Daily Republican., 1882-04-21
Our Nsyyspd Coast pcfeuces.

That Congress- Is taking some steps t o
wards resuseitating our navy shows tina
it is waking from Rip Van Wrinkle
sleep Of nearly score Of years, iutt
W biCha tour years war seems to have
plunged ii, and the looking after the
unfinished monitors, one of which lies
on the stocks in the Harlan & Hol.
lingsworth ship yards shows that the
improvements to our navy marine are
to be of a formidable and extensive
character. Our navy since the close of
the war has been permitted TO waste
away until it is hardly worthy Of +be
name it bears, when compared with
that of England and other European
States. 1t is true that thus far we
have escaped all harm from domestic
foes, but is it safe or wise to rely
upon our past good fortune for our Sc,
curity in the future? War is one Of
those things that may be very remote
and yet it may be very near and pru-
denGe would seem to dictate, now that
we have largely recovered from the
desolations and burdens of taxation oc.
casioned by the late war, and while
the country is prosperous and our
revenues are ample, that we should put
ourselves in condition to meet any
emergency that may be likely to arise.
In view of our extended coasts on the
Atlantic, Pacific and the Gulf and our
foreign interests and the foreign com.
MERGE we now have and what we NAV
hope to recover by wise and compre
hensive legislation, it would seem to be
only common prudence and wise fore
sight to provide Navy adequate to
successfully resist the combined attack
OF any forces that are likely to be con.
centrated against us. To do less than
this would seem to be an act OF supine
ness too hazardous and too perilous TO
contemplate, and therefore every lover
OF his country, who wants to see his
country strongly protected, should re-
joice that Congress is taking that pre-
caution that is always needed to keep
war at distance by preparing for war
and to keep our navy on war basis.
1t is no overstatement to say that we
are the most exposed nation of import
ance on the earth, and that there are
ships of war now afloat, that are capa-
BILE of entering any harbor on the coasts
and Of destroy ing our seaports, and the
United States would BIO at this time
powerless to prevent it. If this be true
Is it wise or prudent to continue in this,
dsfenceless condition Does it become
us as nation to remain thus exposed ?
1t would seem to be the part of wisdom
IN peace TO prepare for war; to construct
not only iron monitors, but adequate
defences along our coasts--the best that
modern science and engineering skill
be. To do less may be an act of supine-
ness, which may cost us as nation too
dearly. Grave responsibilities, relative
to these and kindred matters, rest upon
the law-making power Of a great COM
mercial nation, which they cannot af
ford to ignore, and certainly which
they cannot escape or evade. Ample
resources are at the command of the
law making power Of the nation to
provide adequate coast defences and an
adequate navy, and now that Congress
has embarked in the work of looking
mp and completing the monitors that
are ly ing half finished in our ship yards
we hope that it will not stop until our
navy shall be feared and respected
upon the ocean and Our coast defences
made impregnable. l.