The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1841-06-11
Indinun improvements.

II is pleasant to sec some of the fruits of the
large expenditures in the west for internal i'm
provcments. The Indiana Lafayette Free Press,
of the 18th ut. states that the daily arrival and
departure of boats give stirring appearance TO
the town. We take the following from the I.o-
gansport Telegraph of the 18th utimo: "Ihc
business upon the Wabash and Erie Canal Is be-
ginning to assume a character OF considerable I'M
portance. About 100000 pounds OF freight
passed The collectors office a. Logansport from the
Sth to the i3th Of lastmonth.-&. Louis Gacette.
As Illinoians wc feel deeply mortified at the
proceedings of those under whose care the man
agement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal had
been placed for the last few years, and every day
proves that the heretofore pursued has been
a suicidal one, worthy only of nauow-mindcd
and selfish public funciionarics.
The Wabash and Erie Canal which common
ccs at Manhattan, Ohio, and terminates at Tcrc
Hauc, Indana-thus uniting the lakes with he
Southern and Western waiers-and the most I'M
portant rival of the Illinois and Michigan Canal,
is now nearly complctcd-and lndiana's portion
of the work is now in successful operation from
the navigabc waters of the Wabash to Fort
Wayne, near the State line! Indiana deserves
credit for the judicious course she has pursued
in regard to tina, great work, and presents pat
tern to this State, which if followed may yet lead
to beneficial result in regard TO the Canal
Indiana completed that portion of the canal
which could first be made useful and two years
since boats have made regular trips on the south
ern division of that work, and thereby showed its
importance to the public and induced the Nato-
nal Government to aid them in its speedy COM
pletion by an additional grant of land. The
work is now in prosperous condltion-hcr faith
to the General Government unimpaircd, and few
more months will finish the whole line and place
that section Of country in position unrivallcd
in the West! Why is this so Why is it
that the Wabash and Erie Canal is nearly COM
pleted, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal is
finished nowhere and suspended at that Did
the former work receive nid from the General
Government, at the time it was commenced, which
the latter did not! No! But Indiana and Ohio,
ever watchfu Of their own best interests, first
finished the available portion of the WORKOUT the
water in-leascd their hydraulic power-prnyed
Congress for additional aid and it was granted.
Illinois, much wiser than her ncghbors, common
ces her Canal everywhere and finishes it in the
prairie-forieits her confidence to the General
Goycrnmcnt-folds her arms and cries "harl
tines" estate Debt ~ "Bonds below par !" and
foolishly suspcnds the work at time when the
most important part of it can be finished easily
and as cheap rs ever, vainly anticipating better
facilities for its completion whilst the rovagcs of
decay and forfeited confidence make promise OF
irrctricyablc destruction.
If the State duly considers its interest and those
who have charge of the same act in conformity
TO the dictates of sound policy, tho Illinois and
Michigan Canal can this season be placed beyond
the reach of 'log-roling' legislation and the ever
varying financial condition of the State. Let the
close of the present summer witness the compile
ton of the western portion of the canal-let the
hydraulic power be leased to active and entcrpr-
sing men, 50 that the State may receive the
consequent advantages thc,erom, and the country
realize its Just dcscrtslct this be done, and the
representative in Congress from this district, at
The next session, can urge the claims of this work
to the consideration OF that body, with the pros
poet of success before him.
The unfinished work on the canal between
this place and Peru, was lately put under con-
tract. Is that work now progrcssingl Let those
having the work in charge, see that every con-
tractor does his duty-if he does not, let no
picayuno policy be pursued in regard to the re-
letting of the worli--lot men have it who can and
will finish it, and thus save it from future en-
barrassment and tho nauow-minded policy Of a
few selfish dcmagogues.
The Canal.