Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-01-03
VOLUME 20. NO. I.
Latter Of Gov. Wsshburn on the Coast
Deieuces.

W SsSfsssy O~WsV'
ArGrsrA. October %. 1861.
The undersisped. Governor Of Maine. sc-
ipowlsdges the rscsip. Of the otheial note OF
the Secretary Of State. under the date Of The
18th instant. inviting the attention OF the
s1sc,i,s Of this State TO the important mat.
ter Of ,h. public defence OF u. coast. in' ''s-
Of . possibility Of an interruption OF the
present friendly relations Of the govrnmsn'
Of the United States with thOse OF foreign
powers. Fully s-n.ibls Of the usschfulne''
spd sd.l,iy Of the President. and OF those in
charge Of the various dsrar,m,nu Of the
government. In guarding against an! p,''i
bio danger. whether arising irOm domestic
in.uireciion or foreign INVASION. the sa'hor.
ii'e. and people OF Maine cannot haze iAilsd
" isel the d.~pss, s,lieituds it reference ~
the subj.c.ma.ssr Of tha, eoumunics,'on.
irou the very great extent OF her ondeisni.
ed sss coast. aud the remembrance OF the
suffering. Of the people Of this State m Tor.
msr wars. and IN her behalf ! desire TO
tender my no.t cordial thanks isr ,h'. si'e
aud thoushtial recognition BY the general
government Of what her position aud cir
cun,tanes demand.
Without rscoanting the facts Of the early
history VI ths, portion of the continent nov
included within the limit Of the present.
State Of Maine. the contest bst~eep France
and Engliud for i,s Possession. and The To-
/ dian crusltes that follow IN tho train VI
var. by which i,s villages and towns we're
d-,a-ta.ed. need only to remind yoar er-
c.llsDey VI tie events Ot the ~ars Of tito
revolution, aud u 1912 ~iih Insl.nd. to
ia,p prr. on the government the 's-i inPor'
tanee Il Maine ~ sanitary AMI naval point
VI yir~ =. ,nrsns VI power ani -treusts u
the national government
IL shore. are inisni,d with many excel
iS"s hari-r'. ."i ,l' gcgr.ph'eai PO''i''n
o. nui,ay. naval. snd e,mm're'il per
3, .. slmu.... t." an"ss ppr'''n OF tie
.onuH,.l , Sort. A.sfic.
q. ..n4rr 81 80 fnnsa to hold the
.hIr., vi th. AiianIc Oc,.n bst~-.n Pi.-
ca,Aqaa and sas.dihoe. aud MAINTAIN their
communication between Montreal and tho
ga. Loot to them the noblt,t colonial em
pre- the world has ever s~n.
Though settled by the French as ear I"
1904. and hy the English 10 lGo.. under
s-p4rsts grants covering the entire territory
-,ha, from the French king dated IN 1908.
and that fr,m the British erO~n ia 1000
IL was no, until the conquest OF Cansda' hy
the capture Of Queb-e Ia 1879. that Maine
epi,y.j peace and rePo-s under the donIn
ion o, Grat Britain. During tho war OF
tho revolution the bulk Of her territory Sa'
in N. possession % the English. and 'hs
var of 1879 found her coast dsieoesle-'. and
all her sa.,eru h.rbors. from Cs-t'ne ~ tho
y. CrO,I river. occupied by the enemy.
Should Sar again occur With any leading
European power. Maine must q, once iall
into the hand. u the enemy. unless means
VI defence are provided.
From the State line at Kit,ery " Wes!
Qaoidy Head. in = coast line Of thrc. hun.
dred lD,l-s. thsr. are over one hundred god
bArbIr at which shlps are bailt and man.
ned. with an actual shore lius of more than
, thrc. thousand uil--, following the line OF
! tide water into na,isabls bays, inlsts. and
csep river -.tnarrs.. Not one harbOr 70
! properly defended. ana IN only thre, have
Att-upt. .t defence t-en made.
A. ..istt breaslwork battery at E.tpprt.
eail-i Fort sullivan. Fort KnoI. partially
constructed at Baet.pori Sarr,~s on the
Psnob.cot. aud the iJrts at Portland h.r.
hur. are ali the Notifications on :he coast oi
Maine.
Castine, the British naval station on the
Atlantic ocean IN the war of 1872. cOuii
again he occupied IN the sams way. Tor all
the defence. Of former times have iAllen TO
ruin and decay Belfast, Rockland. Ge1rgs's
river, wi.ca.-ett. and the Krnneboe river.
srv all without any sign oi defence. Tue
important shlrping p,r' Of Bath. the city o'
Aagu.la. the State capital. and the larger
t.wn. on the Ksnnebse. are all ttbs mercy
oi . single sloop-of.wH.
} The hishss, military au,hori.iss would
undoubtedly concur in the opinlon that
! Portland should he made the great naval
depo, o! ih. United States on the Atlantic
ocean. Is geographical position con.
mapds Canada on the North, and the lower
pros,uecs on the east, II properly fortified.
q line. of railway. completed or IN rrOc~.s
of construction. raji.I. from it 10 Qurhee
And Montreal. and IL ~ John and HALIFAX.
I The nsrbH !. Ou- oi the hnr,, on che At
.abuc ,c,~p. or In the world. ana eau sa,..
y h. 81 i''rIh-d asto bs 'mpreknable 40
GIBRALTAR, and lar s,ronser than QJ.bcc.
S-basioIol. OF Cherhoarg.
Halifax harbor. the great Briri.h naval
depot va the Anerican continent. DOW oe-
cupied b, the combined neeu Of Eoslani
and France, closss the outlet Of the great
gulf lying between csps CID and Cape
Sable. and unless Portland 10 defended the
whole peninsuls cas-, Of Lake Champ'sin 10
easily suhected to foreign son'r,l.
n Great Britain held the harbor OF Port.
land and the lins Of railway to Montreal
and Quebec. che would drive Am-ricia
commerce from the oc~sn snd the great lakes.
The sir.tssstic iuportancs OF Portland
10 shown By rvfsrvpcs to any general map
Of the whole country. and iu c.Paoilites
T. ..a axhihil.A hs Tia .h.xta al