Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1845-09-24
ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF INDIANA.


ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF INDIANA.
By Of The Canal Conrention (appointed for
that purposes: ,rhch Contention assembled TeYye-
plying tie Lind granted By the General (;orernmet for
ertemdiag the Wabash and Erie Caaal, The Ohio q
EeaRsriAe:
To the citizens Of Inaana:-In compliance with tho
duty assigned to as by the Canal convention which
sembled at Terre laute the 2i OF May last,
proceed to address the subject of the completion
of the abas and Erie Canal from that place Evans
VILE known to you that IN carrying out the orig
nal act of Congress of March 3D. 1927 granting land
the W abash and Erie Canal, deemed prop
10 terminate the Canal the Wabash, the mouth
of the Tppecanoe river, about fourteen miles above La
fayette 1t evident however, that this point of
termination not destined to be of long continuance
for the town Of Lafayette short distance below
began to attract its that and
point would have been followed by pressing claims at
Others Blu: all such considerations about localities
became ultimately merged in the fact, that neither La
bash river, would the canal secure that continuous
interrupted navigation between Lake Erie and the Mis-
sisspp contemplated by Congress and the People of tho
State the time of the first mt in that enter
prise The Wabash although broad and beautiful riv
and for portion of the gable distance of
four hundred miles from its mouth. did not far
the acpatons of the public afford that degree Of
navgaton from any designated point OF IT, to
the desired result 1t river, the navigation of which
certainly susceptible of great improvements and the adj
vantages it affords. and destined to Afford to
much greater degree, when it shall also have received
that from the General Government it is entitled
will always be felt IN the country through which
irrespective of toroughfare the by ar
Between
necessarily conflicts for, whene there
the sufficient carry off the produce and other
freghts of the country to distant market the river will
of be preferred. 1t only when that the
that the canal will be in requson; and it
because this rainy not the the greater
part of the especially when the navigation
the Lakes open, that the canal, contemplated.
becomes ndispensably necessary.
In reference to these and impressed with their
correctness the Legislature of this State passed law,
by large majority both branches of it, uorizng the
extension the canal from the mouth of the Tppecanoc
river, along the Wabash Valley, to Tcrre- Haute; and
thence, by Eel form such connection would
take Evansville the Ohio. This extension.
the matter of compact grant then stood be-
the State and General Government could only
be effected of the of the State, which, failing
that general collapse which visited the whole country
afterwards, the work, though
ousv prosecuted was left not only unfinished but almost
entirely unavailable, except between Tppecanoe and
Lafayette At this gloomy period, Congress the
completion of the work from Lafayette Terre Haute,
upon the principle of the original grant-this having
been urged upon congress, and insisted upon by tho
State, coming within the letter and spirit of the
containing the original grant To be explicit Tho
original act of Congress provided for canal to terminate
the abash, navigabc point; and the State
had abandoned the first selected, and established the
terminus the Wabash at Terre Haute, that the latter
point drew to the appropriation fully in every
spect in the first instance it drawn to the former
The of had been deemed necessary by tho
state TO effect the design mutually entertained by Con-
gress and the State and, illustration of that
had been resorted by the State when she
out of her After the claim had been thus
accecded have been the understanding Of
the parties that the right of the State had become exhaus
ted further grant beyond the terminating point
| the Habash.
At this stage the history work ahoug Oh there
much which friends could fectatc themselves
those feelings not unminged with gloom. The
aizatIon of their Wishes the full and triumphant proof Of
the proper character of the enterprise, the
benefit TO be conferred the State and could
pee t rs sui extern
sion Evansville, perceived and sanctioned by the
after delibe in her councils and such
her present condition, that this consumination was
be from her, for she owed heavy debt,
| tTallIt air
incurred Now, Congress has again to our assis-
lance The convictions which have sustained our
hopes under vcisstude and disaster have had their
effect the last session of Congress
muniiicent grant of land made of about ooooOo
cres in the Vincenncs Land enable the State
to complete the canal from Terre Haute to Evansville
The question isand it is the to which we have
particularly invite atentionsha the State
cep grant and duly appreciatng the rality OF
Congress- proceed to make proper use OF 1t! When 1t
what has been already done urherIng
this enterprise, the millions which have been expended
the solictude it has elected both at home and
opinion upon The only to this gen
eral question must be in the affirmative There may
well be difference of opinion to the particular man
which the grant should be avaed of to acconp,sn
the object OF il, and shall therefore, very respectfully
submit of the plans proposed, under the nope as
public opinion may be properly conce ntra'sd.
Iudoinr from the which have been heretofore
made to the Legislature. Engineers in the service OF
the STATE from reliable Information derived from 9TH
sources in the of $50 which has
been expe the canal from Terre Haute to Evans
vile require 81 276 800 finish it. To raise this
been proposed that the state should resort to loan
negotiated the basis of the grant, pedging e
proceeds thereof towards the payment Of It. This, o.
contempates provision for the payment o.
interest, the proposition embracing both an increase o
liability and taxation. II IS urged however, thaf LII
would be of long duration; for the coouoo acres q
81 % per would realize million OF dollars and
udiciousy disposed Of probably much greater sum
average price which the State has received for her