The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-01-10
Number 3.

New Brunswick and Canada by merely i'm
nginary line. Ol the deep and bitter hos
tility to this country Of large numbers Of the
people Of these provinces, we have now, un.
happily, the most indubitable proofs. In
view CT tho present attitude Of the British
nation towards the United States, Of the
feeling of the British people towards our
own. the fact will not escape attention that
while the defenccs Of our State upon the sea-
board have been 81 strangely neglected, and
not dollar has been expended Tor her pro-
lection on her extended interior boundary.
her best means of defence by land has been
taken from her by the United States, and
cedcd to tho only power in whose possession
II could be available to her injury; nor shall
we fail to be reminded of the memorable
declaration Of one of her most distinguished
Chief Magistntes-of him who was the soul
of all that is noble and chiyalrous In human
character, and whose exceeding love for the
State which he served 40 faithfully, will
keep his memory forever green in the hearts
of her sons-"Niaine." said Enoch Lincoln,
'bas not been treated rs she has endeayorcd
to deserve"
How unwise was the provision Of the trea.
ty of Washington, by which the United
States surrendered to Great Britain that por-
ton of the State of Maine north Of the river
st. John, without the possession OF which
she was shut out from Canada for half the
year, may now be seen not only in the TACT
that thereby we opened way for tho trans
portation in the winter of tho very troops
upon which. in the event of hostilities be-
tween tho two nations breaking out Mt that
season of the year, she must largely rely,
whether for defence or attack, but also in
the menacing spirit, encouraged by that ca
pitulation, in which she now takes occasion
to address us.
As the question of tho extent and charac-
ter of the works required by the cxigencies
of our situation, has been considered ut some
length in the communication which had
the honor to address to the President of the
United States On tho twenty-third of last
October, and which will be before you,
will not now occupy your time upon the sub.
ect farther than to suggest that the cost OF
the necessary Notifications ut the exposed
points-as Elstport, Castinc, Rocsland, Bel
fast, Wiscasset, the mouth of the Kennebec,
Saco river. and other places-will be largely
reduced if we can find at some central eligible
point, within what may be termed support.
ing distance, the indispensable conditions pf
a great and impregnable fortress, from which
all necdlul succor. by sea or by land, may be
speedily forwarded.
To those of you who are acquainted with
tho position Of the city OF Portland, the con.
iiguration of the country surrounding it, the
capacity and natural dcences Of its wonder
fni harbor, and its extensive railway connec-
tions. its admirable adaptibility to the pur-
pose have mentioned will need no elucida-
tion. It's natural capabilities nrc such that,
at comparatively small expense, 1t may be
made absolutely imprcgnable. From East
port to Galveston, II Is no venture to say,
there cannot be found place combining to
anything like the same extent, the essential
conditions Oft grand military and naval
station, such Us this nation should not con.
sent longer to diipenso with.
While Portland remains undefended, no
adequate protection can be afforded at any
practicable expense, to Boston and New York.
But make it as the plain necessity and duty
Of the country require, at once the Quebec
and Halifax of the United States, from which
the thunderers Of their power may be
launched by seq or land, at the touch Of the
telegraphic wire, and most certain means
of defence will have been provided for those
great commercial emporiuns.
Within very brief time after tho break.
ing out of hostilities between this country
and England-distant be the day when such
nm event shall happen Portland, with only
her present means OF defence, would. there
can bc little doubt, be in tho possession OF
tho enemy. With British army on her
heights, the merchants of Boston and New
York will readily understand what would be
the almost certain consequences to their COM
merce, and the imminencc Of the danger to
which their own cities would be exposed.
To perfect the defences of this State, there
are required not only the military works up
on her coast ut which have hinted, but the
construction of military roads-nilways-
for their connection with each other and with
our northern boundary.
Whatever sums may be expended by Maine
for its defence, and which would be for the
defence Of the country, will be refunded by
the United States, Us they will DO in the ma.
ture of loan for which tho credit OF the
General Government will be pledged.
But were II certain that the Government
of the United States could 30 far fail in the
performance Of its just obligations as to re-
fuse to guaranty the repayment oi such mon
eys as might be advanced by the State for its
benefit, the duty Of the latter would never
theless remain, to take care, 30 far Us she has
the power, of her own citizens, and to protect
her soil from the tread Of the invader. And
this duty she will not neglect, whether there
DO immediate danger Of u foreign var or not.
And although we may see no such danger,
recent events adnonish us that, with one ma.
tion at least, it will require the utmost cir
cumspecton on our part to preserve AMIGA
Gle relations. While the attitude of Eng
land toward this country. since the breaking
out OF the rebellion, has been marked by
many exhibitions of the most positive un-
kindness and i'll will, her friendship for the
rebels has been manifested by an unbroken
succession of fayors, valuable in themselves,
but more valuable for the hopes encouraged
by the OstentatiOus manner in which they
were conferred. Indeed, such has been the
force of British sympathy for tho Southern
traitors, that England refused to conclude an
arrangement into which she had invited the
United States to enter as party with the
principal nations Of Europe, in reference to
privateering, for the simple and avowcd rca-
son that the Southern rebels would be embar-
rasscd thereby in transactions which she had
denounced as essentially pintical: and 80
express has been her unfriendliness to the
United States, that sho has not hesitated to
discover cause Of quarrel with them, even q.
the expense Of the sudden abandonment Of