The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-01-04

per annun, and has opened to the citizens
of the Wabash Valley new and rexhaust-
able source of commercial wealth, and 10
the filming interest of the same, new,
steady, sure. and profitable market for all
theirproducls. But, would ask, how vast
| y mere important would this source of revi-
nue. and wealth become, was Lake Erie con
nected with the Ohio river by the compile
ton ofthe cross cut and Central canals from
the feeder dam on Eel river 10 Evansville on
| fhe Ohio.
Iss:a opening wafer communication.
navisable at all seasons Of the year, between
Lake Erie in the North, and the great Gulf
lof Niezico in the outI,-a15rding new,
direct md BY far The cheapest and safest
road tomarket in the North, foS the great SUI
gar end cotton interests of the South, and 10
the Moth through the same outlet mar
ket IN the South for their manufactures.
Then as it must necessarily become the
great tloroughfare between the Northern
and Southern portions ofthe United States,
throughWhich the whole commerce between
these two vast regions must pass, would
ask what other of the Public works Of the
State can promise in lis completion, SO quick,
certain and large amount of revinue as this?
Nor do / claim too much for it, when as
serf, without the fear ofsaccessful contradic-
tom That should this canal be finished it will
pay oae half the revenue of the State And
yet as may be seen from the estimates EN-
bodied in your memorial 10 Congress, this
mighty work Can be finished for the small
sum of S., ls6, 424
Tie Madison and indianapolis Rail Road
is noble work that does credit 10 Indiana,
aud is OF great importance 10 that section of
The State But when compared with the
gfeat Wabash and Erie line Of canals, lis i'm
Portance dwindIes into nothing. Ii becomes
the cor-path, to the great Cumberland road. !
Ny E'cks which are yet but in the bloom of
youth, n tst be sllvered with the frost of age,
before The State can expect 10 receive the
revenue from i, thai she now does from the
FfESsshern PORTION Of Ibis improvement.
comparison, still more insignificant. The
question then arises, can the State finish Ibis
work Has she the srneansg Or can she soon
expectfo haveg
| answer most emrhatically, no.
If we wait 10 see Indiana, by her own
means, finish this canal, we will wait Till the
present generation has passed from The stage
of az ion and a new one has assv ned It's
placs
Byshat means then is this TO bsaccom-
plished? Southern Indiana has already deci-
ded, and | only respond TO that decision,
when answer, by the same means that The
Northern portion has already been construct
ed-BY MEANS OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Ii will be seen BY reference to your me-
mortal, that there yet remains nndisposed of, T
| in the Vincennes Land district over $780,
900 acres of refuse lands, which Of right be-
longs 10 Indiana, and which must and will
be granted TO her by an act Of Congress, for
The purpose of completing this canal. In
lpe:itioning for this grant, we ale only knock /
ing at the door of Congress and asking them
TO do an act OF JUSTICE they cannot refuse.
During the past few years there has been1
millions of the Public monies expended on
the eastern sea board in what they call ma
tional works, whilst the west has been put
off Qike stray dog viii what she could
catcll--mere nominal su7as-wten compar-
ed with the money expended in NWional
works in the East. But the West has at
length gained strength enough TO assert her
rights in such numbering tones, that she
must and will be heard:
IfCongress can call some lighthouse on
some little promintory of the East a. Nation
al work, and spend millions in its erection,
how much more consistently can they call
this a national aDork, when the United States
will have direct and positive interest in it
as sgreat public highicay for the use of
Government, free from any toll or charge
srhateper, &c"
st, when completed, will be what the
grant 10 the noriher portion shews it was in
tendedt to be, great highway for the use of
the Government In the language of your