Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-12-20

friends Of freedom need not be alarmed Al this
information. We suspect that Madison county
was represented at this meeting as having j" il
aiory of fifty voters in favor of a couven-
tion," and if the calculations of the results in
other counties were equally "fberal," the
friends Of slavery will not gam the ascendency
IN this state at the next election.
We published last week the resolutions of
a convention of delegates from HE states o /
Virginia. Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, aad
the Distrc, of Colunhia for constructing a
canal to connect the nayigtbe waters of the
Chesapeake bay with the Ohio river. F6e
execution Of this project is practicable, in the
opinion of experienced engineers, and he ex-
pense OF its construction is cslcuiated at less
than the cost of the Grand Canal now nearly
completed in the state Of NcW.Tori
1t seems from the resolutions, that the con.
vention considered the Concurrence of Pcnu-
ss l.ania in the measure, at least question
able This doubt appears 10 us to be well
founded. a canal on the proposed route woul,
indeed be vastly beneficial to the borough Of
Pittsburgh and few Of the western counties
Of Pennsylvania; but Il would Divert the great
er part Of the western trade, which now cen
tres at Philadelphia, to Baltinone ana mere
southern marls. II cannot, therefore, be rea.
sonaoly expected, that the legislature of that
state will appropriate her funds to a purposs
so vital, detrimental to The interests of her
great commercial emporium. she viii rather
apply them to the construction OF canals lead
ing to tae head waters of Me sllcghanq river,
and To Lake Erie, by which she would secure
her due portion of the western trade.
Although Ohio will probably cooperate with
Virginia and Maryland, in accomplishing the
views of the convention, it is believed she VIII
not abandon the ncble resolution she has al.
ready adopted for forming canal from Lake
Erie to the Chic river.
While such vigorous efforts Of orr eastern
brethren ate progressing, to facilitate the in
tercourse with their western neighbers our
citizens should be stimulated 10 y more lively
interest in the projected artificial navigation
between the head waters Of the Illinois and
Wabash rivers and the lakes. We apprehend
the time viii be short before all objections
to this enterprise will vanish. The one adj
vanced by the Rev. F." w. H." that it will open
way for the emigration Of Yankees, is too
puerle and Liberal TO have any weight with
the patriotic and enlightened citizen. In
decd, the only argument against the measure,
which deserves serious notice, is, that it will
not supetsede the present precarions and un-
profitable market for our produce at New-Or-
leans. The people Of Kentucky view this sub
represented in the convention at Washing
ton, and we have no doubt they were. by Mr.
TRIMBLE, who was invited to take seat as an
honorary member We have seen the follow
ing brief sketch of his speech, and we intend
to publish the whole of it, as soon as a copy
can be procured.
the House Of Representatives, rose and OBJ
served, that though called upon Unexpectedly,
he would very cheerfnlly, if the Convention
wished it, proceed to state the deep interest
which he could assure the meeting, his state
felt in the success of so magnificent an under
taking. Kentucky and Ohio both believed
that, in process of time, they should have to
seek their market in the Eastward. Mr.. T.
submitted. in detail, the reasons which induced
them to adopt such an opinion, and why, he
himself thought, their calculations were based
upon rational grounds
"He then took view of the relative ex-
penses of the New-Orlesns and the eastern
markets, from which he inferred the certain
ty that the states of Kentucky, lhio, and lnd-
ana, would send their produce to the latter.
He requested the meeting to imagine the vast
extent of country lying b you'd the >lleghanv
and then to consider the mighty advantages
which the East India trade had brought TO ghe
principal cities on TIE Mediterranean The
Inference was clear. thai comparative adsan-
tages would result 20 the Atantlc cities from
g al st,a %