Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-01-11


Lake Defences.
The treaty Of peaoe concluded at Ghent
aaa signsd on Christmas day in 1914 by the
Commissioners on the part Of Great Britain
ana the United States, provided, among
otkz thines that but one armed vessel
of each power, with only a single gun,
Shculd se -held "a the Northern Lakes,
The goEnsr power, feeling most keenly its
thgn recent defeat of Put-in-Bsy Island, de-
tsEminsd IN tie event Of a second war, that
tie United Ststes should be unpEovidsd with
armed vessels. On the part of Great Britain
that far seeing power, even then coneeiving
tae idea Afterwards brought into practical
parfsc.ion by the completion of the Welland
Canal owned entirely BY the English, could
Easily and speedily bring large force of
ieuaboats and the smaller vessels of war into
Lake Erle, and sweep the lake Of American
eomme1cs while our Government. would be
building, srming and manning similar ves-
sslss clresOTting to the temporary and doubt
fal expediency Of altering our lake propellers
to enabls them to compete with vessels built
with .nn eye siagie to war purposes.
The events which gave rise to the war of
1912 showed that Great Britain was then
siaEmed and jealous Of the United States as
q great commercial rival. If alarmed and
If jealous then, subsequent events showed
that il was not without cause, for American
commsres, when left to unrestricted trade, soon
Whiisnsd every Sea, carrying the valuable
p1oaacis Of our looms and manufactures
70 every sea and even competing, nOtwith-
Sisndi1g restrictive tariffs, with the ''mother
country" in her own provincial ports.
The fact that We have mentioned in re-
gard % The number Of vessels and guns on
the Northern Lakes, together with the other
Prssnsut fact, that in the treaty Of peace she
stipulated that in the event Of another war
betFesn Che same parties, debts for goods, or
ether property belonging to citizens of Eng.
land, owing or owned in the United States,
vas not to be confscated, showed that even
thea, when protesting the most ardent friend
ship, England was looking forward to the
tine when she, freed from the ambition and
power Of Bonaparte, and recuperated from
tie long and bloody war which she then
Vdgsd On the European Continentin favor Of
tbs BouFbons and Of Absolutism, she would
Be enabled to enter anew upon the contest
With The United States, and to cripple or
othsEEiss 90 injuTe her great commercial ri
val # not entirely to destroy, as would
give her q full sweep, and thus realize the
vain bcnst Of her Poet that while
- eBritania needs no bulwarzs,
No otowers along the steep;
Her march IL over the mountain wave,
Her hone is on the deep"
aad Der Gag reign almost the undisputed
mistress Ct the Ocean.
g We would not urge, nay, so grsst stick
Ter are We for the strict adherence to treaties,
not anly IN theirletter bat in their spirit, even
4 slight departure from the bargain made
ct Client in 1914, yet we do think that now,
WhsR & % in our power in some measure to
tight the wrong, It should be done.
y. Seward, than whom 9 more far-seeing
pE sssaeious statesman The country mas not,
has already called the attention Of the Gov
sfoors Of the Lake States to the necessity of
dsssncas for the lake ports, and that recon-
mandation met with response from every
patriotic hssrt with intelligence enough to
zee that II the event of a war, the rich COM
msfOs of che lakes would be at the mercy of
aE interruptions foe.
This accommodation has not yet been
agtsa upon The Government, it is true, is
sngagsd in placing Fort Wayne, below De-
tEoit On 3 war footing, and perhaps a few
Oiber forts, On the Straits leading from lake
70 lake may have few guns mounted, but,
as yel no general system Of lake defences
has been broaehed, except in general terms,
While The necessity for such a system. seems
fEEs fen abating with the release Of those
arch traitors, slidell and Mason.
TIE system Of lake defences on the part Of
Great Britain Is not only being entered into
with spirit but England is organizing sys-
ten of annoyance as shown By the fact that
bls Q uOW building permanent and costly
fost opposite the city Of Detroit, which, when
eompistsd, which will be in q short time, viii
hlinq every building in that thriving city
within range Of its heavy guaa. A corps of
EnsLilh easinssra, &c is in proof, have been
h5lng ous dsieness and fortifcations aopg
to Canadian frontier and in the Canadian
oi4iss. Toronto has been strongly fortified,
tae batteries beiag mounted with one hum
dlad P0und Armstrong guns. TheengineeEs
visi.sd sarnia, eOdsrich and other lake cit
iss, and planned the defencss ofthoss poipss
and The whole Canadian frontier and tbo laks !
edszi 3 bang rapidly placed upon war |
footing. auf
Tia WAF spirit in England and Canada Is
foil to ovsrfOVingy The arrest Of
Mason and slideil on board the English
stsazhsr rrsht wds 10 b made the ostensi.
be Gauss, while tbe resI one is shown to be
ths crippled s5nditioa Of the United States,
csus1d by ths war nov WaQing aQainst the
taisgiisy OF she Onion By its traitorous sons.
Est9PPed from var BY the prompt dslivs-ing
.A3ysa aAssEsHsa,