MIXV.IVISIT TO THE FORTY wg 0% PORTSMOUTH. 87:
his passions to master him in the eyes of the world, as shown
by his proclamation in advance.
“It will be a strange working of God’s Providence if the
Begro turns the scale for the North, after the whites on both
Sides are exhausted. It is clear that the able-bodied blacks
Will bo a cheap resource for soldiers for the North for
Sonthern stations. I hope you and Hargreaves have agreed
Dot to get into an excitement on the subject! The issue is
beyond Furopean or human control now, and will go on fo
the bitter end.”

1863.

Ho EO.

Visit to the Fortifications.

“ Midhurst, Feb. 8. ( ,, )—.... I went last week
bo Portemouth to see the fortifications. I spent a couple of
days in theneighbourhood. Starting by train from Chichester,
 I stopped at Havant, where a couple of officers from
Portsmouth met me, and we went thence in a fly over the
Downs by Portsdown Hill to Farcham, and then from the
latter place to Gosport.
“ Our road along the downs passed beside the great inland
chain of forts covering all the high ground within four or
five miles of Portsmouth. It is necessary to see these things
to understand them. The South Down forts are not designed
for defence against a landing. They, as well as an inner
System of forts between the Downs and the sea, are planned
on the theory that an enemy has beaten us at sea and
landed in force, and having worsted an army on shore,
these forts are to prevent the foreign force from taking up a
Position on the downs, and shelling the docks at four or five
miles off. Of course the theory implies that the enemy is
free to go elsewhere, and the reasonable inference may be
that he would prefer going to London, or at least coming
bo rob our heuroosts whe live under the downa! The pro-4

 Mr. Paulton, like Mr. Lindsay, Mr. Moffatt, and one or two other of
Cobden’s intimate friends, did not sympathize with the cause of the Union.