Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-12
JAMES RIVER.
n. ysiue to tho Country In Peace and
War.
Iror the Dispatch.]
60 N usss.

rror the Dispatch.]
To he Hon. George ID. Wiss'
Near sir.-In it's issue Of Sunday morn
80, the CORRESPONDENT of The RICHMOND
D,sp.ToH makes the scare about the unde-
fended condition of the Virginia coast
tbe occasion of some remarks upon the
neeessity'o of amending that condition
In that regard 1t seems TO me mat your
nosi.ion enables you 10 do great deal not
pnIv for Richmond and james river, but
for The United States as well, If your efforts
are seconded by your constituents, and are
NOT tbwarted by sectionalism In Congress.
For several wears you were on the Con-
crass COMMITTEES on Naval Affairs, aud l
Inow of INV own personal knowledge de-
rived from Speaker Carlisle himself. that
when he offered you the charrmanshlp OF
the Committee on the Post-Ohces ana Post.
Roads, position, Us he assured me, OK
more patronage than any in Congress, with
n clerk assigned to do your correspondence
and all the drudgery Of your office, you
declined il and selected instead place on
the COMMITTEES on Rivers and Harbors,
while retaining your seat on the Naval
Committee. where you could better serve
your State by getting appropIlations Ior
the deepening the channel OK James river
and improving the channel OF Eiizabeth
river; and so aiding Richmond ana NOT
X
ouIred knowledge OF what was needed,
and Increased your influence for good by
GETTING fair proportion of the appropria-
f;ona that went to the two committees.
donbt not your return to Congress next
winter will be hailed with pleasure by
those of the members with whom you
served that still remain there. and that
your ability. ss well as your experience
and hsh tSsa soa had before Certainly
you will be entitled to II.
/ therefore respectfully suggest that you
continue on the same line or service ana
obtain for Tidewater, and especially for
James river. the comparatively small sums
that will be necessary TO make Richmond
impregnable.
know, give the river depth lo OF twenty
two feet at mean low tide l2525 at high
tide) up to a point four and half miles
above Drewry's Bluf. The strategic
advantages of such position are patent.
Commencing at Fort Powhatan, forty
five miles below, every few miles above
offers a point of defence overhanging the
river. At Curtis Neck, twenty miles rom
Richmond. and thenceup to the city itself,
both sides afford elevations, Ike Chaihn,s
and Drewrys Bluff. and Dutch Gap, which
will enable a very small force to sink an
invading fleet: whilst the line of the
ChickahomIny on the north and the Apo
mattox on the south Will protect, as they
have protected, against any thanking move
ment All the ordnance OF the army and
navy of the United States would be per-
fectly safe in such spot. mus
guarded any naval force of the
United States might DO sheltered IN
harbour. which will extend thirty-two
miles, from City Point to Richmond. 1t is
not necessary to enlarge on this, because
history bears out what have said. Every
soldier knows that to the last Richmond
was impregnable to assault, and that 1t
only welded when famine fell upon the
Army of Northern Virginia. IL such was
the strength of the place in the late war,
what would it be with tho whole Union to
defend it2
of course where such natural strength
of site IL found the cost OF fortifying 1t is
a minimum, which (other things being
eouaD ought to turn the scale in Its favor.
| III Is safe to say that if the Government
should determine to select such site
| for building ships and manufacturing
ordnance, and should expend the money TO
get the requisite depth in the river par
] passu with the expenditure necessary for
plant and materials, the river could be p<1t
| In condition long before the works could
Il De unlS1tu, huQ tuab thO NNos "a
| the channel can be saved many times over
| in the much smaller expenditure that would
| be required for the other enterprise.
If the above be true then no part Of the
Atlantic or Gulf coast can offer as safe
sight for naval ship building and the man.
ufacture of ordnance as the one desig;
mated: nor any that is az near by several
routes TO the best mineral and timber re-
zion in the world. IL other places have
been selected that is no reason why this
| should not also be occupied. The add.
tional expense will be nothing to Gov
eminent as rich as the United States, CON-
pared with the perpetual insurance against
capture and destruction by an enemy OF
the most central spot on the Atlantic
coast and the nearest and most central to
| the West.
/ am not only your political, but ] am
happy to call myself your personal friend,
| and If l did not think you had the tact,
| influence, and ability to carry this project
| 10 a completion-at least if any southern
man can-I would not suggest what by
| failure might mortify your feelings and
hurt your reputation. Nor would now
| publIcly call upon your tellow-citlzens to
| follow your lead and second your efforts by
movements of such magnitude. earnest
ness, and energy as will contribute greatly
| to your success. They ought to know that
| no local question is of half the public i'm
portance as this one. CONSTITUENT.