The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-07
EHE NAVAL DEFENCEs OF GREAT
: = :, :. - ,, BRITAIN. slry y
HOW an Americans Enemy Could operat

How an American Enemy Could Operate.
-ioAletter from London, dated August 16, con-
tsins the following:
Let us for a moment imagine that, in the
event or war with England, america were to
Sisuatch large feet Of irun-clads to Ireland.
As q matter OF course, our whole iron-c.ad
fleet would be moved to the westward Tor the
purpese OF defending the coast OF that island.
In the meantime portion OF the American
feet, consisting Of q couple or SO OF large
on-clads andas many gunboats ana monitors
as had been brought across the Atlantic,
would come up the English channel, destroy
Portsmouth, and then pass on to the eastward.
I maintain that in twenty-four hours rom
leaving Portsmouth, London would bo at the
mercy Of the invaders. There is nothing what
eyer TO hinder or prevent bold men from carry
ing out this plan. From Portsmouth all the way
round TO Ramsgate and Margate, with the
single exception of Dover, the defences OF the
ooast are such ss would not turn back baby
that had any. pluck. at Dover the guns OF the
fort can be avoided. At Sheerness We hase q
dockyard and q few men-oE- war, but no IRON
clads. From Sheerness right away to London
Bridge there is nothing but forests OF masts,
belonging toInerehAntmen N dock, to be seen
right and left OF the river, inviting destruc.
ton. as i were, from any hostile vessels that
got no fsr into the bowels Of the hnds I am
quite sure that half dozen gunboats could in
one morptpg utterly destroy many millions OF
dollars, worth Of shipping on their way from
W6o}Wich ro to London. And, as ] said be-
fore. there are, DO. defenees that could really
pley.nt even o single gunboat from making Its
Way up the Thames, and destroying in few
hours half the shipping and three-fourtbs Of
the most costly merchandise IN England; Tor
You must remember that nearly all our ware
houses 1are built close to the river, and in
them are stored away millions upon millions
worth Of goods nom every part OF the known
world, n ,'sroa iosRsss,s ~ -, =
England has never, since she was nation,
contemplated such o war as now hangs over
her head 10, connection with. the Alabama
question. During the long war We had with
France our enemy had no navy that could be
compared with ours. Moreover, be was de-
pending entirely upon the wiLds OF Heaven
or, indeed, we all were-betore he could move
his ships about or as he wanted them. But
now it is entirely different. Steam has not
only bridged over the channel, it has also
brideed over the Atlantic; and remember that
steam helps IN invader far more than it does a
defended. In the days OF sailipgs ships an in
yader of The Thames might have fair wind 10
start with, but be in terrible fix for coming
back, Unless fortune 50 tar favored him that
When there was change Of " I'D it should
take place exactly at the rig, moment, ne
would, in al probability, fall into the hands OF
his enemy long before he could return. But
With steam 1t Us far otherwise. The same
power that brings an invader up the Thames
takes him down again. And remember that
not only. could feet Of gunboats penetrate TO
London bridge ats all hours OF the tide, but
that in doing so these vessels could burn aud
destroy far more property than the Alahama
ever did.
Ffe moral Of my story 80 far is this What
ever faults Englishmen have. o Want OF calcu-
1atiOn ia not one OF them. When tley hear OF
a fleet OF, American iron-clads being off the
coast OF Ireland, them they learn that in every
Irish port on the west coast there are men or
ours Acknowledgment who viii fraternize
With their IRISH fellow countrymen. When
tbey know that the English fleet has gone to
rroteck Ireland and that gunboats have found
their way up the Thames, in such different
cases. say. will,not the Alabama bill be paid
7 am certsin-thstit will, and that it will be.
your fault-tbst is, the fault OF your diploma
tists-if it is not.