The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-01-13

laroEn cur iecr1lar Correspondent
Tks44fSaw0s ID n Jnn q 5sSs

IRON our itciflt CORES pendent.
W1sHHsaros, ID. &C., Jan s, 1883.
Every year about this time q
trained host of lobbvists aud con.
tractors are loudly grievea because
we have NO big guns nor ships,
England, Trance, and Italy. They
lament, have larger guns aud ships
! than we have Antlsthey entleavoI
I to scare the .tcliildren OF the Unit
ed States into the contribution OF
n millions Of dollars by pictnrinC the
\ tcoast Of the United States. defence
less and at the mercy Of colossal
piTates iniir0n-Glatis. There is no
end of sReh plutitutles as ain time
of peace prepare for war; These
lobbyists, contractors, and the
army and naval Officers who en-
courage them would have the Unit
Ell States, like a staggering bully,
ever ready for fight In time Of
peace aud prosperity the s0ceupa.
Ition of.tlle army and navy and the
manufactured of war supplies is
gone, hence these tears. Now,
apart from the fact that a man with
a chip onhis shoulder and u revolv-
erin his pocket is much more likely
to get into fight, and lie in the
wrong. than the man who attends
to his business, there are other rea-
sons why we should neither spend
money nor energy for offensive or
defensive armamellts now. The
| first reason is that we are n0tin
the slightest danger of attack.
There is not and there has not been
for 90 years-a casus belli between
the United States and any formid-
able 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 1
with any great powers except Eng
land and France. The causes and +
complications which keep Europe
filled WithgcolosSal armies are only /
safeguards for MS. Not even Eng
land witlher insular security dares
to lower her guard 10y the dispatch
of war-ships t0rthiS country. But,
to suppose the impossible let it be
that England will send Il
half-dozen of her big ships here.
The cause for such expedition will Il
from one to five years in +
and either period wiz be
to enable us to build
coast tlefeDces, and even floating
and rams, and to sow-0IT z
ports with torpetloes. Ut will also 4
give us time to drive English com
meree from the seas with spriVa-
teerB, to say nothing Of the Dccupa- Il
ton Of Canada. Does any one snip
pose England will risk the destruc- !
lion of her commerce, which is as /
much the breath of her life as agri- 4
sultare is ours. III, then, England d
sannot afford te'tight MS, how mrch IT
ess can France Russia Germany {
lr Italy, each of which countries is X
sleeping on its arms, afraid TO P
weaken its defence by the loss Of a /
or a ship, i
There is no public sentiment in i
avoT of the increase Ofthe army or p
navy. The sentiment that faYars Il
inch increase is very private and =
elect. Gen. Sherman favORs it
he is the centre OF mill
AIRY cOterie that has no army for a +
,ack ground, and is naturally feel I
ng very much out Of place, Sec
etary Lincoln faNors it because he
S ~corralled by Gen. Sherman and
Vest Point. Secretary Chandler
avOTs it because he is surrounded >.
" a host of dry-land Rear ADM :
ais who, as the French would say,
ave no ratson d'e!re, and, who, lib Y
rally translated, are ducks out of
water Behind them all are a host
# syOraeions contractors and a full
md Overlooking treasury c0ntin
tally increased by a swollen 7
evenue.