The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-17
THE DAILY UNION

lacking force Of the allies 2ooo guns The French at
tackled Forts Alexander $50 guns aud Paul 400 with the
Quarantine battery 40S Total 42o gums "The English
engaged Forts Constantine 800, and Nicholas 1850 with
The Wasp 10 Severnia 80 aud Lighthouse 20 batteries
Total $40 guns Here il may be remarked that French
description and plan OF Sebastopo and It's forts makes the
ornaments Of those attacked By the French ga
guns instead OF s20 and those attacked by the English
$50 instead OF $40 Indeed, the article quoting
saws little above The port a. Sebastopo Is defend
ed to the south by six principal batteries each mounting
from so 10 1870 guns and the north by four, mounting
from Is 10 100 pieces each. Fort 81 Nicholas is the
largest and mounts 1907 With force then Of three to
one in favor Of the ships let look the results Of the
fight The ships masls yards and rigging or
less damaged principally by shells and bot shot The
Albion has suffered much in hull and The Retri-
button lost her mainmast the Frebrand her bboom The
Queen was obliged retire red-hot shot having fire
10 her The Albion and Arethusa FIRE and had
10 be lowed out Of action The Arethusa received
shots under Der water line and could with difficulty be
kept aaoat The sft regular appearances Of ne batteries
,sas certainly much dis6gred ba batteries they
efficient Our allies met with better on
the south of the harbor As the vessels left in the
ming "the Russians cheered vocerousy and redoubled
their fire Since he affair Of he l7h he aeas hare nOt
again attacked he forts
We draw the conclusion that fortifcauons a reliable
defence against all naval enterprises.
Now our works for the defence OF New York are to
mount as many guns as are stated be 10 the forts
Sebastopo Boston, New Orleans, Norfolk Pensacola and
San Francisco to be heavily armed Cronsadt
and other great towns, naval establishments and inn
portant points be securely defended Much Of the
work at many of them has already been accomplish
ed at Others It'll going We find that the fertilization
bill before the House of Representatives contains APP
preparations for the Penobseo for New York, Philade
pha Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Pensacola Mobile
Key West and the Tortugas New Orleans San Francisco
and other points But how much longer shall the dences
Of these important places continue unfinished Ii appears
from the report of General Totem chief engineer see
ecutive documents ssI52 vol No. 5, page a. and to
this valuable report indebted for much Of the nor
nation are using) that about Sl90o0,o00 have been
expended the Notifications at the above places and that
i, will require about ST,oooO0o to complete them
Now the question is how long shall their completion be
deferred Shall the security of great maritime towns
and navy-yards be postponed for years more
shall it be effected the earliest day practicable All
these forts be finished in three years half Of them
There is question here of extension OF for
tfcation system to minor places and petty entrances
though such reproach has been made to defences
least it has application here All the places enumerated
of prime Importance great populous wealthy towns
of industry and commerce, of naval and military
places the Importance of which, in national
point of view be questioned Nor PROPOSE
ton to begin works the detenees of all The places in
question save New Bedford, well advanced and have
been sanctioned time and again by Congress simply to
finish that which snow about done Congress
last session appropriated three millions towards the
construction of six steam gates This in addition to
the usual amount for repair and tear &C. of the
navy. similar in addition will, doubt be granted
this year and moreover provision will probably be madeor
building six sloops-owar No question the good
policy Of this preparation it is made Let
similar grants in addition to the ordinary vote for for
ticatons be made this and the for certifying
New Bedford for completing the deences of San Francisco
and New Orleans and for finishing the Notifications
under construction and repair and great maritime
and establishments will be fabyi from the
cupidity and the insults of oil enemies
Is it wise delay this preparation? Warnings reach
by almost every arrival from Europe We were lately
told by the breaksable hunderer of the English press
that Sebasopol settledthen expected to
be holiday feahe allied fleets would pay their re
spects to So, the North British Review says: Gun
transatlantic brothers will become trae less insoen
when they find that the feet which in the Baltic
can without cost effort winter in the Gulf of Mexico
And Backwood says When Russia is settled must
not disarm We still be able say mo- to our lively
young brother the Atlantic if he wants Cuba,
takes any other little vagary into his head Did not Lord
Palmerson lately that the entente cordale between
the allies embraced the affairs of the New well
the Old World 7 Was not whole country startled
few weeks by the sudden intelligence that minis
ter to Spain refused entrance into France? and did
not all realize that in the minister the country in
snedthat we were on the verge OF war; The first shock
of war will spend itself seaboard Let Us
make them proof against naval attacks Russia has made
herself in the Baltic and the Black sea and then if our
emes should be rash enough pechance strong enough
put foot SOIL will only be enact parallel to
| the land attack on Sebastopol
We have ample means in treasury to make all due
preparations mechanics and ahorers are crying
for employment and for food The necessities of suffering
thousands will be relieved embarassments in the business
concerns of the country win be allevated and security
against violence and insult obtained by carrying into
cution such measures as have been indicated b.
the Union.
| CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROADS.
Allow me to refer in your columns to article which
appeared in the New York Herald Of February 3 under