The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-07-23
From he Springfield Republic.
" BJ -
Chicago Convention.

VI lilo AaAkOpN v AOA lh
the Union, assembled at Chicago on the
9th. Judge Bates, of Mo-, presided.
Some of the most distinguished men Of
the nation, of all parties were present.
Letters we're received from many others,
among whom were Clay, Webster, Van
Buren,, Cass, Wright and Benton. A
large committee, at the head Of which was
Judge Wright, of Cincinnati, reported a
series ofresolutions, understood to have
been prepared by Judge John G. Spen- !
Ger, of New York. These resolutions
we're adopted. They assert, among 9th
err things, that the Union was created by
practical men for practical purposes; that
government was mainly designed for the
protection of tho common interests ofall
the States, or of two or more of them,
which could not be maintained by the &C
ton of the several States; that the regu-
lation of foreign and domestic commerce
among the States had surrendered to
Congress, which was bound by every
considered of good faith and common jus.
tice to cherish and increase both the kinds
of commerce thus committed to its care;
that this principle has been acknowledged
from the foundation of the Government,
and has been extended to lakes and riv-
ers; that foreign commerce is fed by do
mestic trade, and the two are so intimate
ly connected, that what benefits one bene-
fits the other. In addition to this alb
stract Of principles, we quote three of the
resolutions at length:
That the general government by ex-
tending Its Jurisdiction wei Lakes and
navigable rivers, ~subjecting them to the
same laws which prevail or the ocean,
and on its bays and ports, not only for
purposes ofrevenue, but to give securi-
ty to life and property, by tho regulation
of Steam Boats, has precluded itselffrom
denying that jurisdiction for any other le-
gitimate regulation of Commerce. Ifit
has power to control and restrain, Il must
have the same power to protect assist
and facilitate, and if it denies the Jures-
diction in the one mode of action, it
should ~oun it in another.
That in consequence of the peculiar
dangers of the navigation of the Lakes,
arising from the want of Harbors for shel-
ter and of the Western Rivers for snags
and other distractions, there are no parts
the United States more emphatically de-
manding the prompt and continued care
of the Government to diminish those dan
gers and protect the property and life
exposed from them; and that any one
who can regard provisions for those pur-
poses as sectional local and not national,
must be wanting in information ofthe ex-
tentofthe m carried on uponthose
lakes and rivers, and of the amount OF
teeming population occupied or interes-
ted in that navigation.
That we disavow all and every attempt
to connect the cause of internal trade
and Commerce among the States" with
the fortunes Of any political party, but
that we mean to place that cause upon
7 such immutable principles Of truth, JUS
tice and constitutional duty, as shall com
mand the respect of all parties, and the
Difference ofall candidates for public ia
vor.
Measures were taken to bring the
wants of Western Rivers and Lakes be,
t fore the Government in such a manner al
to command respect and secure favorable
action.
/. The convention was addressed by
Messrs. Corwin and Bebb of Ohio, Hor
ace Greedy, Andrew Stewart of Pennsyl
vania, and other public men.
, We close our notice of this unprece
denied convention-unprecedented Al
finding its motive power in other than
party impulses-by quoting a paragraph
from Mr.. Benton's letter, which gives
magnificent view of the Mississippi ant
its valley:
! The river navigation ofthe great Yves
is the most wonderful on the Globe, and
since the application of steam power tc
the propulsion of vessels, possesses the
essential qualities of ocean navigation
/! Speed, distance, cheapness, magnitude
ofcargoes, are all there, and withou
perils of the sea from storms and enemies
| The steamboat is the ship of the river
and finds in the Mississippi and its tribu
taries the amplest theatre for the diffu
sion of its use, and display of its power
/ Wonderful river! connecting with sea-
by the head and by the mouth-stretch
r ing its arms towards the Atlantic and thu
Paciic-lying in a valley which is a val
ley from the Gulf Of Mexico to Hudson
Bay-drawing its first waters not from
ruggid mountains, but from aplateau o
! lakes in the centre of the continent, anC
in communication with the sources oftht
st. Lawrence and the streams which tax,
their course north to Hudson's Bay
draining the largest extent of richest LAM
: collecting the products ofevery cline
eve frigid, to bear the whole to a gen
, eral market in the sunny south, and Their
to meet the products of the entire world
t Such is the Mississippi! And who ca
j calculate the aggregate ofils future CON
y mercial ~resultsl
Many years ago the late Governo
Clark and myself undertook to c%alculat
Q the extent of tho boatable water in til
valley ofthe Mississippi: we made it q
bout so, 1000 miles of which 10000 wer
s computed to unite above st. Louis, an
10000. or course we counted all tn
s infant streams on which a flat, a keel o