The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-03-21
SEACOAsT DEFENCES, FORTIFiCA
TIONS a.. CEN CASS,S SPEECH

TlONS, &c.-GEN. CASS'S SPEECH.
From the New York HERALD
We publish two interesting reports in this
mornings paper: General Cass' Speech de-
liyered in the Senate yesterday, and the report
of the Secretary of War on the fOri'ieallons
and defences of New York harbor.
Engand's great modern historian and phil
osopher has said that "parsinony IN war Was
the worst profusion," and the United States
NAV well apply the ounce of suggestion which
,ha maxim contains to the present condition
or their seacoast defences, and to the Engin-
Ger Department Of the government. II is not
necessary to say how many thousand miles
of seaeOast We claim rs our own, nor are we
called upon to consider 10 detail the amount
of defensive material we possess; but this we
know that the Engineer corps of the army is
constituted of about forty officers. II we have
ten thousand miles of coast, this will give one
officer to every two hundred and fifty miles.
Considering the change from sailing to steam,
which has taken place within the last thirty
years, and that all our means Of defence
against hostile fleets were projected under the
old system, it is doubtful indeed, if, judged
by Mr.. Macaulcy's maxim, we are not the
most profuse and extravaganza people on the
globe.
The recent furry Of the London Cabinet
md official press has finally. however, walked
up The sleeping self confident elements of
our politics, and now we are treated by a re-
port from the War Department and the Chief
of the Engineer Department on the dangers
of the port of New York in the event of
bostiIities with England. The application of
steam to navigation has converted the lower
bay into great liarbor for hostile fleet, and
opened up the East river in the direction Of
Long Island Sound as one of the approaches
TO the city of New York. The Secretary and
the Chief of Engineers thus, in March of the
year that the President talks about resort to
war with the greatest naval Power in the
world, concede that the commercial metro
polls of the nation is in a most defcnceless
condition. Here is confessed profuson,
indeed; aud il we give due weight to General
Cass, there can be no earthly question hut
that il is the purpose of the British Cabinet
to compel us to sacrifice our pretensions in
Central America and our position concerning
cnlistments, or put our commercial cities to
the hazard of devastation. The atmosphere
on the other side of the water is full of men-
ace and bravado. Troops are being sent to
Canada; fleets relieved frem service in the
Baltic are despatched to the Gulf of Mexico.
Nicaragua even is to be visited, and American
predominnnce there is to be spotted, or, as
Air. Gushing nervously expressed it "crushed
out"
Well, this looks like very vigorous pre-
paration on the part Of Old England; but we
take it MS used as m argument, or rather as
friendly advertisement Of what might be done
10 case of necessity. We Americans are so
stupid that, like the Jews of old, We require
ocular proofs, special provdences and mira.
cles. The London official press tells US, to
be sure, that the powerful fleets of her Majcs |
ty can sweep our commerce from the seas
and devastate our heightened seabOard, but
there were ten chances to one that this ad |
monition would pass for stuff, and that, after
all. something more tangible, expressive and
certain would be required to bring us to our
senses; and they were right, for the implaca.
bic Pierce administration at once proposes to
put the country in state Of defiance.
There was pretty exact parallel to the
present condition of things in 1884, when
General Jackson threatened reprisals upon
French commerce because the non. payment
by Louis Philppe's government Of certain in
IDENTITIES due to our people. The King of
the French, like his valiant predecessor, who
- with forty thousand men,
Marched up the hill and then marched down again,
sent to our waters powerful feet; but the
medicine did not take. Gen. Jackson was in
corrigible, and would have the money or =
brush. Louis Philippe backed down, paid his
debts, and withdrew his ships of war. The
Old Hero, however, is dead, and all traces Of
bis character have been obliterated from the
White House. Franklin Pierce ia his sue
cessor!