Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-01-13

From our Regular Correspondent.

Every year about this time q
trained host of lobbyists and con
tractors are loudly grieved because
we have no big guns or ships,
England, France and Italy, they
lament, have larger guns and ships
than we have. And they endeavol
to scare the "childrenD of the Uni
ted States into the contribution o.
millions Of dollars by picturing the
coast of the United States defence
less and at the mercy of colossal
pirates in Iron Clads. There is nc
end of such platitudes as "In time
of peace prepare for war;" These
lobbyists, contractors, and the army
and naval officers who encourage
them would have the United States
like staggering bully, ever ready
for a fight. In time of peace and
prosperity the occupation of the
Army and Navy and the manufac-
turer of war-supplies is gone, hence
these tears. Now, apart from the
fact that a man with chip on his
shoulder and a revolver in his peck
ct is rauch more likely to get into a
fight (and be in the wrong) than
the man who attends to his bust
ness, there are other reasons why
we should neither spend money nor
energy for offensive or defensive
ornaments now. The first reason
is that we are not in the slightest
danger of attack. There is not and
there has not been for sixty years a
cdSus 6elli between the United
States and any formidable power.
There has been no dispute with any
country except England and that
was settled without thought of
firing gun. We have never had
any quarrel with any great powers
except England and France. The
causes and complications which
keep Europe filled with colossal
armies are only safeguards for us.
Not even England with her Insular
security dares to lower her guard by
the dispatch of war-ships to this
country. But Ito suppose the i'm
possibility let it be assumed that
England will send a half dozen of
her big ships here. The cause for
such expedition will be known
from one to five years in advance,
and either period will be sufficient
10 enable us to build coast defences,
and even floating batteries and
rams, and to sow our ports with
torpedoes. 1t will also give us
time to drive English commerce
from the seas with privateers, to
say nothing of the occupation of
Canada. Does any one suppose
England will risk the destruction of
her commerce, which is as much
the breath OF life as agriculture is
ours. IF, then, England cannot
afford to fight US, how much less
can France, Russia, Germany or
Italy, each of which countries is
sleeping on its arms, afraid to weak
en- its defence by the loss of brig
ade or ship. Besides, there is no
more likelihood of our having a
quarrel with them than with Swe-
den or Denmark. Indeed, we are
entirely exempt from the necessity
of maintaining military and naval
establishments. If England is safe
because of the "silver-streak" that
divides her from the continent,
how much safer are we, who are
divided by streak more than one
hundred times as wide.
No one knows the future, and
there may come a time when we
will need ships and guns, but it is
certain that if we build them now,
they will be obsolete and useless
when we want them. For the last
fifteen years the powers of Europe
have been entertaining themselves
by building first ship that will
Withstand any gun, and then gun
that will pierce any ship. They
have now, / believe, ships steel
plated to the thickness of three
feet, and guns that will throw
steel-pointed shot of about fifteen
hundred pounds, and they are still
adding to the thickness of their
armor and the size of their guns.
These are very costly experiments,
and it would seem TO be our policy
to let them work out their reductiO
al dbsurtlpm when we may profit
by their mistak es. 1t will be time
enough for us to make an appropri-
alton when they have performed
the miracle of making a gun that
will annihilate any ship, and Il ship
that will withstand any gun.
There is no public sentiment in
favor of the increase of the Army
or Navy. The sentiment that ia
vors such increase is very private
and select. General Sherman IA
vors it because he is the centre of a
military coterie that has no Army
for background, and is naturally |
feeling very much out of place.
Secretary Lincoln favors it because
he is corralled by Gen. Sherman
and West Point. Secretary Chan
der favOr5 it because he is surroun-
ded by host of dry-land Rear
Admirals, who, as the French
would say, have no rGisOn d. etre,
and, who, literally translated, are
ducks out of water. Behind them
all are host of voraciOus contrac-
tors and a full and overlooking
treasury continually increased by
swollen revenue.
Washington, Jan. 8, 1888. -