The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-28

Hereafter it is probable that railways and loco
motives will be made important agents, not mere
ly in facilitating the movements Of troops and in
transporting to any given point munitions of
war; but still more valuable auxillaries to novel
systems of attack and defence. The English
Commissioners who We're nstruc ted to report
upon the means that were necessary to protect
that Island from invasion, could hit upon no plan
whereby London could be guarded against the
approach Of an enemy in force, except the concen-
tration in the vicinity Of the city of an imposing
array Of regulars and volunteers The battle for
the possession of the Capital would therefore have
to be fought in the open field, and upon the re-
suit of that single battle the fate of all England
would depend-for the main artery of commerce
that girdles the world with wealthy argosies,
would thus. be cut off, and the nation would
either have to submit at once TO the conqueror or
to go into general bankruptcy. The possibility
of having to accept of either alternative was not
a matter to be treated lightly, and the uneasness
thus created was not allayed by the proposal to
simply fortify exposed points upon the coast and
the principal naval and military arsenals. 1t was
felt that there were many places along the coast
where flotilla, starting from Cherbourg or
Bologne, if it succeeded in evading the channel
feet, could land without meeting with any very
serious oppostion that the invader would at once
march upon London, and, if he obtained pos
session Of that pulse of the worlds commerce.
could dictate his own terms of peace. Assum-
ing Sir ROBERT PEEL TO have been right when he
asserted that "steam had bridged the Channe!;''
that the floating bulwarks of England were no
longer to be depended upon, and that the pro-
posed system Of national defences was of too
limited character 10 prove effective, q Mr..
BRIDGES ADAMS advocates plan for coast defence
which should bring into use the whole network of
railways which traverse the Island from one end
of it to the other. GA staff officer adopting
the suggestion Of Mr. ADAMS proposes through
the columns of The Times, to defend London by
two circular railways, 'the artillery being mount
Fed rail platforms, capable of swift advance
"and retreat along the rails behind earthen
"embankments, instead of being mounted
Sin fixed forts and batteries" The advan-
tages claimed for this new system of de-
fence are, that invading army could thus
'be actually pursued by the fire instead of being
permitted to move round it at distance and
Goodies of rifemen could be practically formed
ihlo tue clulFaeuI vi tdfalIy III any dtttIupI 10
"storm the line of rail- by placing them on plated
''wagons, shot-proof and loop-holed." Taking
for granted that the invaders are already on their
march towards London our enthusiastic staff Off
Ger exultngy points ont how easily "a considera
"bie oattue may be made of these gallinacious
game. They reach" says he, ''the first inter-
"sectng line of railway, or within FIVE miles of it,
with the intention of pulling up the rails behind
"them, ana SEEING engines and carriages to carry
them on, when flying battery of heavy guns be-
'tgins to pour in upon their columns shot and sbou
HUpon this, a cloud of the improved lobt cavalry
His ordered to charge the battery and sabro tbo
"gunners. But the ,ttery plays upon them dnr.
cling the whole of their advance inland and leens
IAN even pace in retreating before them at a con-
nyenient distance If they charge in column
they would, we are informed subject themselves
TO wholesale destruction if they keep open order,
the sharp-shooters would 'pick them off at their
cease" Ifthey attempted to cross the line of rail
and get out of the trench, ''there would be two
batteries, one to the right one to the left, sweep.
'fng, between them, space of eight miles, and
advancing and retreating without the aid Of
ishorses or of Numbering" If they should finally
succeed in forcing their way over this space of
eight miles, ''they would then have at least two
more lines to cross under the same conditions be-
s'fore they could get within twenty-mile radius