Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-10-19

Mn. SsowDEN:
n asking permission to occupy CO .
,,,nn If your useful paper, ! am persuad
|ei / shall stand excused. Il l can assu1'
YOU that it is upon subject o. inc mrs
inheritance to the town OF Alexandra
and ths adjacent country, & with a hope
| 81 hrinsing forward some ADLER pen, wiit
Iwbo. will paint in mo, glowing colors the
MAGNITUDE oil the ct.-lhat the state att
lof customs and habits are susceptible q
progressive Improvement, IS q universe
s. ntiment: and there are few subjects or
which the public mind has undergone
more rapid changes than that OF making
turnpike roads and canals. This, there,
fore. seems to be the propitious moment
flor chsrishing undertakings Of that kind
lgur attention has lately been drawn tf
|the subject of a canah from the Seneca
falls 10 the town Of Alexandrla. tits nl
M novel date because petitions for i
we're before the Legislature Of Virgins
some years ago That il is practicable
LAT : moderate expense, is admitted by
engineers of high standing, and that i
would be of the first Importance to the
town of Alexandra and the adjacen'
country is admitted by all. II may bt
objected, by timid, or ,houghtless, o.
selfish reasoners, that we are too young
for the accomplishment Of such an under,
taking. Such objections however, would
have been equally applicable thirteen
years ago to the enterprize OF making
the Little River Turnpike Road, which
is now a source of such wealth anu I'M
portance to the trade OF this place. Let
not the expense intimidate us--to the
cost should be added, what will 1t pro.
duce ? II is the receipt in proportion to
the expenditure, and not the expendl-
ture itself. on which men who estimate
things correctly will dwell. lin expeud,
ing 100 dollars nothing is to be gained,
then it had better notbe expended but
it by expanding 100 dollars, 100 can
be gained, surely it would be folly to be
deferred by the expense :--every Prlncl.
pie Of public spirit, of general and indl-
vidual interest, should engage us in the
promotion OF this canal--no local policy
should check our enterprise here, be
cause similar work was not to be car.
ried on there at the same moment; and
the present state Of the navigation OF the
Potomac from the head of Seneca falls to
the town Of Alexandria, both above and
below tide water, renders this project
reasonable, Just K beneficial, as regards
tie state of the locks, and Of the rough
waves of the river on boats after they
have passed through them as we are a.
ware that there exists a compact COR
corning the navigation OF Potomac, be-
tween Virginia & Maryland. u that there
is also charter granted to the Potomac
company which is about to expire. That
we shall meet with opposition, is reason
able to expecti but that part Of the
subject will be met at its proper time
and proper place, by jurists and Legs
lators, who will be competent and pre-
pared to give fair and full view of
conflicting claiIas and interest; both
public and individual. 1t only remains
for those who are to be Immediately be
nefitted, to contribute their mite, in do
ing what may be necessary, toplace the
subject fairly before the legislature Of
Virginia at their next session, nor is i
necessary to point out the great impor-
tauce Il general utility of, a canal from
the Seneca fails TO Alexapdria-to the
manufactures, the land holder, or the
merchant; when it is re 10 ler;ed that
ihe navigation of the Potion a.. accord
ing to late writer, gives passage from
TIE Southern Sates to the Western parts
of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylva, ia,
and even to the Lakes from Detroit. cn
Lake Erie, to the Town Of Alexandria,
on the Potomac, Of COZ miles, and there
are bnt two carrying places, which toge-
ther, tlo not exceed 40 miles. We should
reasonably suppose that all doubts Of the
espedi,ule not producing a competent
interest, would vanish; add to which
the growing Importance of Alexandria,
must al ho distant day cali the attention
Of citizens, TO some mode of supplying it
with fresh and wholesome water; and
none Gun be better calculated to do it
than such canal. This source of re-
Venue. together with the sale of water,
for Machinery, would pay competent
interest on ore half the sum required
for expenditure. Suppose, for example,
column Of water 90 feet wide, by three
and half deep, was taken from the Po-
tomac at the Seneca Falls, which would
no more injure the boat navigation there
than does the canal at the little Falls in
jare the sloep and schooner navigation