Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-07-16

OF This meeting, be published IN The newspapers
TO The Stale, and printed in pamphlet form for
distribution
On motion il was
Resolved, That The thanks Of this Society be,
and they are hereby rendered 10 the Faculty oil
The University for the hospitality with which they
have received and entertained rs on the present
occasion.
On motion, the Society adjourned 10 meet at
The University on the 2Sth day Of June, lS4S.
CT MOSBY, President,
JOHN SrAdg DAVIS, Secretary p'o TEN.
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION
This body (says The New York Evening Posi-
assembled al Chicago, under large tent, in the
forenoon Of the ) h inst. IL was called 10 order,
and James L.. Benton, Of Buffalo, appointed
chairman.
Upon calling over the lis, o delegate, the
following States were found 10 be represented -
Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New
York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Indiana, Mich-
gan, Wisconsin, Massachusetts. Rhode Island,
New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri,
Illinois, Iowa, Ohio
committee was then appointed 10 nominate
officers Tor the Convention. The Convention le-
assembled u, 1 o'clock, Z. NJ, but The committee
were moi prepared to report. n dispute had arr
sen among them by the auemp, Of some oI tie
friends Of Thomas Curwn OF Ohio, 10 thrust
him forward as The mosl becoming man present
lie saw the opposition, and had the good sense 10
decline, and Edward Bales, OF Missouri, was no
minated and appointed President, with number
OF Vice Presidents and Secretaries. commit
tee was also appointed 10 draft series oil re3olu-
tons 10 report 10 the meeting.
The following letters, with many others, were
read on The 9Th inst.
The Letter from Colonel Benton.
ST.. LOUIS, June 20, 1917.
To Messrs. Wayman and others:
Gcnemen-ln my brici note addressed 10 you
on my return from Jefferson, expressed the graz
liGcaIicn should have cll in gong with The 81.
Louis delegation 10 the Chicago Convention, and
made known the reason which would prevent NE
from having that pleasure.
The Lake and River navigation OF The Great
West, 10 promote which the Convention is called,
very early had share OF my attention, ana never
had doubt OF the consiiinicnaly orespcdency
ot bringing that navigation within The circle 81 N
ternal Improvement by the Federal government,
when The object 10 be improved shoul'! Dc one Q!
general and national importance.
The junction OF The two great systems oil wa
ters, which occupy So much OF our country the
Northern Lakes on one hand, aud the Mississip-
ri River and lis tributaries on the olher-appear-
rd 10 me To be an object oi that character, and
Chicago The proper point iur cIlecling The union;
and near thirty years ago, wrote and published
articles in ST. Louis newspaper, IN favor oil ina;
object, indicated and almost accomplished by ma
luIc herself, and waning from man but lille 10
complete it, Articles in The 81. Louis Enquirer,
OF April, 1919, express The opinions which Then
entertained, and lhe report Of that period pub
Iishel in the same paper, 10 The Secretary o! war,
By Messrs Graham aud Phillips in favor Of thai
canal, (and which "repon" ! wrote,) was pruba-
bly, The iii formal communication, upon aulhen-
tic data, in favor Of The Chicago canal. These
gentlemen, with Mr.. John G. Sullivan, oil Mis-
souri, had been appointed by The Secretary OF
War, To run a line from the South end oil Lake
Michigan 10 lha Mississippi. Proposed 10 hem
10 examine The ground between Chicago ana the
head waters oil The Illinois river, with view 10
the construction Of canal By The Federal TO-
vernmenl. They did 50. and on their return TO
ST. Louis submitted all heir observations 10 me-
and hence the publications III the newspapers,
aud The report OF The Secretary oi war men
ton this 10 show that my opinions on tins SUB
ject are ct long standing; and that The nallonall-
Is OF The Chicago canal, and OF course al HE
harhor al lis mouth, are hy no means new Con-
crplions wilh me. Bul | must confess that did
not observe then what have since seen the falls
81 Niagara surmonnled by ship canal ana
schooner CLEARING from Chicago Tor Liverpool.
