Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-03

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Judge from as most men; and an 1QE-
" persuaded there is 10 field N any enc
Of them so inviting to commerce as this IS
ifextent Of country, population AMI Pro
ducc, with uncommon advantages n the
transportation OF it, are essential to the
encouragement and support Of it.
But these want to be embraced. They
cannot. however. remain unimprovcd long.
A mercantile eye is penetrating. and the
first Capital House that is established,
may form connections and lay sure toun-
dation Gift is on liberal PLAN Of trad
ing to the greatest possible extent from,
the upper sea-ports Of this river.
No man who has knowledge ofthc ri
YER Potomac, harhors doubt of the prac-
ticability OF opening the navigation of it
from the great Falls to Fort Cumberland
] (about 200 miles, nor Of doing it 10 miles
higher; and but very few have any, of
the praeticability Of opening it from the
great falls Gnclnsiyely) to Tide Water.
which is under 9 miles.--Ihe acts have
spoken Of are to encourage and authorize
the undertaking Of these, and as have
observed before sufficient privileges and
immunities are granted for the purpose.
From Fort Cumberland good road
may be had to the Turkey foot, OF three
branches ofthe Yohiogany which will rot
exceed, I am told, 50 miles-from henae
the Navigation to Fort Pitt (about75 miles
further) although there is one Fall IN the
way, can be made good at a very mode
rate expence. And going up the North
branch about 10 miles above Port Cum
herland a portage may be had with the
Cheet river, which will not exceed 20
miles Of good road-from thence to the
Monongahela, by land or water, may be
about Is miles more. We are then as in
the ease Of the Yohioyyany communication
open to the diffnsive navigation (more ex-
tensive perhaps than is to be met with il,
any coun ry upon earth in its natural st2te)
of ti~ kAsIe western territory. And if 1
am ns1Alxaisinformed with respect to the
carrying places between Cayakoga Ga wa
ter of Lake Erie) and big Beaver creek
and Muskingum which disembogue in the
Ohio, in different parts, there is no rout so
short, so easy, and attended with so little
expencc. as those / have just mentioned,
to bring the Fur and Peltry of the Lakes,
even from that of the Wood to a shipping
port. One Of them (by the Yohiogany) is
shorter at least 1 80 miles than that to eli
ther Albany or Montreal, and the way o.
pe!. when the others arc blocked, and is be-
sides more independent Of the Interference
of foreign powers. 1t is true there are
some branches of the Allegheny above
Fort Pitt which communicate nearly with
the waters OF Susquehanna, and whicl,
bv great exerti0R and much eXpence
may be made Use Of at certain seasons of
the year, but drought in summer and ice
in winter will render them Of little value.
But to place things in less favorable
point of view; / will grant that a commu-
nicaticn between the Kishkeminetas, Mog-
hulbaghkitam or Toby's creek (waters
most favorable for it, and the Susqueha-
ia shall be opened; and that all the pro-
duce convenient theerto shall be transport
cd that way to the markets below. That
the great kanhawa shall be found free
from distinctions, and easy both in its
navigation and communication with James
river, and that all the produce below the
mouth of the former and as far up the
Ohio as the little kanhawa shall be trans
ported that way. There yet remains the
thick settlement of the Ohio between
Fort Pitt and Wheeling-all the settle
ment of the AIonangahcla and all that part
of Yohiogany which constitute very
large majority of the Inhabitants West Of
Laurel hill, to bring their produce TO the
markets of this river.
In admitting this | admit in my opinion
a good deal !: but if the plan for opening
the navigation Of Potomac should sue
coed (of which have already said I have
not the smallest doubt l will go further
and venture an assertion which l think. is
founded on fact; that without any support
from the western territory there is no
nIaoa within NV EpowIednn to ,-b;ob co