The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-08-01

Maury, will not only be highly important
and useful in peace for commercial pur-
poses, bu, in war will be indispensable
for the defence of the lake coast, and
therefore ought to be accomplished, so as
to place the United States on an equal
footing with the government Of Great
Britain, which has already constructed
ship canals connecting the ST. Lawrence
with the lakes.
To make this communication with the
lakes certain and available for the defence
Of the coasts. and at the same time to Sc
cure the other outlet from The Mississippi
through the Gulf of Mexico, in addition
to the Navy Yard and Depot at Memphis,
for the building of any number of ships
that may be required, the necessary num-
Der of ship yards and naval stations
should be established on the Gulf, and on
the lake coast, so as to make Immediately
useful and available not only the govern
ment steamships of war, but the neces-
sary number of steamboats,, by arming,
equipping and manning them. TO COM
plele all these necessary preparations for
defence. an Armory should be established
a, convenient point ON the western wa
lers, SO as to furnish The necessary supply
of arms to any number Of forces that may
be embarked for The defence of the south
ern and northern coasts, the Atlantic bor-
der and the western frontier.
Next TO these great channels of water
communication, for commercial and mill
tary purposes. is the completion of the
Military Road, already nearly finished by
the general government from Memphis
through the State of Arkansas, by Little
Rock. 10 the western frontier.
Neither less important for commercial
and military purposes than this western
road, nor perhaps less national than the
Cumberland road, is the great line Of rail-
road from Memphis TO Charleston, South
Carolina-the construction Of which has
already, by private enterprise and State
appropriations, been provided for and pro-
crossed in TO near 1870 miles Of its CON-
plelion from Charleston TO Memphis, and
so miles Of the remaining 1870 miles dis
lance is nearly all graded.
This grea, thoroughfare should be COM
pleted, and j. might speedily be done il
an agreement can be made between The
stockholders and the States now concern.
ed in it, and the general government, that
an appropriation shall be made TO it, upon
condition that the mail, troops, and NUM-
ions of war, shall be transported over il
free Of charge TO United States.
When accomplished it will bring the
traveller, at Memphis, within two days of
Charlesion,a and within four days Of Wash
nglon ciiy-aflord the like speed aud IA
ciily for the transportation OF freight, and
in case c,ewar it woald place the dspo.
sable forces of Tennessee, KJntucky, &c.
concentrated upon it, within two days of
the Atlantic border, at Charleston.
The certain and speedy transportation
Of the mail. not only from the eastern CT
ties to the Mississippi valley, but between
the important points on the principal wes-
tern rivers, demands the consideration
and the immediate action of the general
government.
The mail is now transported with great
speed and certainty from the eastern cities
through the Atlantic States to New Or
leans and also from the eastern cities,
via the Cumberland road, &C., to Cincin-
natl, and thence by the river TO Louis
vile: but there both certainty and dis
patch cease, and the transportation be-
tween Louisville and nearly all The impor-
,ant points on the western waters is left
to the uncertainty of being conveyed over
unpaved roads and unbridged streams, or
on The common and transient freight and
passenger steamboats,, which have no regu.
lar time of starting, or of performing their
trips, and consequently the mails entrus-
ted 10 such boats are often extremely un-
certain and tardy in their delivery.
This iardiness and uncertainty Of deli
very, not only to the most important but
to many points of less importance, might
be obvaled and the general convenience
of all the mail arrangements of the Miss
issippi valley be greatly promoted by the
establishment of regular daily line of
steamers between New Orleans and Lou
sville, connecting with the main eastern
line a, tina, point, and between the mouth
of the Ohio and ST. Louis, graduating the
boats on these great lines into three diff
ferent sizes. The Mst to run between
New Orleans and Memphis--,he second
between Memphis, ME mouth Of The Ohio
and ST. Louisiana the third andsmaller
class. between the mouth Of the Ohio and
Louisville.
When the great thoroughfare from
Charleston, S. c., through Memphis to
Little Rock and the western frontier is
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