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Show S.J. TILDEN TO CARLISLE He Suggests That the Surplus Revenue Rev-enue Should he Expended on Our Coast Defenses. The Neglect ot Ordinary Precautions Has Subjected Us to Insult and Arrogance. New York, San Francisco and Other Ports at the Mercy of Any Fifth-. Fifth-. Rate Power. Tildeii Writes of Coast Defenses. New Yobk, December 5. Mr. Samuel J. Tilden has sent the following letter to Hon. J.G. Carlisle: Geetstone, Yonkers, N. Y., J . December 1st, 1885. f " Dear Mr.'.' Carlisle: As publio opinion points to you as the Speaker of the next House of Representatives, I desire to submit a suggestion as to one of the publio objects for which an rnnrrmrintinn nnnht f u . i vided. In considering the state and management man-agement of publio revenues, the subject involves in-volves the questions whether we should extinguish ex-tinguish the surplus by reducing the revenue, or whether we should apply the surplus to payments on the publio debt, or whether we shall seize the occasion to provide for our sea coast defenses, which have been lon neglected. I am of the opinion that " THE LATTEB IS A PABAMOUXT NECESSITY, "Which ought to precede the reduction of the revenue,and ought also to precede an excessive excess-ive rapidity in the payment of the public debt. The property exposed to destruction in twelve seaports Portland, Portsmouth. Boston, New York, Newport, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, Or-leans, Galveston and San Franoisco cannot be less in value than five thousand millions of dollars. To this must be added the vast amount of property dependent for its use on these seaports. Nor does this statement afford the true measure of .the damage which might be caused to the property and business of the country by A FAHjUEE to peotect these seapobts From hostile naval attacks. They are centers cen-ters not only of foreign commerce, but of the most of the international trade- and ex- changes of domestio production. To this state of things the machinery of the transportation trans-portation of the whole country has become adapted, and the interruption of the currents cur-rents of traffic, the occupation of one or more of our principal seaports by a foreign enemy, or the desturction of them by the bonbardment, or holding over them a menace of destruction for the purpose of exacting contribution or ransom, would inflict in-flict upon the property and business of the country an injury which can neither be foreseen fore-seen nor measured. THE ELABOBATE AND COSTLY FOBTIFICATIONS "Which were constructed with the greatest engineering skill are made practically useless. use-less. They are not capable of resisting the attacks of modern artillery. Still greater defect exists in our coast defenses. The range of the best modern artillery has become be-come so extended that our present fortifications fortifica-tions 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 great populations New York City, Jersey City and Brooklyn to be of any value as protection. To provide EFFECTUAL DEFEXSTS WOULD BE THE W0BK OF TEABS. It would take much time to construct permanent per-manent fortifications. A small provision of the best modern guns would take several years. Neither can these works be extemporized extem-porized in the presence of emergent danger. A million soldiers with the best equipments on the heights surrounding the harbor of New York, in our present ' state of preparation, prepara-tion, would be powerless to resist a small squadron of war steamers. This state of things is discreditable to our foresight and prudence. The best guarantee against aggression, ag-gression, the best assurance that our diplomacy diplo-macy will be successful and pacific, and our rights and honor be respected by other nations, na-tions, is in their knowledge that we are in a situation to vindicate our reputation and interests. in-terests. "While we may afford to be deficient in means of offense, we cannot afford to be defenseless. Notoriety of the fact that we have NEGLECTED OEDTNABX PBE0AUTION3 OF DEFENSE, DE-FENSE, Invites a want of consideration in our diplomacy, diplo-macy, injustice, arrogance and 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 colonizations on any part of the American continent; that while we should respect statu quo, we should protect the people of different nations inhabiting this continent from every attempt to subject them to the dominion of any foreign power or to interfere with their undisturbed exercise exer-cise of the rights of self-government. This announcement was formally made by President Presi-dent Monroe, after consultation with Madison Madi-son and Jefferson. It was formulated by John Quincy Adams'. Our Government has FATBLY ADHERED TO THE MONBOE DOCTBINE, And even as late as 18G5, warned Napoleon III. out of Mexico. It is impossible to foresee fore-see in the indecent scramble of the European powers for acquisition of colonies how soon an occasion may arise for our putting in practice the Monroe doctrine. It is clear that there ought to be some relation between our assertion of that doctrine and our preparation to maintain it. It is not intended in-tended to recommend any attempt to rival the great European Powers in the creation of a powerful navy. The changes which have rapidly occurred by the diminution of the relative resisting power of the defensive armor of ironclads and by the INCREASED EFFICIENCY OF MODERN ARTILLERY, "Which, on the whole, has gained in the competition, com-petition, suggest that we should not at present pres-ent enter largely into the creation of armored arm-ored vesssels. Until the questions that beset this subject shall have reached solution, we can content ourselves with adding but sparingly spar-ingly to our navy, but what we do add should be the very best that science and experience can indicate. This prudential view is re-enforced re-enforced by the consideration that the annual charge of maintaining war vessels bears an important proportion to the original cost of constructing permanent fortifications, and in providing an ample supply of the best modern artillery the annual cost of maintenance mainten-ance is inconsiderable. Nearly the whole expenditure is in the original outlay of construction. con-struction. If we do not make the expenditure expendi-ture necessary to provide for OUB SEA COAST DEFENSE, "When we have a surplus and have no need to levy new taxes, we certainly will make those expenditures when we have no larger surplus in the Treasury. To leave our vast interests defenseless in order to reduce the cost of whisky to its consumers would be a solecism. The present time is peculiarly favorable for providing for thisgrea'u national na-tional necessity, too long neglected. Not only does the surplus in the Treasury furnish means to meet this great publio want without with-out laying new burdens on the people, but the work can now be done at a much lower cost than has ever before been possible. Defensive works would consist almost entirely en-tirely of steel and iron. These materials can now be had at unprecedentedly low prices. The vast supply of machinery and of labor called into existence by the vicissitudes vicissi-tudes of the steel and iron industries offers itself to our Bervioe. We should have the satisfaction of knowing that, while we were availing ourselves of supplies which would ordinarily be unattainable, we were setting In motion important industries and giving employment to labor in a period of depression, depres-sion, with the encouragement of $ guarantee th work. perhaps, by the Government itself furnishing the plant.. THE INVENTIVE GENIUS OF OUB PEOPLE "Would be applied to the creation of new means, and improved machinery and establishments estab-lishments would spring into existence capable capa-ble of supplying all of the national wants n "ndermg us completely independent of all other countries in respect to means of national defense. I endeavored to impress these ideas upon Mr. Kandall the last time I had the pleasure of seeing him. With my highest regard to Mrs. Carlisle and yourself. I remain, very truly yours, (Signed) .. S. J. Tilden. CARLISLE HAB NOT RECEIVED IT. Washington, December 5. Speaker Carlisle, Car-lisle, when asked for an expression of opin- ion regarding Mr. Tilden's letter, said : "I have not yet received it, although it mav now be with my mail at the Capitol. Any suggestions made by Mr. Tilden concerning public matters are entitled to most respectful respect-ful consideration,, and when it is received I shall give it careful attention." |
