The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-12-12
H.AElsOlt lDErENSES.
samuel ). Tiltlen Makes Good Suggestions u

samuel ). Til.len Makes Good Suggestions.
New YORK, Decc,nbc, MIR. Samuel
]. Tilden seat the following letter to Hon.
John q. Carlisle:
Dear Mr.. Carlisle: AS public opinion
points to YOU as the Speaker Of the next
House of Representatives, desire to sub
init suggestion as to one Of the public Oh.
jects ior which an appropriation ought to
be provided and Il liberal one. In con.
sidcring the state and management Of pub.
lie revenues the subject involves questions
whether We shall extinguisl, the surplus
bv reducing the revenue or whether we
shall apply the surplus to payments on
the public dobt, or whether we shall seize
the occasion TO provide for our sea coast
deienses, which have long been neglected
| am OF the opinion that the latter is Of
paramount necessity and ough, to pre-
ccde the reduction OF revenue. and ought
also to preccdc an excessive raIidi,v in
the payment Of the public debt. The
property exposed to destruction in twelve
seaports, Portsmouth, Portland, Boston,
Newport, New York, Savannah, New Or.
! leans, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston,
San Francisco and Galveston, cannot be
| less in value than five billion OF dollars.
This must be added to the vast amount of
property dependent for its use ON these
I ~.
true measure OF the damage which might
be caused to the property and business OF
the country by failure TO protect these
scaports from hostile naval attacks. They
are the ccnters not only OF foreign COM
n,ercc but Of most OF the international
trade and exchanges Of domestic produc.
tions. Interruption Of the current Of traf.
tic by the occupation of one or more OF
our practical scaports by foreign enemy,
the destruction of them by bombardment,
or the holding over them Of Il menace of
destruction for the purpose Of exacting
contribution or ransom, which would in.
tlict upon the property and business OF the
country All injury which can neither be
forsecn nor measured. The elaborate and
costly Notifications which were constructed
with the greatest engineering skill are now
practically useless. They are not capable
Of resisting the attacks OF modern artillery
\ still greater defect exists in our coast
dctenses. The range Of the best 4nodcrr
artillery has become so extended that ou,
present Notifications designed to protect
the harbor Of New York, where two third.
Of the import trade Of the whole United
States is carried on, are too near 70 tn.
great populations Of New York City, Jcr
sey City, and Brooklyn, to be Of any valu.
As protection. 10 provide eifectual de
fenses would be Il work Of wears. It woult
take much time TO construct pernnancn
Notifications. \ small provision OF III,
/ best modern guns would take several years
porized in the presence Of immergcnt dan
ger. A million soldiers with the bes
. equipments, on the heights commanding
the harbor Of New York in our prescn
state OF preparation, or rather in our tota
want OF preparation, would be powcrles
to resist small squadron Of war steamers
This state Of things is discrcditablc to on
foresight, and prudence. The best guar
antcc against aggression, the best assur
anccs that our diplomacy will be success
full and pacific and our rights and honor b
t.,l IL, ~ =. ~, a;
knowledge that We are in Il situation t
viniicatc or reputation and interests
While we may afford TO b.. deficient in tn
means of otfense, we cannot afford to b
dcicnsee>>. The notcworty fact that W
have neglected ordinary precautions Of dc
tense invites Il want of consideration il
our diplomacy, injustice, arrogance and in
suit at the hands OF foreign nations. 1t i
not more than sixty year since we an
nounccd TO the world that We should rcsis
any attempts, from whatever quarter The,
might come, to make any new colonial
tons upon any part OF the American con
tinent: that while we should respect III
SIatn qMo, we should protect the peoples q
the different nations inhabiting this con
tinent from every attempt 10 subject then
to the dominancy OF any foreign powers O
TO Interfere with their undisputed cxer
else Of the rights OF sclfgovcrnmcnl
This announcement was formally made b.
President Monroe alter consulting Madi
son and Jefferson. 1t was formulated b.
! John Quincy Adams. Our Govcrnmcn
has fairly adhered 70 the Monroe doctrine
and even AS late as 1863 warned Napoleo