The New York herald., 1866-07-28


Dcfenceiess Condition Of Our Son Coast.
While Congress has been squandering mil
lions of the public treasure upon private
schemes and jobs, scarcely word has been
said about the defenceless condition Of our
sea coast 1t is true we have some fine for
tiications, but most Of them unfinished, for the
defence Of the principal seaports; yet the fact
has been established that stone masonry affords
but feeble resistance to the powerful missiles
now used in military and naval warfare. This
was witnessed during the rebellion at Charles
ton, Mobile, New Orleans, Fort Pulaski, and at
a few other points on the Western and Southern
rivers and sounds The most formidable of
the works upon the sea coast, as we'll as In tho
interior waters, were, however, constructed Of
sand, mud, or palmetto logs, against which the
shells and solid shot of our heaviest artillery
and naval pieces fell comparatively harmless.
But most of our great naval victories were not
gained by point blank shot upon the sea-
walls of Notifications, but by obtaining posi-
ton by land or through some insignificant
inlet or tidal water-course, In the rear Of the
works, nnd selecting at will the point at which
a breach could be easily effected. Take the
entire line OF our extended Atlantic sea coast,
and there are but few Notifications capable of
repclling the attacks Of monitors and IRON
clads, while the latter are engaged in demol-
ishing The stone walls before them. This is
not the only advantage foreign naval Power
like England or France would have over us in
case of war. They could do as our navy did
during the rebellion, quietly slip up some I'M
protected inlet, and pour upon defenceless
or weak point the heaviest guns that could
be brought to bear. This is not all. While
their iron-clads are bombarding city, cavalry
can be landed at convenient points and devas-
tate large tract Of country before sufficient
land force can be collected to repel them. For
this service The French have instituted an ad-
mirable system Of cavalry tactics. Man, horse
and equipments 60 on board transports with
the utmost regularity, and on arriving at the
point Of destination disembark with the same
precision. and enter Immediately upon a raid
or foray. For these operations our unpro-
tected inlets furnish excellent facilities There
are thousands of these inlets upon our sea
or two by the displacement of sand bars
and shoals. Not one in hundred Of these
inlcts is protected against foreign foe. Four
years OF blockade running have greatly in
structcd foreign seamen in regard to our coast
in other words have raised crop Of foreign
coast pilots whose experience will prove of
infinite damage to us in case we have conflict
with foreign naval Power. They can pilot
vessels Of light draught, but carrying guns of
heavy calibre. as well as infantry, artillery and
cavalry troops, through many channels now
entirely defenccless, because they do not hap
pen to be ports OF entry. II is to these weak
points on our sea coast that we especially
desire at this time 10 direct the attention of
Congress. 1t would be much more to the adj
vantage OF the country to have dcfences erected
at these points, or, at least, at the most i'm
poriant Of them, than to have the peoples
money prohgately squandercd in the manner
il has been by the present Congress. The
public treasure could be much better used in
this manner than in establishing hinge clce-
mosynary institutions like the Freedmen's Bu-
reau, increasing the tariff and internal revenue
lax, and appropriating mlliors for the benefit
Of private parties and lobby cormorants.
THE RIGHT KIND or Du10MAcy.--Lord Stan
ley, the new English Minister Of Foreign
Affairs, recently slated that "a proper and
friendly understanding with the United States
is almost the frst requisite Of English diplo-
macy" To which we have only to add that
the payment OF The Alabama claims is the first
requisite Of a proper and friendly understand
inc with lLc limited States