The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-03-21
DcC.u,, Of ,;,er,.,.c,-our Canal.

| Dcfruce Of i;se s.ni4cs---Cur Canal.
! In the last State Register there is published,
by order Of the general assembly, an essay, ~,ri,
ten blythe celebrated Harry Blu0,' of ;iie L. s.
Navy. and first published in the So:thern L;era-
~ Messenger, 'on the Northern Lakes, the Yves.
tern Country, aad the Coz pletion Of the Illinois
and Michigan Canal" which is about the ohlcs
G4per on the subject of our National D,fences
that We have ever read. The main object Of the
writer is to enforce upon congress not only the
importance but the absolute necessity, Of the con-
pletiou Of our canal on a scale that would con-
meet the Gulf Of Mexico and the lakes by steam
boat navigation, as essential to the defence
Of the county. The defencocss condition Of the
whole lake coast, with all ils'ciios and immense
commerce, already greater thanthe foreign COM
merce.ol the whole country, is made stahngly
plain. We have at present single steamer, with
some six guns, on all that immense sheet Of water
with no means Of getting any others there EXCEPT
/ by Lui.ding them, while England, by means Of
/ the Rilcau and WclIonJ canals, can cover the
lakes wish, steamers in a week The consruc-
ton Of the proposed ship canal from the Illinois
river to the lakes tho writer contends, is the only
measure that can ever enable US 10 comics, The
supremacy Of the lakes with England. We have
now command ofihc Grlf Of Mexico. With the
/ Tortugas and Key Wost fortified, and tho Navy
/ Yard at Memphis. we can lock up the gulf against
the world. Blu, this is merely closing the back
door: the front door, through the st. Lawrence
remains wide open. BY the proposed canal, in
spring than navigation on the ST. Lawrence opens.
tho whole force from the ocean and the gulf could
he concentrated on the lakes, and thus that door
also cliactually closed against England. And
then, with the Atlantic seaboard defended, the
lakes inaccessible to an enomy, the Gulf Of Mcxi-
co closed up, a navy yard c! Memphis, in the
hear, Of tho country. communicating by water
with every corner oft, our means of national de-
/ fence would be complctc-wo could render our
selves impregnablc to oil the world
| Such is a mere glance at the views presented
| in this admirable essay. Many, indeed the mass
Of tho facts and arguments by which the author
eHloICC3 MS NIcNsj VIC nave HOt, III tI'lb uiICi
ice even hinled at. We have marked for insor.
ton hereafter the main parts Of the article, and
shall anticipate no further, being confident that
the reader would derive more qualification from
examining for himself this mastery essay.
"IIary Bluff" the author, is stated by Mr.
Douglass, in a nOto to Gov. Ford, transmitting a
copy Of the essay, 10 be no other than Lieut.. NJ
T. Maury, Of the L. s. Navy, gentleman Of ex.
tonsiyc literary and scientific nliainmcnls, and
who has already, by his pen, been mainly instru-
mental in mpressng upon cong'css and the coun'
try the importance and necessity Of placing the
scaboard, and especially the gulf of Mexico, in
complete state Of defence, and the advantageous
: position Of Memphis for navy yard. Thus far
congress have substantially followed his sugges-
tons, wondering that it did no, think Of them
sooner aud now ha, he has turned his attention
to the dciencelcss condition Of the lakes and the
national importance Of our canal, there is reason
TO hope that the attention of congress will al
length be directed to quarter of the Union and
to interests that have hitherto been apparently
looked upon as beyond its jurisdiction.