Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-12-05
We ARE DEFENSELESS.
Our Great Ssaporfs At the Mercy of
a Hostile Navy.
Mr.. TILoEN WRITES TO CARLISLE
Upon the Urgent Need Of Legislation
Giving Us Sea Coast 0efenss---
Whitney Upheld.

NEw YoRK, December AIR. Samuel
]. Tilden has sent the following letter to
Hon. John G. Carlisle:
GREYsToyE, YoNKERs, n. Y, }
December l, 1885.
Dear Mr.. Carlisle.
As public opinion points TO you SIS the
Speaker of the House Of Representatives,
| desire to submit q suggestion as to one
of the public objects for which an sppro-
priation ought to be prompt aud liberal.
In considering the State and Engagement
of the public revenues the subject involves
the questions whether We shall extiuguish
the surplus by reducing 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 sea coast de-
fenes which have been long neglected. /
am of the opinion that the latter is per-
msnant necessity which ought to precede
the reduction of the revenue and ought
also 10 precede an excessive rspidity in
the payment ofthe public debts The prop
erty exposed to destruction in the twelve
seaports, Portland, Portsmouth, Boston,
Newport, New York, Philadelphia, Bslti
more, ChsrlestowD, Savannah, New Or
leans, Galveston and San Fran
cisco, cannot be less in value than
FIVE thousand millions Of dollars
To this may be added vast amount Of
property dependent for its use on these
sesports nor does this statement afford o
true measure of the damage which might
be caused to the property and business of
the country by failure TO protect these
seaports from hostile naval attacks They
are the centres not only OF foreign COM
merce but Of most of the internal trade
and exchange Of domestic productions
To this state OF things tie machinery Of
transportation OF the whole country has
become adapted. The interruption Of the
currents Of traffic by the occupation Of
one or more Of our principal seaports By
foreign enemy or the destruction Of them
by bombardment, or the holding over them
the menace OF destruction for the purpose
of exacting contributions or ransom, would
inhict upon the property and business Of
the country, an injury which can neither be
foreseen nor mea assured. The elaborate and
costly Notifications which were constructed
with the greatest engineering skill are now
practically useless. They are not ca
pable Of resisting the attacks Of modern
artillery. A still greater defect exists in
OUR COAST DEFENsEs.
The range of the best modern artillery
has become go extended that our present
Notifications designed to protect the harbor
Of New York, where twothirds Of the i'm
port trade and more than one.haf OF the
export trade Of the whole United States is
carried on, are too near to the great popu-
lations of New York City, Jersey City, and
Brooklyn to be Of any value as q protec.
ton. To provide effective defenses would
be the work Of years 1t
would take much time TO construct
permanent fortifca!ion. A small provis
ion Of the best modern guns would take
several years. Neither of these works can
be extemporized in the presence Of emerg,
eut danger. a million Of soldiers, with
the best equipments, on the heights sur
rounding the harbor Of New York in our
present state Of preparation, or rather in
our total want of preparation would be
powerless to resist a small squadron Of
war steamers. This state OF things is dis
creditable to our foresight, and TO our
prudence. The best guarantee against
aggression, the best assurance that
our diplomacy will be successful
and pacific, and that our rights and honor
will be respected by other nations is in
their knowledge that We are in a situation
to vindicate our reputation aud interests.
While we may afford to be deficient in the
means of offsnse, we cannot afford to be
defenseless. The notoriety Of the fact that
We have neglected the ordinary prec Nutions
Of defense invites want OF consideration in
our diplomacy, Injustice, arrogance and in
suit at the hands Of foreign nations.
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
It is now more than sixty years since
We announced to the world that we should
resist any attempts from whatever quarter
they mis- ght come, 10 make any new colon.
izations on any part of the American con-
tipent; that while we should respect the
status quo we should protect the people of
the different nations inhaSiting this CON
tiuent from every attemp: to subject them
to the dominion Of any foreign power
or 10 interfere with their uDdsturbed
exercise of the rights OF selt-sovernment.
This announcement was formally made by
President Monroe after consultation with
Mr.. Madison and Mr.. Jefferson. 1t wa
formulated BY John Qlincy Adams Oar
Government has firmly adhered TO the
Monroe doctrine aud even as late as 1865
il warned Napoleon III. out OF N, xico
II is impossible to foresee in the recent
scramble Of the European Powers fol
acquisition of colonies, how soon
An OCCASION NAY ARISE
for our putting in practice the Monroe doc
trine. Ii is clear that there ought 10 b
some rels;ion between oue assertion oi tbs
doctrine and our preparation 10 maintain
il. II is not inte ded TO recommend any
attempt TO rival the great European pow
era in the creation Of powerful navy
The changes which have rapidly occurred
by the diminution Of the relative resisting
power Of the defensive Hrpor OF ironclad
and by the increased efficiency of moderl
artillery, which on the whole has gained il
the competition, suggest that We should no
AT present enter into the creation Of ar
mored vessels.
We WANT GOOD sHIPl
In the questions that beset this subjec
until they shall hare reached solution
We can content ourselves with adding bu
spsringly to our navy, but what We do adj
should be the very best that science anc
experience can indica'e. THIS prudentis
view is reinforced BY the consideration tha
the annual charge OF mAirtaining Q va
vessel bears sn important proportion to tn
original cost Of reconstruction. In constructing
permanent fortifcs,ions, and in pro7idiDI
an ample supply Of the best modern arti
lery the annual cost of maintenance il il
considerable. Nearly the whole expend
ture IA in the original outlay for eonstrut