The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-03-28

tWenly-nfne cents,1 ana The laSI years IN
come was twenty three thousand one hun
dred and sixty seven dollars. But it is un
necessary to pursue this question, as no one
is unwilling to see any practicable improve
|ment of the Wabash river. The ground we
take is, that in asking for the means of i'm
proving the river, the impression ought n
by those who regard themselves as its espe-
'cially friends, TO be made, either on the mind
of Congress, or ON the country, that the i'm
|provement is one which renders unnecessary
the completion of the canal to the Ohio riv-
er.
1t is due to the State of Indiana that such
an effort should not be made. Two success
'sive legislatures have asked for lands to aid
in prosecuting and completing this great
work, and it should not be forgotten by the
friends Of the river, that at the same time that
fifty thousand dollars were appropriated for
the improvement of the Rapids by the legis-
lature of Indiana, an appropriation was made
for this same canal, and since that time near
ly a million of dollars has been expended
upon it. Are we now, after all this, in the
absence of any thing like satisfactory eVi-
dence of the susceptibility ofthe Wabash to
such improvements as will give permanent
and constant navigation, and in the face of
reports to the contrary, made by competent
engineers, to ask Congress for lands, upon
the assumption that the river $50 susceptible
that the canal is a useless thing, and that
the million thus expended from Terre Haute
10 Evansville, is to be thrown away, leaving
the debt for the money expended, hanging
over the people of the State?
Again, it should be borne in mind that
the lands in the Vincennes land district,
yielded bat $4,000 last year-a sum not
equal to the one half Of the interest on the
amount which the most extrayagant of the
friends of the river improvement, would say
was necessary to its execution. limo addi-
tional value is to be given to these lands, the
sum that would annually arise from their
sales, would pay but little if any thing over
the superintendent Of either work, daring
its progress. But the grant of the lands to
the canal, by opening a new and constant
outlet, through the body of the lands them
selves, would give an immediate value that
would result in their sale and settlement
The grant in one instance, would bring with
it lis own guaranty for the success Gifts OBJ
lject-in the other case, whilst it would end
in disappointment to its friends and to the
country, it would have, without doubt the
effect of defeating the completion ofone of
the most important works in the United
States, and depriving the State ofIndiana of
a revenue which should ultimately redeem
her from debt, and be a source of income as
long as her government should stand. And
let men differ as they may, as to the charac-
ter of our debts, and the time and manner Of
their liquidation or final adjustment, yet eve
ry prudent man in the State-every man
who has IN interest in her welfare, must see
and feel that it would be a happy thing fol
|, the State If her embarrassments no longer
5 existed; and it is to be profoundly regretted
that any portion of the community, or any
local interest, should come in conflict with q
. measure fraught with such beneficial conse
-I~quences to the State.
i That it would be thus beneficial, it shall
be our business now to demonstrate. In do
ing so, we must take notice of the praciica
. operation of some other similar works.
There are two classes of canals in the U
States. They may be described by compar
ing them to the navigable rivers of the coun
: try, namely, principal and tributary; Or b.
: calling them channels of general and loca
, commerce and inter-communication. TIL
f Erie canal in New York-the Pennsylvani
e and Ohio canal,-the Erie and Ohio canal
: the Illinois and Michigan canal, and tn
! Wabash and Erie c;nal are of the first class
The Erie and Champlain, Cayuga and Sene
q ca, Chemung, Chenango, Black river an
IS Gennessee valley canals in New York; tn
Walhonding, Hooking and Miamai cana
i in Ohio, are of the second class. In estin
=, ating the value and importance of any on
of these several works, this distinction ougl
as to be kept in view,
Each of these works has its trade, and tn
trade, owing to the present advanced an