The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-05-15
WORCESTER,
WEDNESDAY, May Is, 1922.
PROVIDENCE C.aNgL.

we suggested, last week, some of the con.
siderations in favour of opening canal from
this town to Providence and noticed the
supPosliion that the PROJECT might be powe:.
fully opposed in the Legislature of this State.
lha' various reasons would probably be ure.
60 against 1T, we have little doubt. and none
mat they would at once be exposed and re-
iuted. But when sosnd publiek policyn
is said to require that the project be defeated.
we have right to expect the grounds of such
policy to be explained; and we closed our
remarks, last week, by asking directly for
such explanation.
Not word, however, has been since heard
on this subject from the quarter whence
something might have been expected and
1t Is fair to infer, what before admitted of
scarcely doubt, that the only "policy,, on
posed to the projected canal, is founded upon
the conflicting interests of Boston and Proyi.
dence That such "policy'' exists. we.
OF course, were aware and it would he
strange were it not put into active operation.
That il should be is NOT at all unreasonable
1t is an everyday occurrence which men
expect and know how to encounter. But
when such policy is alleged to be connected
with the publick interests, there is an effort to
give it an importance which every body sees
it does not possess, and very little strength is
gained to the cause which it is brought to sup.
port. The TRUTHS, an appeal to the pubhek
mteTesf, to prevent measures calculated to
advance very much the prosperity of a large
portion of the country, is, from the nature Of
the case, an ungracious and an unsenerous
appeal. 1t is precisely like appealing to the
interests Of ten men as a reason for depr;v;no
hve others of the reward which they might
reap from their enterprise and industry. Sup
pose it were true that, by canal to Proyi-
dence, the Western Counties would not de.
rive so many advantages as would be lost by
other parts of the State; would that be a
valid objection to it We think not. The
advantages gained, on the one hand. would
be the saving of labOur, which, applied to
the exploring Of new sources of prosperity.
would add vastly to the stock of enterprize.
industry, and wealth. The advantages lost.
on the other hand, must be those derived
from the very necessity which had before
compelled US to forego the benefits which
nature has placed within our reach. More
brlefiy-we gain what we were always en-.
titled to: others lose what they before enioy-
ed from Gus. necessities or our lack of enter.
prize. Even upon such a supposition, there
lore, there could be no obligation on us to
sacripce our own prosperity and there
surely can be no principle of & sound~
ethics which would justify others in com.
polling us to sacrifice it.
We have gone into this consideration &c
the subject because the publick interest THAT
Is, the 1ndtUidual interests of majority ofthe
community is often urged as though it were
just to sacrifice to it the prosperity of any
smaller portion Of the communicated not
because there is any foundation for the sue-
sestion that the publick interest is opposed TO
the projected canal. What would be gained
70 US would ny no means be lost to other
parts OF the State. No man, at all CONVEX.
SAINT with the subject, entertain, a ser;ou,
belief that the trade of Boston would be d.
mlnished III degree equal to the increase Of
business and wealth in the country. To
that town the canal would be, in fact.
but OF comparatively trihing disadyantage--,o
the country it would be of the utmost in /.
portance.
II has been ascertained, from very hastv
inquiry, that at least one thousand tons are
annually transported from the seaboard to tbi,
town. Let the citizens of other towns which
would be benefited by the canal, estimate
the amount transported to their rcspect;va
towns, and then ju3ge whether any consider
alton ought to influence them to delay secur-
ing to themselves the immense adyantaOas
which canal navigation would afford.
It will be seen from the subjoined account
OF the proceedings of the meeting held IN
this town, last week, to consider the .ub;ect
Of the canal, that it stands adjourned 70
Friday the oath inst. II il hoped tbo,a an