The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-29
Our Coast Defencds-What they are ant
What they should be.

What they should be.
We are, fortunately, 20 FAR renewed from
the commissions which distract the Old World,
and our people are SO diligently following the
sagacious advice of Iago, "Put money in thy
purse" that it is next to impossible to induce
any large portion Of the community to think
seriously of our frontier defences, particularly
those of our sea coast. The subject is impor-
tant, and sooner or later it must be considered
Indeed, the aspect of our foreign relations
would seem to indicate that the time for con-
sdering il is at hand. True, it has not entirely
escaped the notice of the general government
If the Eastern war has demonstrated any
one thing more clearly than all others, it is
the importance of Notifications for the de-
fence of harbors. What but the Notifications
of Cronstadt have saved St. Petersburg? What
prevented the allied fleets from destroying Sc
bsstopol but the Notifications of that harbor?
We, too, have our Notifications; our govern
ment has expended millions of money in erect
ing them at the most important points along
our coast. From PASSPORT, Maine, to New Or
leans and on the Lakes, we have about fifty
four forts or Notifications; large majority of
them are completed; the others far advanced
towards completion. Others are planned and
will no doubt be erected. So far, well. But
having constructed these works at an enor-
nous cost, we have left them wide open to be
occupied by any enterprising naval power with
which We may happen to be Of war.
That this is not an exaggerated assertion
few facts will show. 1t is admitted that for
kIoJ afoc !, "a sox z.
in each well-trained artillery force. The
engineers who planned and constructed
them estimate that to man the guns in
these Notifications ffty-four thousand artil-
lerymen will be required. This force is of
course exclusive of the troops constituting the
main body of an army, the infantry and ca
valry. The President, in his late message, says
that the artillery arm is q speciality
whilst other troops may be raised, organized
and equipped for active service in compare
lively short space Of time, it requires years of
study and practice to form good artillery
force. Now, it happens. that at this time we
have in the forts, from PASSPORT to New Or
leans, only about six hundred artillerymen. or
these, two small companies (say 100 men) are
in Boston, and the same in New York harbor;
two field batteries, not intended for garrison
service, at Baltimore; two small companies
Of about fifty men each at fort Monroe, and
the same number in Charleston harbor, aod
one company at Key West. The forts on the
coasts of Maine and New Hampshire are uuoo-
cupied The splendid fertilization at New
port, R. /, is without garrison, and the same
is true Of the works on Long Island Sound
Forts Miffiin and Washington are abandoned
giving free access by water to Philadelphia
and Washington. The works IN the coast of
North Carolina, at the entrance to Savannah
river and at st. Augustine, are deserted. The
same is true Of the works commanding the en-
trance to Mobile bay and the approaches to
New Orleans The three forts constructed at
Pensacola are unoccupied, and the Navy Yard
at that place exposed to capture. The few
works which are occupied have scarcely troops
enough to keep them in proper state Of police,
and would offer but little obstacle to an enemy
who might be disposed to seize them. There
is absolutely little or nothing to prevent
hostile fleet from running into Boston or New
York harbors, and destroying property the
value Of which would maintain for years ade-
quate garrisons in the forts in those harbors.
The English Or French may, on any day OF the
year, throw into forts Adams and Monroe
garrisons which could hold those places
very long time against any force
we could send against them. These assertions
may seem wild and extrayagant to many. But
let those persons, before coming to that con-
clusion, carefully study the subject, AMI their
views may be somewhat modified.
The belief is very prevalent that it is not
necessary to maintain even small garrisons Il
our permanent woIks-that our citizen soldiery
are fully equal TO the task Of defending them.
The President, it would seem, thinks different
ly-he regards that service as speciality, re-
curing years of study and practice. With
what degree of patience our volunteers would
submit, even in time Of war, to being cooped
up between stone walls, remains to be seen
How they would manage and serve the heavy
guns is also question for grave considers
tion. But the idea that a volunteer force
could be relied on to defend those places. pro-
ceeds on the superstition that our enemy will
give us due notice OF their intention to atns,
them--that there will be formal declaration
Of war, giving us time to organize our volan-
teer artillery. But have we any right TO pro.
coed on that superstition Did We declare war
against Mexico? II our memory serves us, we
only resolved that by the act Of Mexico war
existed. Many Of our wisest and more expe-
rienced ssatcamen-Mr. Calhoun amongst
them opposed the passage Of the resolution,
declared that it asserted a falsehood, that war
did not exist; but nevertheless the war went
on. Now, it does not require any very great
stretch Of the imagination to suppose contiu-