The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-01-01

FThe last year has been one nf great moment
10 The aflllrs of the State Of Illinois. Within
the short period Of The asttwcve months, COM
para'ively new aspect has been assumed by the
financial alaiIs of our beloved stat. Measures
Tor her emancipation from an overwhc lining deb,
have been partially carried out on SO Car ,lcvcl.
oPed as to hold out tie brish,es, prospects for
the future. Within this short period, the peo.
Isc have aroused from the lc,hargy which had
oveilaken them in cur moments of emharrass.
ment md taken fresh courage to meet the heavy
bur.hcns Of cur State debt. The sound If repu-
dialon is n, longer heard within the limits Of
the State, and from The North 10 the South aud
from the centre to the East and West, hu, onc
feeling and one desire prevail, 10 meet the Just
and honest obligations Of our State The first
step has been chcerfully taken, ant one
blow struck towards the restoration Of our char
acter as tax-payiny and homes. people
The mil tax, for the partial paymeat Of interest
on the State debt has been collected and sncrct.
" applied to the ohjcc, Tor which it was intend.
ed. Although smal, yet il exhibits the will, if
not the ability Of the people, to d, VIVA, they can
TO restore the character and Standing of our
young commonwealth. 1t is not to be Disguised,
however, that The mill tax, for the p1ymeat Of
interest. has operated heavily upon portion Of
our inhabitants-ihe agricultural interests pnt
ticunrly. Produce has been low, and the means
OF transportation to make, quite limited, s, tia,
every dollar paid FIR this audablc purpose came
directly from the hard earnings If the people,
Yet 1t was chccrfdly paid--given with the con.
sciousnqss that i, was iusrly due To those f.,
whom II was intended, aud the only regret hearl
49, that il wa'so small portion Of Tie amour,
due.
With the dawn Of lSi7, Therefore, We may
proudly hail tho rising star Of our future great.
ness Experience, acquired in the the moments
OF orr darkest history, will serve as monitor
for the future, aud every Ilnoian should guard
sncredy tho true interests of the State. Her
public men, on whom grea, responsibilities rest,
should never "slumbor nor sleep in their ei. |
forts to guide Alright the ship of state, which now
rides at ease on the once troubled wave.
The great efJrl Of the State has been 10 make
available portion Of her public improvements,
and particularly her great Canal. This end has
now been partially accomplished, AMI it would
afford US much pleasure were we able 10 saw
Sails well!" Residing, as we do, on the mmc.
date line Of Canal, we feel an abiding in,ercs,
in It's speedy and economical completion, so tina, |
the State and the people may realize oil their Just
expectations f'om this great work.
During fe pas, summer, we frequently spoke
OF the iardincss with which the work was prose |
cn,ed, aud of tho blInd.lhirs,y leeches tina, were
sucking the lifebood Of the State and the Canal
fund We spoke about the three Trustees vo-
ting TO themselves the enormous sum oil
TWELVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED
DOLLARS per annum as their salary; about
neither Of them being on the work. aud two Of
them residents Of distant States. We called the
attention OF the taxpayers Of the State, TO the
fact that siaeeuyes had been created on the Canal
fn lhc purpose Of making place for relatives and
iavoriIs, two Of whom receive 81 goo per annum
Tor the pretended purpose of protecting Canal
linds, when no protection is required beyond
which the Engineers could easily render. We
condemned, ia strong language, the course OF
the Trustees in Issuing ut the Canal oilice, to
Contractors. the email bills of Eastern banks,
whereby The Canal region became flooded with
worthless paper csrency, and which probably
would become ueclsss about the time the Ca.
nal was finished. Wcs poke Of other abuses, and
hoped to be able to point them out at an early
day--as soon as we could procure copy Of the
Rcpor, to tho Governor. No such Report, how.
over, has ye, been made, notwithstanding the
Legislature has been In session one month. The
Canal is now Ia lansud siate-Ensincers are
idle The work nearly .uspcnded--iwo Of the