Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-12-11
Exposed to an Enemy.
Hon. Samuel ]. Tilden has sent the fol-
lowing letter to Hon. John G. Carlisle:
GREYsToNE, YoNKERs, N. Y,
December /. 1885.


My dear Mr.. Carlisle:
As public opinion points to you as the
Speaker of the next House of Representa-
tives, desire to submit suggestion as to
one Of the public objects for which an ap-
preparation ought to be prompt and liberal.
In considering the state and management
of the public revenues, the subject involves
the questions whether we shall extinguish
the surplus by reducing the revenue, or
whether we shall apply the surplus to pay
ments on the public debt, or whether we
shall seize the occasion to provide for our
sea coast defenses, which have been long
neglected / am of the opinion that the
latter is paramount necessity, which ought
TO precede the reduction Of the revenue, and
ought also precede an excessive rapidity in
the payment OF the public debt.
The property exposed to destruction in
the twelve eaports-Portand, Portsmouth,
Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia,
| Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, New Or
| leans, Galveston and San Francsco-cannot
| be lees in value than five thousand millions
of dollars. To this must be added vast
amount of property dependent for its use on
these seaports. Nor does this statement af-
ford true measure of the damage which
might be caused to the property and bust
ness of the country by failure to protect
these seeports from hostile naval attacks.
| They are the centers, not only OF for
eign commerce, but of most of the internal
trade and exchanges of domestic produc-
tons. 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 for
eign enemy, or the destruction of them by
bombardment, or the holding over them the
menace of destruction for the purpose of
exacting contribution or ransom, would in
flict upon the property and business of the
country an injury which can neither be for
seen nor measured. The elaborate and cost
ly Notifications, which were constructed with
the greatest engineering skill, are now prac
tically useless, They are not capable of re-
Sistng the attacks of modern artillery.
A still greater defect exists in our coast
defenses. The range of the best modern ar
tillery has become SO extended that our
present Notifications designed to protect the
harbor Of New York, where two-thirds of
the import trade, and more than one-haf
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 protection.
To provide effectual deienses would be
the work of years. 1t would take much
time to construct permanent Notifications
| A small provision of the best modern guns
would take several years Neither of these
works can be extemporized, in presence of
emergent 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 power
less to resist small squadron OF war steam
| ers.
This state of things is discreditablc to our
foresight and to our prudence. The best
guarantee against aggression, the best assur-
ance 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 vim
dictate our reputation and interests. While
we may afford to be deficient in the means
OF defense, we cannot afford to be defense
less. The notoriety of the fact that we. have
neglected. the ordinary precautions of de-
Tense invites want of consideration in our
diplomacy, injustice, and arrogance and in
suit at the hands of foreign nations. 1t is
no more than sixty years since we an
nounced to the world that we should resist
any attempts, ffom whatever quarter they
might come, to make any new colonization.
on any part of the American continent
7 shoN "hliC VIC SllOuiu IbSDSCJ Tic NFttHo VNOi
1--WE should protect the people of the different
nations inhabiting this continent from every
attempt to subject them to the domination
OF any European power, or to interfere with
their undisturbed exercise of the right OF
self-government This announcement was
formally made by President Monroe, after
consultation with Mr.. Madison and Mr. JEFF.
ierson. 1t was formulated by John Quincy
Adams Our Government has firmly ad
hered TO the Monroe doctrine; and even Sc
late as 1865, it warned Napoleon III out OF
Mexico. 1t is impossible to foresee in the
recent scramble of the European powers fol-
the acquisition of colonies, how soon an oc-
casion may arise for our putting in practice
the Monroe doctrine. 1t is clear that there
ought to be some relation between our as
sertion OF that doctrine, and our preparation
to maintain it. 1t is not intended to recon-
, mend any attempt to rival the great Euro.
pean powers in the creation of powerful
navy. The changes which have rapidly oc
CURED by the diminution of the relative re-
slsting power of the defensive of ironcladS
+ and by the increased efficiency Of modern
artillery, which, on the whole, had gained
, in the competition, suggest that we should
, not at present enter largely into the creation
! of armored vessels.
Second. In the questions that beset this
, subject, until they shall have reached solu
, ton, we can content ourselves with adding
, but sparingy TO our navy, but what we dc
add should be the very best that science and
, experience can Indicate. This prudential
view is reinforced by the consideration that
the annual charge of maintaining wal
, vessel bears an important proportion to the
, original cost of construction. In construct
ing permanent Qualifications and in provid
ing an ample supply of the best modern ar.
, tillery, the annual cost of the maintenance
, is inconsiderable Nearly the whole ex
pendture is in the original outlay for con
struction. Ii we do not make the eXpend
iture necessary to provide for our sea coas
, detences when we have a surplus, and have
no need TO levy new taxes, we certainly will
not make those expenditures when we hav,
no longer a surplus in the Treasury. II
leave our vast interests defenceless in orde
,, TO reduce the cost of whiskey to its con
sumers would be a solecism The presen
, time is peculiarly favorable for providin!
, for this great national necessity too lonl
neglected, Not only does the surplus in tn
|, ETreasury supply ample means to meet thi
! great public want without leaving new bur
, dens upon the people, but the work can nov
be done at much lower cost than has eve
before been possible. The defensive work
\ would consist almost entirely Of steel an,
Y iron. These materials can now be had a
an unprecedented low price. A vast suppl
of machinery and of labor called into ex
istence by great vicissitude in the stee
and iron industries offers itself TO our ser
vice. We should havo the satisfaction G
knowing that, while we were availing our
selves OF the supplies which would pr
marily be unattainabe, we were setting il
motion important industries and giving EN-
ployment to labor in a period of depression
With encouragement by the guarantee Q
.. work. or perhaps by the Government itsel
, furnishing the plant, the inventive geniu
of our people would be applied TO the crea
ton of new means aud improved machinery
/, and establishments would spring into eS
istence capable of supplying all of the ma
tional wants and rendering us completed
independent of all other countries in respeC
to the means of national defense. | en-
,, deavored To impress these ideas upon NJ
, Randall the last time had the pleasure {
seeing him. With my highest regards {
Mrs. Carlisle and yourself remain yer