y part； the waste of life along our coast and on some parts of our inland frontiers， to the defense of which our gallant and patriotic citizens were called， was immense， in addition to which not less than $120，000，000 were added at its end to the public debt.
as soon as the war had terminated， the nation， admonished by its events， resolved to place itself in a situation which should be better calculated to prevent the recurrence of a like evil， and， in case it should recur， to mitigate its calamities. with this view， after reducing our land force to the basis of a peace establishment， which has been further modified since， provision was made for the construction of fortifications at proper points through the whole extent of our coast and such an augmentation of our naval force as should be well adapted to both purposes. the laws making this provision were passed in 1815 and 1816， and it has been since the constant effort of the executive to carry them into effect.
the advantage of these fortifications and of an augmented naval force in the extent contemplated， in a point of economy， has been fully illustrated by a report of the board of engineers and naval commissioners lately communicated to congress， by which it appears that in an invasion by 20，000 men， with a correspondent naval force， in a campaign of six months only， the whole expense of the construction of the works would be defrayed by the difference in the sum necessary to maintain the force which
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