The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-22
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LAKE CoUN.
TRY AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.

TRY AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
lncvery country, natural feature and geognph-
cal position exercise important bearing, II they
do not control the character of military prepara-
tons. No one would think of using cavalry ~ the
mountains infantry al sea- or ships upon dry land
Bounded on the north by the great lakes. we are
separated by them from the most powerful mari
time nation in the world; spreading out into
inland seas of great importance, then contracting
into narrow channels, they border on SIX or elght
States and Territories of the Unop, and give to our
chief rival line of inland navigation extending
along the confines of these States for more than
twenty degrees of longitude.
The lakes, in times past, have been made the
theatre Of important naval operations. The I'M
provements and military preparations on the o'her
side which are going on now, and for years nave
been, give us to understand plainly enough That
Great Britain in case of another war; intends to lay
out her strength upon the water there with strong
arm The heaviest blows that her "wooden walls"
can give will be aimed at us across the lakes You
are to be attacked with ships, and with ships must
you be defended. II not, the lakes Will become 10
YOU closed British seas.
Where are the ships to come from 10 talk OF
building them after the war commences, and under
the guns of such fleet England could send IN
through her canals from the sea, appears to me to
be downright hardihood and the more SO, as there is
not building citation belonging to the government
in the whole lake country.
1t is idle to say the st. Lawrence is narrow; our
guns could shoot across it, and therefore, il is the
dividing line for some distance between the two
countries we could command the passage of 1t
is idle, for there is not single foot on the river
from which this may be done and If there We're, 1t
would make but little difference; for Great Britain
has taken the precaution to open another ship chan
mel to the lakes, wholly within her own provinces.
With what then, shall we meet her' With ships,
you say; but where are the ships to come from'
You surely would not think Of giving the lakes up
all h,,sA Aoat m will hR
No; if she have ship canals, you must have the
same; and in the event of war, you, too, must get
your ships from the sea- from the rivers, from the
navy, from any quarter in which you can find them
already manned and equipped.
This brings me to consider the best route for the
proposed ship canal
For CARVING on naval preparations for collecting
together your forces and making ready, you want
some place that is convenient for supplies and out
of the enemy Is reach and yet enough to over
look him. Just such place is Lake Michigan,
Look at it on the map; there, pendant from the
great northern chain, this important and valuable
fresh-water basin, like misers bag, close drawn at
Mackinaw, hangs down into your very midst.
Twice the size of Erie and Ontario together, this
beautiful sheet of water is perfectly mare clatsn.
The straits of Mackinaw are narrow, and may be
rendered impregnable. Fortify them---they are
your Gibraltar. Tap this lake with ship canal
Il is your Mediterranean. Erect your naval maya
and Lake Michigan becomes "emphatically our
own H." where flag can enter except the s'stars
and stripes" There, them is the key of the lakes;
your pathway to the British provincesthe place al
which, in war, our forces are to be collected, and
from which our expeditions against Canada are to
be fitted out, and TO set sail,
1t 10 part of this system Of defence that the snag-
boats on the Western rivers should be hereafter con-
structed so that in they may be converted into
armed cruisers. II has been proposed, also, and ]
hope the proposition will be carried odt to have the
mails carried in boats Of like construction. The
sire of all of them should be regulated by the capa-
cities of this ship canal Having them and the ca
NAL then, suppose there were at Chicago naval de-
pot properly supplied: in two or three weeks after
the commencement Of hostilities, these vessels, to-
gether with as many light steamers as the navy af-
forls, amounting in all to fleet of some twenty or
thirty SAIL could appear on Lake Michigan in COM
piete order for action. Following these, would
come, crowded with men and munitions of war, as
MANY river boats as the wants of the nation could
require. Entering this Mediterranean, they would
then serve as transports, and might sail Immediately
if the rivers ST. Clair and Detroit impossible,
as they are not--for Nottawasca bay and the inva-
sion of Canada.
DISCRIMINATING here an American army of West
ern marksmen would be in the heart of the enemy 8
country in the rear of his strongholds, and within
one or two days. march Of Toronto, on Lake Onta-
rio. Now threaten Montreal with Eastern militia,
and amuse the enemy IN front. With his attention
thus divided, Upper Canada must fall. The penin-
sula thus becomes ours and we have clear passage
into Erie IL not into Ontario also. To say the least,
a successful manGuvre of the kind would give COM
plcte command Of the lakes and the entrances to
Them With the ship canal, our resources would be
such as TO make success certain. With the Mlssis-