The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-12-10

0kA COA0E 06b nSNOo0s
= u..srr rr.- hes. sa.ael ,. TIN
0ea.
Nxv Yonx. Dec. A-Mr Samuel J. Tlden |
has sent the following letter to Hon. John Car
Isle:
GhxYsrorE, Yonkers, N. Y. Dec. 1, 1885.
Dear Mr.. Carlisle AS public opinion points
to YOU rs the Speaker Of the next House OF Hep |
resentatives, desire to submit saggesuon as
to one of the public objects for which an appro.
prialion ought TO be prompt and liberal. In con
sitiering the state and Management OF the puoic
| revenues, the subject involves the questions
whether we shall extnguish the surplus oy re-
| ducing the revenue, or whether we shall Apply
| the surplus to payments on the public debt. or
| whether we shall seize the occasion to provide
| for our seacoast defenses, which have been long
| neglected am Of the opinion that the latter 70
4 q paramount necessity, which ought to preceue
| the reduction Of the revenue and ought also 10
precede an excessive rapidity in the payment oil
| the public debt.
The property exposed to destruction in the
| twelve seaports-Portland, Portsmouth, Boston,
| Newport, New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore,
| Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, Galveston,
and San Francisco-cannot be less in value than
| Is 600 100000. To this must be added vast
amount.of property dependent for its use on
| these seap0rts.
Nor does this statement afford true measure
|
property and business of the country by failure
| to protect these seaports from hostile naval at
| tacks. They are the centres not only al I0reign
commerce, but of most OF the internal trade ana
ENHANCES of domestic productions. To this state
of things the machinery of transportation OF the
whole country has become adapted. The inter-
ruption of the currents of traffic by the occupa-
ton of one or more of our princira al seaports by
foreign enemy, or the destruction OF them by
bombardment or the holding over them the men
oT fnrt hn nf
contributions or ransom, would infict upon the
property and business of the country an injury
which cannot be foreseen nor measured
| The elaborate and costly Qualifications which
were constructed with the greatest engineering
skill are now practically useless They are not
capable of resisting the attacks of modern rtil-
lery.
! A still greater defect exists in our coast de-
| fenses The range of the best modern artillery
has become extended that our present fOrtf
cations designed Ia protect the harbOr OF New
!, York, where two-thrds OF the import trade and
. more than One-half of the export trale OF the
whole United States is carried on. TOO near to
The great populations of New York City, Jersef
E City and Brooklyn to be OF any value as pro-
! lection.
To provide effec,ual de:cnses would be the
= work OF years 1t would take much time to con-
struct permanent tortiicatiOns. A small pro-
vision OF the best modern guns would take sew
eral wears. Neither of these works can be ex-
] ID =
|, A million Of soldiers with the best equipments,
: on the heights surrounding the harbor OF New
i, York, in our present state OF preparation, or
rather in our total want OF preparation, would be
pOwerless to resist small squadron OF war
steamers This state OF things is discreditable to
= | our foresight and TO our prudence. The besl
= guarantee against aggression, The best assurance
that our diplomacy will be successful and that
our rights and honor will be respected by other
- nations is In their knowledge that we are i'll a
y situation to vindlcate our reputation and inter
" | ess.
While we may afford to be deficient in means
of Offense, we cannot afford To- be detenceless
y The notoriety of the fact that we have neglected
= the ordinary precautions of defense invites want
- of consideration in our diplomacy, injustice, AFRO
n gance and insult al the hands of foreign nations
q Ii is now more than sixty years since we an
nOunced to the world that we should resist any
attempts, from Whatever quarter they NIGH
:, came, to make any new combinations on any
h part OF the American continents that while We
IL should respect the status quo we should prOtec
- the people Of the different nations inhabitine
y this continent from every attempt to subjec
Il them to the dominion Of any European power
:, or to interfere with their undisurbed exercise d
the rights OF self-government. This announce
10 ment was formally made by President Monrot
n after consultation with Mr. Madison and MIR
=. Jefferson. 1t formulated by John Quincy
Adams. Our government has firmly adhered tt
70 the Monroe doctrine, and even so late as 1865 i
:, warned Napoleon Ill out of Mexico.
=, 1t is impossible To toresee in the recent scram-
% bic of the European powers for acquisition
20 of colonies how soon occasion may arise fol
70 our putting in practice the Monroe doctrine. i
n. is clear that there ought TO be some relation be
~ tween our assertion of that doctrine and Ou
Va | preparation TO maintain it,
n 10 1fl4ai tie great European powers in the crea
ID ton of powerful navy. The changes which
,e have rapidly occurred by the dImnuton of the
A. relative resisting power of the defensive armol
r. of ironclads, and by the increased efficiency Of
A. modern artillery, suggest that we should not a,
N present enter largely into the creation OF ar
mOred vessels.
~ In the questions that beset this subject until
W they shall have reached solution, we can con
4 tent ourselves with adding but sparingly to our
" navy But what we do add should be the very bes,
.. that science and experience can indicate. This
70 prudential view is reinforced by The consideration
,, that the annual charge of maintaining YES
. sci bears an important proportion to the original
!, cost of construction.
Il In constructing permanent Qualifications and
V in providing an ample supply of the best modern
:, artillery, the annual cost of maintenance is in
i considerable; nearly the whole expenditure is
>. in the original outlay for construction.
= five do not make the expenditure necessary
q TO provide Tor our seacOast defenses when we
4 have a surplus and have need to levy new
:" taxes we certainly will! not make those expen-
# diures when We have no longer surplus in the
! | treasury.
To leave our vast interests defenseiess, in or
| der 10 reduce the cost of whSkey 10 its consum-
ers would be a soecism.
The present time is peculiarly favorable for
providing for this great national necessity.