The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-06-07
Defences of American Sea ports

The New York Chamber of Commerce has
lately printed pamphlet entitled "The
Dangers and Defences of New York." adj
dressed TO the Hon. j. B. Floyd, Secretary
of War. by Major J. b. Barnard, corps Of
T.. S. Engineers.
In this pamphlet Major Barnard reviews
all the incidents of the recent struggle in
Europe which tend TO illustrate the utility
necessity aud su6iciency of Notifications
against maritime attacks, and to show how
senseless are the animadyersions cast upon
them by persons not thoroughly acquainted
with the facts, founded upon one or two
anomalous cases. He proves that maritime
Notifications constructed upon precisely the
same principles as our own, .tu!ft their Oh.
ject, having protected for two years F'the
great ports and the capital of the Empire of
Russia against the most formidable naval
armamenls that ever fioated on the ocean,"
that they maintained the national honor I'M
tarnished, and preserved the seats of wealth
aud enterprise from the spoilers hands.
Having arrived at this point, Major Bar
nard proceeds to state what degree of de-
fensve strength be (''enlig htened" as he
says. 'by previous labors of the Board of
Engineers, and by the opinions of officers of
experience" conceives to be now necessa.
ry for New York, and the following para-
graph will illustrate the principle which
guides him -
"The lesson to be derived by ourselves Is too OBJ
vious to be dwelt upon. Our own great maritime
placed would be the points at which alone au Eu.
ropsan enemy could hope to strike great blows;
New York pre,emineuty. Ifiti left undefended,
or Is inadequately defended its immense commerce,
it's rich deposits Of wealth and military aud uava
resources, the lives and property # its citizens
will be, throughout the whole period Of the war,
at an Implying euemys mercy; and the ns tional
honor will suffer indeible stain by such de.
graduation of its great commercial emporium. If
defended 1t should be, its defences be cal
cuIated to grapple with such ornaments, We
know eau aud i'll be brought against it; aud upon
the success Of the contest, immense consequences
perhaps, as at Sebsstopoi, the issue Of the war
will depend"
Major Barnard is of opinion that "a vast
addition" is necessary to the existing de-
fences of New York. and roughly estimates
the cost at 'some six or eight millions of
dollars" He does not recomme nd gene
raj enlargement in similar proportions, of
our system of coast defences, but says-"it
is against our great Seaports and strategic
points of coast defences, such as New York,
New Orleans and San Francisco-pre-emi-
nent}y New York-that an enemy will con-
centrate his efforts. Against these he will
call into existence such special agencies of
attack, which, unless me. by an impregna-
BILE defensive system, shall insure success,
If the experience of the last war with
Great Britain be any guide, there is another
point of. attack, which an enterprising enc
my will select for the eclat, if not the profit
of the thing-we mean the federal capital.
No American can remember without NOR
LITIGATION the capture of Washington in the
late war. True, it was in an uaprepared
condition for defence, and it is quite as de-
fenceless, if not more SO, now. What with
the introduction of steam in maritime war
fare, and the large number of steam gun
boats in the navies of all the great Euro
pean powers, Washington might be demol-
ished, and perhaps its public buildings
again destroyed, within twenty-four hours
after the arrival of hostile squadron on
our coast