The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-07
TIE NAVAL DEEENCEs OF GREAT
BRITAIN.
How an American Enemy Gould Operate.

How an American Enemy Could Operate.
A letter from London, dated August 16, con
tains the following:
Let us for o moment imagine that, in the
event OF war With England, America wero to
dispatch q large feet OF iron-clads to Ireland.
As matter Of course, our whole iron-ciad
purpose Of deIending. the Gaaot rha"amefican
heet, consisting OF o couple or so Of large
iron.clads and as many gunboats and monitors
Ls had been brought across the Atlantic,
would come mp the RnRllsh channel, destroy
Portsmouth, and then pass on to the eastward.
I maintain that in twenty-four hours from
leaving Portsmouth, London would b, at the
mercy OF the inyaders. There is nothing what.
ever to hinder or prevent bold men from carry.
ing ont this plan. From Portsmouth all the way
round TO Ramsga!e and Margate. with the
Single exception of.Dover, the detences Of the
colst are such as would not turn back baby
that had any pluck. AtDoyer the guns OF the
FORT can be avoided. At Shcerness We have q
dockyard and o. 'feu7men- of-war, but no IRON
clads. From sheerness right away to London
Bridge there te nothing but forests OF masts,
belonging to merchantmen in dock, to be seen
tion, as 1t we're, from any 6ostile: e:yessels that
got 30 far into the bowels OF the land. I am
quite sure that half dozen gunboats could in
one morning utterly destroy many millions OF
Woolwich up to London. And, as 1 said be-
fore, there are no defences that could really
prevent oven sipGle gunboat from making it's
way up the Thames, and destroying in few
hours half the shipping and tbree-fourtbs OF
the most costly merchandise in England; for
you must remember that nearly all our ware
houses are built close:to the river, and In
Woa1b az s aSsy millions millions
world. :. .-,I -.
England has never, since she was a nation.
contemplated suchia war as now hahgs over
question. During the long war we had with
France our enemy had no navy that could be
compared With ours. Moreover, he was de-
pending entirely upon the wiLds OF Heaven
his chips about or as he wanted them. But
now IL Is entirely different. Steam has NOT
only bridged over the channel, II has also
bridged over the Atlantic; and remember That
defender. In the days Of sailiDgs ships an in
vader OF the Thames might have fair wind to
start with but be in a terrible fX for coming
back. Unless fortune 90 far favored him that
take Place exactly at tho right moment, he
would, In all probability, fall into the hands of
bis enemy long before he could return. But
with steam 1t Is far otherwise. The same
power that brings an invader up the Thames
taxes him down again. And remember that
not only could fieetof gGnboats penetrate 10
nondon bridge at all hours of the tide, but
that IN doing 90 these vessels could burn and
over did. a'HipS'iiy wan 'ne A'A'am.
The moral OF my story so far is this What
ever faults Englshmen have, a want or caien.
iatlCn a, is not one sof them. When they hear OF
eoast OF Ireland, then they;learn thic IN afva4S
Eish port on The west coast there -sr6t men AZ
ours disembarklDRImen who viii .lfAkernisa.
With their Irish feli9s countrymop. When,
Lrotect Ireland and that gunboats have 4oaud
their way mp the Thames, IN such different.
casesiI say, will not the Alabd&l bill be psid
down to the very last cent? Il believe Indeed,
am oertain.thatit Will, and that II viii bo
your fault,that is, tie fdul. OF your diploma.