Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-17


 Action in COngress-Sea-Coast and Har- bor Defenses.
 We are permitted to. copy extracts from a letter sent by prominent citizen of New Haven to our members of Congress and to other members of Congress on the impor- tance of having suitable sea coast and harbor defences, with special reference to the pro- tection of the cities on the coast of Long Island Sound and New York city from the great dangers they would inevitably be ex- posed to in case of war with a strong for eign power. The writer of the letter has had ample opportunities of observation and a thorough knowledge of the subject whereof he speaks. It is worthy of note that in the speeches in Congress this week urging the importance of proper attention being paid to our sea-coast and harbor defences, their drift was in almost exact concurrence with the portion of the letter given below ::
 Having made many voyages visiting many of the most important and strongly fortified ports of Great Britain and Europe, cannot but acknowledge surprise at the lack of pre- caution in our government. We are not profting by the examples foreign nations have set in taking time by the forelock, nor
 
 ward protecting their seaports from attack by an enemys war ships.
 My intention is not to give advice, but simply to suggest that our governments atten- ton might now be called to considering this important axiom, that in time of peace we should prepare for war. England, at the commencement of the late great war of the rebellion, appropriated e4O, ,O00,- GOO for sea-coast defences. Other Euro pean nations have followed her exam pie, and now compare the Notifications at Queenstown, Plymouth and Portsmouth, England, with Brest, Cherbourg, Toulon and Marseilles in France Copenhagen in Den mark Cronstadt in the Crimea, with our own coast defences
 General H. G. Wright, Chief of Engineers U. S. A., in his able report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, reminds that we have a sea-coast line of more than three thou sand miles in extent on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and one thousand miles on the Pacific that in case of war few hours will bring fleet of ironclads from station on the Nova Scotian coast into Long Island Sound, while inland water would serve place of rendezvous for vessels of every class. These ships could do immense damage to the coast of New York and Connecticut in very short space of time, as was shown during the war of 1812-13 by a British fleet under Commo- dore Hardy. They took complete possession of the Sound, blocked up New London and New Haven, occupied the island at the east ern entrance, bombarded Stonington and landed several hundred men on Faulkner s Island in the center of the Sound, making it base for operations. The importance of protecting this important inland water should not be neglected, it being the only route by which iron-clad ships of the greatest draught can approach New York, there being several fathoms more water by the Sound route than over Sandy Hook bar. It seems that protec- tion to this part of the coast is most need ed. A line of Notifications erected on the islands at the eastern entrance of the Sound and at the mouth of New London harbor, and navy yard at the latter place should not be lost sight of, as New London has advant- ages for naval purposes second to none on the American coast. It seems that the gov ernment should not delay to manufacture guns of heavy calibre, similar to those made by the English government, and have them stored in our arsenals ready to be moved to points on the coast in time of emergency.