The Indiana State sentinel., 1875-01-26

The message OF President Grant urging
upon congress the necessity of making ap-
preparations for the armament OF our sea
coast fortiacations is the subject of great
deal of comment.
The meanest and znost narrow minded
Interpretation given to the message is that
Mr.. Grant is merely recommending the ar
mament of our forts with rified cannon, in
order to secure to certain parties the great
job of turning abe I, ,294 ten inch Rodman
guns, now in possession Of the government
into eight inch rifles. The only ground
for supposing that the president is thus.
willingly or unwittingly, cooperating in q
great fraud Is the report published in one of
the New York papers not long ago, that
this business of riding smooth bore guns
had proved, so far as carried on, an -expen-
sive failure. II is matter, however, that
Mr.. Grant ought to understand thoroughly,
and, If the people could depend on his hon.
esty, and were sure that he had examin ed
the question for himself instead of taking
the word of some fsvorite subordinate, they
would not hesitate to accept his judgment
on harbor defenses, and the rifiing of can
non as thnsl. His appeal for cannon
of heavier metal is even more earnest than
that for the remodeling Of the Rodman
guns. Aside FROM this suspicion of mere
jobbery, a startling explanation Of the mes
sage Is suggested, to the effect that the pres.
ident seeing the approach of foreign war is
anxious to prepare the nation for the imni-
-nent encounter. The terms of the message
sKre not such as woxld convict the president
of wsrlike designs except it be adopted as a
rule of INTERPRETATION that state
papers always mean more than
they say. The ten0r of the document is not
by any means a fierce, urgent one. It
merely argues for the gradual armament of
our sea coast defenses with the only kind OF
guns that are effective against modern iron
clad vessels and asks for moderate annual
appropriation to carry on experiments tend
ing to secure Such an armament In the
cheapest and resdieAk .style. The work
is oas which involves years of slow
labor, and, in the opinion of the
president, the country oughs to set
about l. once. The message may, therefore,
be regarded as merely a repetition Of the
old maxim: "In time of peace, prepare for
war" Inasmuch however as ct is not
natural a humanity to make preparations
fer improbable event the advice
of the president In regard to
may be taken as prims
facie evi1ence OF the possibility
of collision with some foreign nation.
OF course tkere is but one nation with which
a aqusrreliss all probableat this junctures and
tha! is Spain. 1t is asserted that Gen. Grant
is strongly disposed to take up arms in She
cause OF Cubs, and it is well known that
there is strong sentiment ia the country Ia
favor of such a policy. Many people ane
getting tired ofthe imbecility of the Spanish
government, Whose flag al home and
abrpsd. now hoets over one scene of mis-
cradle anarchy, sKdthousands would spring
forward to take part in a crusade for the
liberation OF the captive Queen of the An
TILES. 1t is hinted that the republican party,
which achieved so reach glory In the civil
war might regain some ofits lost popularity |
in foreign one. AS partisiam measl"e'
therefore, a war would be a BOLD stoke Tor
q longer tenure of power. Ia ts' enthusiasm
>, such a struggle the yjNsiniNs OF the ad-
might be.or time forgotten.
and . mid the CLASH earns the nation would
80, ,,,o-s and 67ore accustomed 70 the loss
:, c;.1i liSert5. To men willing 70 rick every
thing for party success it would, CT T.