The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-02
PROTECT THE COASTS.
Samuel j. Tilden's Famous Plea for Ma
tionsl Defenses.


John G. Carlisle, then a member of
congress:
AS public opinion points to you as the
speaker of the next house of represent
atives, 1 desire to submit a suggestion
as to one of the public objects for
which an appropriation ought to be
prompt and liberal.
In considering the state and manage
ment of the public revenues, the sub
5ect involves the question whether we
shall extinguish the surplus by reduc-
ing the revenue or whether we shall
seize the occasion to provide for our
seacoast defenses, which have been
long neglected / am of the opinion
that the latter is a paramount neces-
sity, which ought to precede the reduc-
ton of the revenue, and ought. also, to
precede an excessive rapidity in the
payment of the public debt.
The property exposed to destruction
in the IL seaports-Portland, Ports
mouth, Boston, Newport, New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore. Charleston,
Savannah, New Orleans, Galveston
and San Francisco-cannot be less in
value than $4,000, 900, 000. To this must
be added a vast amount of property
dependent for it's use on these sea-
ports. Nor does this statement afford
a true measure of the damage which
might be caused to the property and
business of the country by a failure to
protect these seaports from hostile at
tacks. They are the centers. not only
of foreign commerce, but of the most of
the internal trade and exchanges of
domestic productions.
The interruption of the currents of
traffic by the occupation of one or more
of our principal seaports by foreign
enemy or the destruction. for the pur-
pose of exacting contribution of ran
som, would inflict upon the property
and business of the country an injury
which can neither be foreseen nor
measured.
The elaborate and costly fortifca-
tions, which were constructed with the
greatest engineering SKILL are now
practically useless. They are not
capable of resisting the attacks of
modern artillery. a still greater dan
ger exists in our coast defenses. The
range of our best modern artillery has
become so extended that our present
fortifications designed to protect the
harbor of New York. where two-thirds
of the import trade and more than
one-half of the export trade of the
whole United States is carried on, are
too near to the great populations OF
New York city, Jersey City and Brook
Ign TO be of any great value as a pro-
lection. To provide effectual defenses
would be the work of years. 1t would
take much time TO construct perma-
nent fortifications. 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 surrounding the harbor of New
York, in our present state of prepara-
ton, or rather, in our total want of
preparation, would be powerless to re-
sist a small squadron of war steam
ers.
This state of things is discreditable
to our foresight and to our prudence.
The best guarantee against aggres-
sion, the best assurance that our di-
plomacy will be successful and pacific,
and that our rights and honor viii be
respected by other nations, Is in the
knowledge that we are in situation
to vindicate our reputation and inter-
ests. While we may afford to be de-
ficient in the means of offense, we
cannot afford to be defenseless. The
notoriety of the fact that we have
neglected the ordinary precautions of
defense invites want of consideration
in our diplomacy. injustice, arrogance
and insult at the hands of foreign ma
lions.
1t is now more than so years since
we announced to the world that we
should resist any attempts. from what
ever 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 the people of different
nations inhabiting this continent from
every attempt to subject them TO the
dominion of any European power, or to
interfere with their undisturbed exer-
else of the rights of government.
This announcement was formally made
by President Monroe after consultation
with Mr.. Madison and Mr. Jefferson.
1t was formulated by John Quincy
Adams. Our government has firmly ad-
hered to the Monroe doctrine, and even
so late as 1866 IL warned Napoleon Ill.
out of Mexico. 1t is impossible 10
foresee, in the recent scramble of the
European powers for acquisition of
colonies, how soon an occasion may
arise for our putting in practice the
Monroe doctrine. II is clear that there
ought to be some relation between our
assertion of that doctrine and our
preparation to maintain IL.
1t is not intended to recommend any
attempt 10 rival the great European
powers in the creation Of a powerful
navy. The changes which have rapid
ly occurred by the diminution of the
relative resistig power of the defensive
armor of ironclads and by the in
creased efficiency of modern artillery
which. on the whole. has gained In the
competition-suggest that We should
not at present enter largely into the
creation of armed vessels In the ques-
tons that beset this subject. until they
shall have reached a solution. we can
content ourselves with adding but
sparingly TO our navy. But what we
do 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 a war vessel