New-York tribune., 1885-07-04
THE DAY I'VE CELEBR1TE.

National JOY and pride, 1t is right that we
should first ask what ground we have Tor pride
or joy. We are great Nation In numbers Out
China is greater. In area the Nation Is great
but Russia covers more than twice as mucn Ter
ritory. The Nation claims vast wealth, Dut III
one of its great parties tells the truth. wealth
has come not because but in spite of the course
of the people's government Tor the past quarter
of a century. We burn powder, and hear the
roar of cannon, on this festal day. as II the
might of the Nation in war were something 10
boast of, but there is scarcely civilized nation
Oh earth that could not destroy our chief cities
and do irreparable harm to our commerce be-
fore this Nation could get ready To hght III all
This comes to pass because it has been the con
slant aim of the patty long in opposition, anu
now in power, to cut down the expenses, To re-
duce or disband the army, to stop the building
or repairs of ships and forts, and, In short TO
make the General Government as insignificant
AS possible.
II is the deliberate opinion of men trained In
the modern arts of war that any hostile ships
living off Coney Island and armed with Il lew
long range guns, could with perfect impunity
burn nearly all of this city, Brooklyn and jersey
City, or extort the price of forbearancc any
sum that this city could pay. For all practical
purposcs our commerce is wholly defencciess;
Chill could destroy it. In the course OF time
we could build ships and produce guns, but IL
would BIZ ncedful first to create ship-yarus
beyond the reach f hostile cannon. boston
and other Atlantic ports ere equally defence
less il is doubted if we have a single gun that
could arrest the progress OF hostile ship to
any oil our wharves. The army OF tweniy-one
wears ago has vanished, and, by way of pre-
venting the creation OF another IN any future
need the Nation is discharging from its service
the men who once saved 1t, and giving its
Offices and honors to those who tried u destroy
it, The people who have clamored Tor years.
| Disband tho army" now have the power to do
what they please with it. What - there III all
this TO kindlc the pride of the Nation
For many years the warnings OF able men
have been uttered in vain. AT every attempt
to build forts or ships, the party now In power
has raised an Outcry about the wanton Wicked
ness of taxing the people to meet needless ex-
penses, and has voted down appropriations
| with the aid OF the shallow men who always
vote against everything that costs. 80 the
| plans of defence by torpedoes, and the efforts
| to build up a navy by Offering rewards for the
carrying of foreign mails in American ships
| have been voted down by the same set OF men,
| The Nation can boast, at last, that 1t is at
| present a little weaker. in comparison with the
| means Of other nations to do harm To Its sea-
| ports and its commerce, than any other power
| called civilized. BY way of proving that this
state of things is just what the country wants,
tho very people who have done most TO bring it
about have been entrusted with the govern
ment.
1t is not popular, in these days, to urge any
preparations for National defence. The fash
ionable thing is to say that the United States is
so enormously strong that no Nation will dare
to do us wrong. 1t pleases the National vanity
to ignore the fact that wrong has been done to
this country, for which some other Nations
would quickly get redress. The Fourth OF
July is a good day to devote TO sober consid-
Grafton of the fact that this Nation cannot cx-
pect to be forever at peace 1t cannot make
any claim, however just. with proper conf
denco and promptness, so long as IL is conscious
that its chief cities and its commerce are utterly
| dcfencelcss. Yet the Nation will spend i'll
amusing its children this very day money
enough to put some of its ports in a state OF
| perfect safety.