The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-12-05
THE MUMMY AWAKES
AND RE1rERArEs PnoruEsY.
Mr.. TiIdsn's Letter to Mr.. Carll,ls-HO
Wants Our COaut DsfsnSSa Attended to,
In Which He Is Extremely Repub.
llcau-A Remarkable Letter.

ANN-~sf
New YoRK, Dec. 4.-Mr. Samuel ]. Til
den has sent the following letter to Hon
John G. Carlisle:
GREYsroNE, YoNERRs, N. Y, Dec. l.
DEAR Mn. CARLIsLE:-As public opinion
points to you as tho Speaker Of the next
House Of Representatives desire to sub
NIT suggestion as to one of the public
objects for which an appropriation ought
to be prompt and liberal. In considering
the state and management OF the public
revenues the subject involves the ques'
tions whether We shall extinguiSh the
surplus by reducing the revenue, OF
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 defenaes which have
have bsen long neglected. l an oi the
opinion that the latter Is paramount ne.
cessity which ought TO precede the reduc.
Liop Of the revenue, and ought also to
precede the excessive rRpidity in the pay
ment OF the public debt. The properly
exposed to destruction in the twelve sea-
ports, Portland, Portsmouth, Boston, New
port, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Charleston, Savannah; New Orleans, Gal.
weston and San Francisco, cannot be- less
in value than five Thousand millions o.
dollars. To this must be added O vast
smount Of property dependent for its use
on these seaports. Nor does this state.
nent afford i trus measure OF the damage
which might be caused to the properly
and business Of the country by failure
to protect these seaports from hostile ma.
val attacks. They are the centerS not only
OF foreign commerce but OF most OF the
internal trade aud exchanges Of domestic
productions.
OTHER THINGS TO he CONSIDERED.
To this state Of things the machinery Ct
transportation Of the whole country has
become adapted, The interruptions 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 menaHce OF destruction for the
purpose Of e1ACting contributions or ran
som, would inilict upon tho people and
business OF the country an injury which
can neither be foreseen nor measured.
The elaborate and costly Notifications
which were constructed with the creates.
engineering skill are now practically use.
less. They are not capable OF resisting
the attacks OF modern artillery. A still
srester defect exists in our coast defenses.
fhe range Of the best modern artillery
has become 30 extended that our present
Notifications designed to protect the
harbor Of New York, where two.thirds OF
the import trade and more than one-half
ot the export trade OF the whole
United States are carried on arc
too near to the great ponulation,
OF New York City, Jersey City and
Brooklyn to be OF any value as q protec-
ton. To provide edectual defenses
would be the work OF years. 1t would
take much time to construct permanent
iortifcations. 4 small provision OF the
best modern guns would take several
years. Neither OF these works can be ex-
temporized in the presence OF emergent
danger. A million OF soldiers with the
oest equipments on the heights surround.
ing the harbor OF New York in our present
state Of preparation, or rather in our total
want OF preparation, would be powerless
to resist asmall squadron OF war steamers.
A DIsCREDITAELE STATE.
This state OF things is discreditable to
our foresight and to our prudence. The
best guarantee against aggression, the best
assurance that our diplomacy will be sue.
cessful and pacific, and that our right and
honor will be respected by other nations
is in their knowledge that we are in q
situation to vindiGate our reputation and
interests. While we may afford to be
deficient in the means OF ofiense we can
not afford To be detenseless. The not
oriety OF the fact that we haYe neglected
the ordinary precaqtion Of detense in.
vitea want Of consideration in our diplo.
macy, iDl lustice, arrogance aud insult at |
the hands OF foreign nations.
It is now more than sixty years since
we announced to the world that we should
resist any attempts from whatever quarter
they might come to make any new Coloni-
zstions on spy part Of the American con-
tinent; that willie we should respect the
status quo, We should protect the people |
OF the different nations inhabiting this
continent from every attempt 10 subject
them to the dominion Of any foreign
power or to interfere with their undis-
tutbed exercise OF the rights OF seltgovern-
ment.
TuR unSRoF nnF.rpTHP