would be adequate toour defense with the aid of those works and that which would be incurred without them. the reason of this difference is obvious. if fortifications are judiciously placed on our great inlets， as distant from our cities as circumstances will permit， they will form the only points of attack， and the enemy will be detained there by a small regular force a sufficient time to enable our militia to collect and repair to that on which the attack is made. a force adequate to the enemy， collected at that single point， with suitable preparation for such others as might be menaced， is all that would be requisite. but if there were no fortifications， then the enemy might go where he pleased， and， changing his position and sailing from place to place， our force must be called out and spread in vast numbers along the whole coast and on both sides of every bay and river as high up in each as it might be navigable for ships of war. by these fortifications， supported by our navy， to which they would afford like support， we should present to other powers an armed front from st. croix to the sabine， which would protect in the event of war our whole coast and interior from invasion； and even in the wars of other powers， in which we were neutral， they would be found eminently useful， as， by keeping their public ships at a distance from our cities， peace and order in them would be preserved and the government be protected from insult.
it need scarcely be remarked that
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