Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-05-30

be finished by the velocity Of the water
So that water, now to ns an element OF
destruction, becomes the strongest and moet
effective agent in the system.
| do not deem It necessary 70 go ut this
time into tho details of this system, in iis
application to the Mississippi river. This
win be done III due time. As firmly am ]
convinced of It'd ~practicabiity and SUCCESS.
ful operation, as | am Of the truth Of the
c~leafest mathematical demonstration. The
whole State Of Louisiana, lowiands or in-
undated swamps, can be completely drain
cd; the whter reduced To the level Of the
tides Of the Gulf Of Mexico; and every foot
Of land above The highest tides brought Id.
10 safe and successful cultivation. OF this
there il not q remote doubt. Shall we do
i3 Shall we adopt und vigorously prose-
cute a system calculated To develop q thou.
sand fold the resources Of this State, re.
gardless of local and particular interests,
and umawed by the magnitude Of The pro.
iectf Nature has commenced the work;
will II be left unfinished The world Of
fers no country more susceptible Of i'm.
%proyoment; none where It Is moro needed;
none where it can be- accomplished At 80
little cost; none where the results can be a.
great and as beneficial.
/ would call attention 10 the work Of Mr..
John Harrison, q Ouachita lawyer Of ta-
lent, who devoted the best part Of d resi-
dence Of eighteen yearg to the study Of tho
"alluyial lands Of Lolisiana. lis book
was translated and published bY order Of
the Legislature, in 1898. In II the above
system Is applied to the Mississippi river,
fully developed and analyzed In ali its de-
tails. Unfortunately, this work ii now
nearly out Of print. A great benefit would
be conferred, and the best interests Of tho
State fostered, should the Legislature order
its republication. II Is simply sufficient 10
read tho book TO become u convert TO les
principlcs, and M advocate Of Mr.. Harri.
sons plan Of amglioration. Mr.. Harrison
recommends strongly the opening and
enlargement Of all the ~outlets Of The Mis-.
~sissippi, such as the Atchafalaya, the Ba-
you Manchac, the p~laquemine, the La.
fourche, aud In addition recommends seve-
ral artificial lateral openings, the locality of
which he gives.
William Darby, In his History Of Louis.
lana, the best natural history extant Of the
State, takes tic same view Of The subject.
He recommends also artificial openings;
among others, one at Bonnet Care Point
into Lake PonchartFaiu; one into Lake
Borgae from d point below the city. Upon
the subject Of the Manchac, he says:-
'The Ibcryillc 0r Manchac admits Of in
definite Improvement. II Ii only sixteen
| miles in o direct line from the Mississippi
to the junction Of the Manchac with the
Amite river. The united stream presents
q fine body Of water, admitting vessels Of
six feet draught. The tide flows up tho
Mapehac TO the mouth Of Wani's creek,
within nine miles Of the Mississippi.
"It il q singular circumstance, that thu
tide in the Malcbac and Plaqnemine flows
within fifteen miles Of actual contact, up.
wards Of two hundred miles, along the
stream, above the mouth Of the Mississippi.
y = 7 Was the bed Of tic Man
caac made sufficiently deep and wide to ad.
NIT of uninterrupted navigation, the adyan.
taaes that would accrue to the Commerce
Of L3uisiafa would be certainly immense.
The point Of codtlef Between boAt aud
ship navigation wculI be renewed much
farther into the interior Of the country. A
reatc would be opened f,r tho Introduction
Of tie produce Of regions upon the north.
era waters II the Ohio and Mississippi
into the Gnc settlements Of West Florida"
The recommendation c~oacerhing tho
Nauchac, i'll the annual report of the State
Engineer, was made ~ part Of a general
system. In this light only it was and is
still viewed. II never was intended 10 in.
Iure any one, without adequate PREPARATION.
II neyer was intended that fbe Manchac
should b6 Immediately opened, without dis
cussion and without examination. II il
not usual TO apply such summary proceed.
ing in matters Of internal Improvement.
even upon works OF undouhtcd aud uuiyer-
sally admitted cxpediency. Preliminary
and accurate surveys are oil.
ways made. Should Individual interests
the State is clearly liable for DANA
ges. These damages may in come caseJ
be SO great as to deter the State from exc.
the proposed Improvement; Iii others,
the general good may by far counterbalanco
private injuries and indiy dual losses. How
many roads and canals would we have in
the United States If individual objections
and particular interests alone had been
am perhaps not nov prcpar-
ed TO say, in which category the proposed
Of the Manchac would Be found:
but | do think the subject worth inquirinQ
into. If after making correct and accurate
examinations, the work he deemed ~iuexpe.
dent, it isa very easy matter to let it alone.
The information acquired will more than
the trouble and cost of survey
Whatever diversity of opinion NAV exist
with regard TO the effects, in their Il i'm
mediate vicinity, of opening the outlets Of
he Mississippi, no one can doubt or deny
he permanent beneficial results that must
accrue to the upper sections of our State.
Ali who are in favor of cut.ofs upon the
Mississippi must necessarily be strong i'd
locates of the system Of opening the out.
cts; and for precisely the same reasons
The effect in both cases is to reclaim the
ands absve; with this difference, the
after system is less Objectionable, Tie re-
lief more certain and rapid, and the bene-
its greater, more general and more en-
One word about the "Ifississippi Memo.
-iaI.V To those who were, and perhaps
ire YET, astonished at the singular coinci-
lence between the two reports as4o matter
md time, the undersigned would saw. that
he ten words, not quite a line and 4 hale.
he so unfortunately for himself srd