The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-05
SAMUEL j. TlLDEN.
The Sage Of GreystOna DiscOurscs OH
the Necessity of Improvement
in Our Coast Defences.

G. Carlisle
GREYsToNE, Dec. /. 1885 Dear Mr.
Carlisle: AS public opinion points to yo'
as speaker of tie next house of represen
tttives, | desire to submit II suggestion Il
to one of the public objects for which al
appropriation ought to be provided ant
be "A liberal one. In considering the stat'
and mana cement of the public revenues
the subject involves the questions wheihe
we shall eXtingush the surplus by rednc
! ing the revenue, or whether we Shall APP
ply the surplus to payments on the public
debt, or whether we shall seize the coca
sion to provide for our sea coast defenses
which have been long neglected, am OF
the opinion that the latter is a paramount
necessity, which ought to precede the re-
ducton cf revenue and ought also to pre-
cede an excessive Iapidity Of payment OF
the public debt. The property exposed
to destruction in the twelve sea ports,
Portland, Portsmouth, Boston, Newport,
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Charleston. Savannah, New Orleans, Gals
ycston and San Francisco cannot be less
in value than So, 600, 600, 600; to this must
be added a vast amount of property do
pendent for its use of the seaportS, nor
does this statement afford 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 Cen-
tiers not only of Il foreign commerce. but
of most OF the internal trade and exs
changes OF domestic productions. To
this state of things the 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
a foreign enemy. or destruction of them
by bombardment, or the holding over the
menace OF their destruction for the pur
pose of eXacting contribution or ransom,
would ntllct upon the property and busi-
ness of The country, an injury which can
neither be fOrescen nor measured. The
elaborate and costly Notifications. which
We're constructed with the greatest engin>
eering skill are now practically useless.
They are not capable of resisting the at
taCks of modern artillery. A still greater
defect exists in our coast defenses The
range of the best modern artillery has
become so extended that our present for
titications designed to protect the harbor
of New York, where two>thirds of the
import trade and more than half of the
carried on. are too near TO the great popu.
lations of New York City, Jersey City and
Brooklyn to be of any value as protec-
ton. To provide effectual defenses
would be the work of years. 1t would
take much time to construct permanent
fortiticalions. Small provision is best.
The construction OF modern guns would
take several years. Neither of these
works can be eXtJmporized in the presence
of emcrgent danger. a million soldiers,
with the best equipments on the heights
surrounding the harbor of New York in
our present state of preparation, or rather
in our total want of preparations. would
be powericss to resist a small squadron of
war steamers This state of things is dis
crcditable to our foresight and prudence
THE BEST GUARANTEE AGAINST AGGREs
SION,
the best assurance of our diplomacy to be |
success and pacific and our rights and |
honor to be respected by other nations. is |
their knowledge that we are situated to |
vindicate our reputation land interests.
While we may afford to be deficient in
means of oifensc, We cannot afford to be
defenseless. 1t is a notorious fact that we
have neglected ordinary precautions of
defense and that inj ustce and arrogance
have resulted at the hands OF foreign na>
tions. 1t is now more than sixty years
since we announced to the world that we |
should resist any attempt, from whatever
quarter they might come, to make any
new colonizations on any part of the
American continent: that while We should
respect the status quo, we should protect
Lhe people from the different nations in-
aabiting this continent from every attempt
% subject them to the dominion of any
foreign power, or to interfere with their
Indsturbed exercise of the rights of self
government. The announcement was
'ormaly made by President Monroe. after
consultation with Mr.. Madison and Nj.
Jefferson. Ii was formulated by John Qnin
y Adams that our government was fairs
y committed to the Monroe doctrine and
wen so late as 1865 it warned Napoleon
,ut Of Mexico. 1t is possible to foresee
n the recent scramble of European pow
RS for acquisition of colonies, how soon
IN occasion may arise for our putting in
practice
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
t is clear that there ought to be some re-
alton between our assertion of that doc.
riDe and our preparation to maintain it
I is not intended to recommend any at
empt to rival great European powers in
he creation of "a powerful navy. Changes
which have rapidly occurred by diminu
ion of relative resisting power of defen-
i've armor of iron clads and increased
Gpia IN,