New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-10
british DEFRNsEs.

The plan for the National Defenses of England,
Just laid before Parliament, proposes to conhne
all the outlay to the fertilization of the dockyards,
together with some minor works, barely sufficient
to protect the larger harbors of the country from
insult by small hostile squadrons, and with the
erection of strong aud extensive forts at Dover
and Portland for the purpose of securing sheltered
anchorage to fleets and detached vessels. The
whole of the money is to be spent on the circum-
ference of the country, on the coastln accessible
10 an euemy's feet; and az it is Impossible to de-
fend the whole length Of coast few important
points especially the naval arsenals and dockyards,
ars selected The interior of the country is to be
left entirely to its own resources.
Now, when England once coniesses that her
wooden walls no longer protect her, and that she
ipust have recourse to fertilization as means OF
national defense it stands tU reas tnat she should
fret shelter from attack her naval arsenas-the
cradles of her feet. That Portsmouth, Plymouth,
Pembroke, Sheerness, and WoOlwch Tor woateVer
place may be selected in its steady, should be made
SO strong as to be able to beat of any attack by sea-
and to hold out for a reasonable time against
regular siege by land, nobody will doubt But It
is perfectly ridiculous to cal the providing for this
dar ger q sy stem of national defense. In fact, in
order to elevate the scheme to this dignity, it ap
pears TO have been necessary to make it far more
complicated and expensive than was required for
the mere protection of the dockyards.
A country like France or Spain which is ex-
posed to invasion on its land frontier much as to
naval attacks and descents its coast, is Obliged
cNrfr of th.A frat
rank. 1oulon, Carthagena, Genoa, even Cher
bourg, may be subjected to the combined attack
which destroyed the arsenals and dockyards OF
SevastOpo They ought, Therefore, to have very
strong land front with detached forts to keep the
backwards out of range of bombafdment. But
this does not apply to England. Surprising even
that payal defeat had Tor moment placed In
doubt EDglahd's maritime supremacy; even then
an invading army, landed on British coil, could
never depend upon the liberty OF its communlca-
lions, and must, therefore, act rapidly and
decisively. This invading army would not be IN
a state to undertake regular siege; and it
was, nobody in his senses would expect the ln-
ysder TO 90 and settle down quietly before Ports
mouth and TO waste his resources in length
ened siege, instead of marching straight upon Lon
don, and at once provoking decision on the main
issue while bis moral and material ascendency is at
its hight. If it comes to that, that troops and
material can be safely landed in England sufficient
to attack London, and at the same time to besiege
Portsmouth, then England is at the brink OF ruin
aud TO land forts around Portsmouth can Save her,
As with Portsmouth, 70 with the other naval
aIsenals Let the sea-fronts be made as strong as
they can; but on the land.fronts, everything is
superfuous which goes beyond keeping of the
enemy far enough to protect the dockyard from
bombardment, and securing it agains. fortnights
regular siege. But five are to Judge from the
estimates, snd from some plans respecting tho pro-
posed defenses Of Portsmouth, which have got into
The London Times, there is to be a great waste o.
brick and mortar, Of ditch and parapet, Of money
| and in case Of war, Of men too. The engineering
staff appear positively to reyel in this luxury o
planning Notifications which, 10 them, has so lon