Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-12-10
rnENArioNAL ARMoRN.

President Lincoln is North western
man. and in common with every othtf
leuizen Of that great section Of 'hs
country, believes that, IN tie matter @
government expenditures for internal
improvements, il has been treated WIN
shameful injustice. Sometime ago nc
requested tae Hon. ]. \. Arno.d, mem
Der OF Congress, and a citizen q sh'-
cago, to draw up report OF what .
his opiuiop, was necessary to place the
Northwest on an equal footing WIZ
other sections OF the country hitherto
more highly favored by Congress. As
might be expected, Mr.. Arnold thinks
that all the demands in question would
be fully satisfied by heavy appropfia-
ton for the benefit Of Chicago. IN his
report TO the President, dated, NoFem-
Der 25tl, lie proposes, first, the estab-
lishmcut Of a National Armory and Ma
val Depot at Chicago second, Tue lof-
tificafion Of the Mackinaw Straits ~hlch
would seal Lake Michigan from Eng
land third, the enlargement OF the IN
nois and Michigan Canal, % as to admit
continuous steam navigation from tae
Mississippi to Chicago. 10 the second
and third Of these propositions, We GO
not low raise any objection. Let the
Straits Of Mackinaw be fortified ty all
means. Let the fortiticatioDs be made
imprcgnable, because 10 that case, Lake
Michigan, surrounded as it is by tie
Territory ofthc United States will never
be visited by a hostile keel, and the
country will be saved the expense OF
erecting and certifying Naval Depot
at Chicago, and the necessity OF casting
cannon there for the purpose Of aiming
hor " steamboats,, tugs and propcl
lers." 1t may, however, be doubted
whether, in case Of war with Great
Britain, Lake Michigan can ever be
placed entirely ont Of danger, because
the Notifications at the Straits might
possibly be at once menaced by All adj
vance Of troops across the point Of the
peninsula of Michigan, and by fleet Of
gun.boats on Lake Huron. in which case,
If the passage was freed, Chicago nj git
find that her Armory and Naval Depot
would attract hostile visit, neither
pleasant nor profitable to the non-com-
batants, at least, even though it should
be ucccssfully resisted. Also the people,
the owners of the public property, might
wish it in safer place. Perhaps the
greatest Naval Arsenal in the world be
longs to England, and is situated on the
Thames, below London. A wonderful
collection OF war material, noble artille-
~ barracks for 1000 men, fine militia
ry, academy and a great common found
ry-all very fine and convenient for
shipment and the aiming Of vessels
But when two or three years ago, there
was imminent prospect Of war with
France, the Secretor,' = = 49,, i"y
awake nights, trembling for the safety
Of his treasures. If the whole concern
could have been lifted bodily into the
middle of England !. - ~
- a.en meet took Shecrness and dcs-
troyed all the shipping there, and even
ravaged the country as high as Chat
ham, and although the Dutch could not
do it again, the French Navy was aw
fully formidable. Again, during the
mutiny at the Mere, in 1898.
the place was IN danger. SO the English
government, seeing they cannot move
the works at Woolwick are fortifying
them at an enormous expense. The
lesson is obvious. Arsenals should be
built beyond the reach Of attack, as
powder is protected from the shells Of
the enemy. Let the Armory be built
on Rock Island. The British cannot
get at it there, nor jeff. Davis, nor a
local mob. All the cannon and mnskets
which Chicago may need to arm her
''steamboats, tugs, vessels and propel-
iers," can be furnished to her from there
faster than she can put them on board. |
An amusing commentary on Mr.. Arm. |
old's positions is the following sentenc.
from his report
"The depots Of small aims in the tra;.
tor States, the immense collection Of or.
dinance, military and naval stores. gath |
cred at Norfolk and other places. have
Deen the vast magazines from which the |
rebellion has drawn its supplies"
Mr.. Lincoln will probably be struck
With the moral contained in these
words.
Col. CoLT's WoRKs.-Secretary Cam.