The Arkansas advocate., 1832-06-27

| ~"NSS ", StsiSt Ill tiiC AtlattigIt Vi ttfc
 river, that 1t was almost impossible itor;.
 ooat to pass through them. inevitable
 aestFucton seemed 10 threaten you cs- Eefy moment-;tll dreaded the apparent
 danger, none could possible feel secure.
 every day-l might say almost every ! hour, one might sec either lodged Or
 floating the wreck of boats, q sure
 and lnfalllble indication of a ruined for Hume and the loss of lives. These were Bspcctacles yoti might sec everyday. so
 dang as this navig gation considered
 by ;'li,eo longer ago than I Y years, that
 when It become necessary to perform this voyage, yon would sec fathers tal- ] ing leave of their wives and children. sons of their parents with the same sad and feeling soiemilitJ, that they wenld, were they going 10 q field of battle, or 10 d distant country from whiehit vas more than likely they would never re- turn. But fortunately for us, it is not so now. Thousands of these snags have ldlsappeared-thc same disastrous ca iamities to our commerce are no longer to be wherever the work has been completed, there you find the nayiga- ton sccurc-whefeyer tic srags have l been removed, boats float in safety day and night with their eolors flying. Thew the waves, by Il combination of which. ] 1t is true, the boats ssrc sometimes GlleA with water, and sometimes driven to and wrecked against the shore. The removal ot the snags is not the onlyir1- proyement in the navigation of tf1atsri-
 vert has been improved in other res poets. The Mississippi river,i if will be
 recollected, is filled with islands-is sA J very crooked stream, often forming in its course the figure of Il horse siloc-
 Though those islands and cross the necks of those bends, there often 10 bes found, what boatmcn call ssschutes.', Through these ssehafcs, boats eau and 4 do at this time pass where the drift and snags have been cleared out. Capt. Slricoc, the present ableand cntefpIis- 1 ing superntendent, has cleared out a 1 great many of them, and at ihis time boats of tue largest class pass throngl. these very channels, made nayigable by his exertions and by former sappropra- tlons. What, sir, is tho consequence of these improvements. The distance is l greatly shortened-m much time is saved. and commercial intelligence is spread
 with more rapldity from New Orleans to other sections oi the Union. Freight upon produce has become cheaper
 from New Orleans 10 Louisville freight has fallen from six dollars q hundred 10 about 75 cents. Is this no considera- tion2 These advantages owe their ori-, gin to former appropriations. It would be in vain for my friend to attempt tu convince an intelligent gentleman of the western counsry thatsno good had been done to the navigation oi the Mis- sissippi river. They know better.-
 They know 1t, not from documents, for these they seldom read--but from their own observations. They see that where. there were dangerous snags before. that none are now to be found. Thew see that where boats were formerly wrecked, that they now pass by with their crew and cargo perfect s.s!cty.. lfmy friend would do us the favor 10 visit our river, and form his opinions from actual observation, he would blush at his credulitv and aver that he had been egregiously misled.
 Butmy friend has another objection 1 to this appropriation. He saysif the snags are now retnoyeA, that they will immediately accumulate again. He l viii pardon nc, Iilope, when tell him, that he happens 10 De wrong again.--
 But if he were not, if what he objects
 were true in point of fact, it might be
 contended, think, with great force
 and reason, tsislt ii would ba tss,6 di; of
 Congress 10 keep out those obstructions
 to our commerce by an annual appro-
 priation. Sir, the citizens of at least
 half this Union are deeply and directly concerned in the navigationoft thisriyer- I There arc upon 1t every year thousands of American citizens, afti the worth of millions of their produce. But, as be- fore observed, he happens to be rong i'll this statements Where dc those sllags come from? and how do they get into this riyer9 They are produced by the falling of those banks which arc cover ed with trees. These banks arc always bluff high and uniformly in thc bends
 of the river. The low land or sand
 beaches, sspay no tribute to Cesar. "---
 They arc generally barren of timber,or else produce nothing but willow, which 1