The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-29
NEW YORR HERALD. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20. 1855

gsncy In which our example may be followed
by our enemie. suppose that England and
France should undertake to guarantee to Spain
the possession of Cuba, a. it 10 said they have
done; and then suppose them to take offence
at some act of ours llibustering expedition
to Cube, for instance-and to declare Nh by
the act Of the United States war existed. The
steamers bringing the news might and
probably would, bring troops ready organized
for the occupation Of the more Inn
portant works on our coast. The idea Of hav-
ing . foreign foe occupying one of our perma-
nent Notifications is 20 repugnant to all of our
feelings that we at once exclaim "Such .
thing shall never be We would rise up and
hurl them from our soil!' But any intelligent
gentleman who will take the trouble to exam
inc Forts Adams or Monroe will readily see
that II those places are once properly manned
by English or French troops it would be
most difficult task to dislodge them. To form
correct idea of what the difficulties Of the
task would be, study carefully the operations
of the Allies at Cronstadt and Ssbastopd.
This subject ought to command the especial
attention Of gentlemen of the South and south
west. Indeed, it ought not to escape the notice
Of the Southern Commercial Convention, ap-
pointed soon to meet in the capital of the Old
Dominion The amount OF produce which fods
its way to market by entering and passing over
the Gulf of Mexico, is go vast that the whole
country is alive to the importance Of oui CON-
handing the entrances to that gulf. Il Is re-
garded as 50 important that very Large
portion Of our people would be glad Of aIy toll
erably good excuse for seizing the Island Of
Cuba as one means of securing that end But
not yet having possession Of that islaAd, we
have adopted other precautionary measures
We have expended large sums of moley in
erecting Notifications at Key West and the Dry
Tortugas but we have SO entirely neglected
to provide garrisons for these works, that war
should suddenly break ont bet Ween this 'oun-
try and England, perhaps the wisest cours| for
the engineers having charge of those work' to
pursue would be to blow them up, to prevent
their falling into the hands of the enemy ; .th-
erwise the chances are that our own works
would give the enemy the command Of the an
one who knows anything about the en-
trance to Mobile bay will understand that if
Fort Morgan were occupied by an adequate
English garrison Mobile would be very effec-
tually cut off from the Gulf. What is there to
prevent the occupation of that fort by an en-
envy? We are not occupying the forts in Pen
sacola harbor Why should not an enemy oc-
cupy them, and then the Navy Yard at that
place ould be at their mercy, and the finest
harbor on the Southern coast would serve to
shelter our enemies fleets. The important
works efforts Nacomb and Pike are ready foe
the reception of garrisons. We have none in
them. An enemy having any Interior designs on
New Orleans would not fail to see their i'm
portance, and they also would be occupied.
1t may with some little degree Of plausibility
(ml it is only plausible) be said that our vo-
Mnteers could garrison the forts near our po-
pulous cities, such as Boston and New York;
but where, on sudden emergency, are we to
find troops to garrison our more isolated works,
particularly those at Key West and Tortugas
The argument which is said to have been urged
by one of our most distinguished naval Off
GERS against the construction of Notifications
that our government would not maintain
troops to garrison them, and, therefore, on the
breaking out of war, they would be seized and
held by the enemy-is most forcible. 1t is
Importance of Notifications; but it is most
significant and forcible argument against the
suicidal policy Of our government in failing
to provide the nucleus, at least, of force to
hold and keep in order the works we have al
ready constructed.
The foregoing reflections naturally lead US
to remark more particularly on the re-
concentrations Of the President in regard
to our present artillery establishment
On that subject, the Presidents remarks
are, to say the least of them, rather Illogical.
He says that the artillery service is a speci-
ality-th ii requires years of study and prac-
tice to make an efficient artillery, "and, there
peace to maintain a larger force Of that arm
than il necessary for field and garrison SER
vice. His idea Of what the strength OF that
force should be is shown by his endorsement
of the recommendation of the Secretary of
War. The Secretary, referring to his previous
annual report, recommends that our present
artillery force be reduced one-half.
Suppose the Secretary Of the Navy had said
in his report that, for some purposes, infer or
timber, imperfectly seasoned, might be used,
but that shipbuilding was "specialty'-that
it required timber Of the best quality, which
had been subjected to the seasoning process
for years, and, therefore, it was not deemed
advisable in time of peace to keep on hand any
more ship timber than was required to keep
our present national ships in repair-what
would have been thought of it The Presi-
dent would probably have returned the report
to the Secretary for correction in that partica-
lar; and yet it would have been quite as rea-