80 Some Views Connected with the Question of Coast Defence. 



the town. The Danish shipping and naval stores, thirty-five hundred 

 pieces of artillery, and even the timber in the ship-yards were swept 

 awa y — mementoes, possibly, of this occasion of extraordinary friend- 



We need not refer to the history of former wars for such acts of 

 aggression. At this moment Aziatics, freshly landed on the coast 

 of Abyssinia, have made war upon the inhabitants, who never did 

 them injury. The Prussian ships of war bombard the sea coast 

 towns of the Sultan of Zanzibar. The Italian iron-clads carry death 

 into the Arab towns, and German cruisers, without waste of paper 

 declaration, ruthlessly destroy the lives and property of the inhabit- 

 ants of Samoa — careless, indeed, of injury to Americans or English. 



It is only the abundance of our mills, our forges and our factories, 

 and the greatness of our population, taken together, that intimidate 

 the armed foes of our republican form of government. It is impor- 

 tant to show the world that these mills, forges and factories, if it be 

 necessary, can be speedily turned from the paths of peace to the 

 preparation of the material of war. It may be vitally important for 

 our mechanics everywhere to be familiar with the construction of 

 ordnance and arms, and that forges and machine shops should be 

 equipped with the special machinery necessary. Remember that 

 these are not days of peace. It is the reign of armed watchful- 

 ness. The modern terror. All alike fear war. Its horrors now ap- 

 proach to those of the days of wrath, so war is no longer declared; it 



The fleet arrives. The demand comes. It is not now a question of 

 diplomacy, for the hungry dogs of war are there eager for prize- 

 money. The rich city is their hoped-for spoil, and the thunder of 

 the cannon proclaims the doom of rich and poor alike. Affluence and 

 misery mingle their blood with the ashea of this last sacrifice to folly. 

 The treasures of art are crumbled into dust. Records and history 

 melt away and disappear in the unchecked conflagration; while famine 

 and pestilence complete the ruin and a dead metropolis — silent and 

 untenanted— seems like a place accursed of God. 



Let us delay no longer. The English iron-clads alone carry some 

 6,000 heavy guns; let us have within a year an equal number. Let us 

 have as many swift cruisers upon the seas as England, and let every 

 great port in our country contain a squadron of swift torpedo boats of 

 steel, manned by dauntless officers and seamen. Let there be dyna- 

 mite guns for every port, and perfected torpedo systems, and an 

 abundance of that form of arms in safe magazines. Let the entrances 



