition Tor ct
iectiye service Under the appropriations made in Sep
tember last, for the defensive works at Detroit, Bua-
TO- and the outlet Of Lake Champlan, means have been
taken TO select sites for their construction, which viii
be commenced the titles to those sites shall
be secured.
The third division Of our national deences those
ating 10 our maritime frontier, presents subject o.:
the deepest interest.
A board Of engineers was organized in 1916, and has
pt,p,a IN h,rb
cially assigned the duty of preparing general system
of defence for the seaboard. Ii made personal exan
nations Of every harbor the whole coast excepting
only few in East Florida) accessible 10 going
sells. While the board was thus employed, settling
the general principles Of defence and selecting post
tons, its number augmented by the addition of Off
GERS Of the navy, generally two post captains. During
portion Of this time the functions of tie board were
extended TO embrace tie selection Of suitable sites for
a great Northern and Southern naval depot Reports
Of progress made in ISL, 1919, 80, l-2l leg
1873, le21 and lc25; and at two different times,
~, in 1876 and 1885, summary report was presented
to the Executive, and sent 10 Congress- describing The
system briefly in It's application TO The several parts Of
The coast.
rhe board has been comprised ofoicers Of high rank
in the corps OF engineers, together with General Ber
nard, during the thirteen fourteen years he in
this country.
In pursuance Of resolution Of The House Of Repre-
sen.aiivcs Of April D $780, report from this Depart
ment made on the twelfth day Of May in the
year. transmitting one from a board Of officers
bled Tor the purpose OF considering the subject which
contains a very full of the SYSTEM brief
pass, and geographically arranged. II exhibits The
rous works deemed necessary along the Atlantic coast
and along that of the gulf Of Mexlco and the order Of
their relative importance, in reference TO the time Of
their construction, with estimates OF the expense OF
each, ard of the aggregate cost The board also
reported upon another plan Of defence submitted by
guished military commander and gave their
cons, at large, why i; ought be substituted for
that already mentioned, which had been presented by
Joint commission Of naval and military Officers.
To the formation OF that system, the greatest military
talent and experience Of the country have been devoted,
and it would i'll become whose pretensions 10 either
are limited 10 attempt comparison Of Il with any,
or to sustain it by any views OF his own II may be re-
marked however, that, far the Judgment Of Con-
gress can be gathered from s acts and 50 lar as an IN
lellIgent public opinion has been expressed they both
seem to be decidedly in favor Of the system which has
been so deliberately considered, and long matured J;
and il nav now be regarded the settled policy of the
country
The elements Of that system are, Grs naval forces
second, Notifications; and third, interior communca-
tons.
As 10 the first, independent Of all other consdera
TONS il is supposed that floating batteries OF any de-
scrpton that 10 remain stationary at the exposed
points cannot be expected, because the aggregate ez-
pcnse Of providing and maintaining the large force that
would
would be beyond our means. An irconsiderable force
al en- eli point would he wholly inadequate 10 meet that
v bch might be brought against il; and the defence Of
few only, Of the most important, would neither an
swcr the expectations of the country, nor iu! the OBJ
legations of the Government. navy which would
carry the war into every where the enemy's COM
merce was TO be found would etectualy keep him from
our coast by rendering lis presence necessary else
where For the defence Of n!ets and Earbors, whose
entrances are shallow class Of steam vessels, OF light
draft would doubtless form necessary part OF our de.
fence and where the inets numerous, such vessels
would be indispensable. But where large number OF
ships can find harbors of easy access, and su
fcentIy capacous contain them, they cannot he sue
cessfuliy met by an inferior force and there is
OF our competing with several European
nations in The magnitude Of their naval Establishments
the only resource left Isl in fortyng our and
roadsleads.
The second element of defence consists, therefore,
in permanent Notifications While they are more eiiec-
tua Tor defence, in certain positions, than floating Ter
ces they are less expensive construction, more du
rable and requiring outlay in repairs utterly nsg
niicant, when compared with the expense oil naInta
ing ships, and renewing them
They are deemed indispensable for tic purposes Of
covering the military and naval deros, and all other
public or private establishments which would invite
The enterprise the cupdity of foe and OF excluding
him from strong positions, where his naval superiority
might enable him to maintain himself, and from which
he might make incursons INTO the interior, OF assam ah
extensive line OF coast.
The positions deemed necessary to be occupied by
Notifications along the whole Atlantic coast i.om Pas.
sarnaquoddy bay 10 Cape Florida, and along the Gull
from that cape, the mouth Of The Sabine, were Ind-
Gated in the report before mentioned, with the reasons
for their selection, the extent and nature OF the required
works, and their expense. As the execution OF al
these works could not be simultaneous, the order OF
succession was regulated b. reference 10 the value OF
the object 10 be covered, the nation, or 10 al enemy
lis exposure BY sola;io0 its accessibility, depending
on distance time, climate; the means, source, and
time Of obtaining succor, and finally, the condition Of
existing offences The order thus established has been
adhered to- with few exceptions, occasoned BY differ
cnt views on the part Of Congress Great progress IN
the execution Of the system has already been made, Of
which the details given in the reports Of the Ord.
nance and Engineer Bureaus. Most Of the works o.!
primary importance, including the largest and most OK,
pensivs are nearly completed. About $4,000 900
have been expended, and $o,o0000o more vii! finish
all but those deemed Of minor Importance and winch
may be postponed without risking serious coase,
quenccs.
More extended remarks upon the system of national
defence but particularly that part oft depending on
,1oS ,rhln