The river navigation OF The great West is The
NEST wonderful on he globe, and since the ap.
piicalion of steam power 10 the propulsion oil
vessels, possesses The essential qualities OF open
navigation. Speed, distance, cheapness, magni-
tudc Of cargoes, are all there, and without The
perils of The sea from storms and enemies. Inc
steam boal is The ship OF the river, and hnds III the
Mississippi and its tributaries The ampesl thea
Ire lur the diffusion Of lis use, and The display oil
I.,i -, nd
hy The head and by the mouth, stretching its arms
towards the Atlantic and lie Pacific, lying in a
valley which is valley from The Gulf OF Mexico
10 Hudsun's Bay, drawing lis first waters mol
from rugged mountains, but from the plateau Of
The lakes in The centre OF The continent, and IN
communication with The sources Of the 81. Law
renee and The streams which take their course
Nvrlh To Hudson's Bay, draining The largest OK.
tent OF The richest land, collecting the products Of
every cline, even The rigid, TO bear The whole To
genial marke, in the sunny Soulh and there 10
meet The products OF the entire world. Such IS
the Mississippi And who can calculate the as-
gresate OF lis advantages, and the magnitude OF
It's inture commercial results!
Many years ago, the late Governor Clark and
myself undertook to calculate The extent Of the
boaable water IN the valley oilhe Mississippi; We
made il abou, $4,000 miles Of which 10000
were computed 10 unite above ST. Louis, and ~,
900 below. or course, We counted all the infant
streams on which fiat, a keel, or balIeau could
be hoaled, and Justly; for every tributary OF The
humblest boaiabe character, helps 10 swell not
only The volume oil The central waters, but OF The
commerce upon them. OF This immense extent
Of river navigation, all combined into ono sys-
tenn OF waters, 81. Louis is The centre! ana The
en,rcpot OF lis trade presenting even now, ~
lis infancy, an astonishing and almost incredible
amount OF commerce, destined 10 increase Tor
ever. II is considered an inland town. Count
ing by time and money, The true commercial mea-
sure of distances, and ST. Louis is nearer 10 the
sea than New Orleans was before the steam Tow.
boat abridged the distance between that city ami
the mouth OF The Mississippi. ST. Louis is Il
sranon as well az an inland city, and is nofl
of delivery by law, and has collected 1000 Of
duties on foreign imports during the currentyear.
and with liberal custom would become great
entrepot Of foreign as well as ol domestic com
mercc. With the attributes and CHARACTERISTICS
OF sea port, she is entitled to The benefit oil one,
rs fully and as clearly as New York or New Or
leans.
About twenty years ago. moved in the Senate,
and obtained an appropriation Tor survey OF Inc
Rapids of The Upper Mississippi; it was Proba-
bly, the first appropriation ever obtained Tor the
improvement oil The upper part oil me RIVER
About twenty i've years d9o, noseu, anu SUI
cecdcd in The motion, TO include The Missouri IL
yer in bill for The improvement OF Western ri
vers-it was The first time that river had been so
included Thus on the important items OF the
Chicago canal, the rapids Of the Upper Missis-
sippi and The Missouri river, | was among The
frs. 10 propose 10 include Them within The circle
Of internal improvement by The federal govern
mcnt. have always been friend oil That sys-
tenn, but moi 10 its abuses and here lies The diff
Gully, and the danger, and The stumbling block 10
lis success. Objects of general and national i'm
porlance can alone claim the attention oil The ie.
deral government; and in favor OF suca objects,
believe all The departments Of The government lc
he united. Confined 10 them, and the Conslilu.
lion can reachlhcm and The treasury sustain them
Extended to local or sectional objects, and neither
the Constitution nor The treasury could uphold
them.
National objects Of improvement are few in
number, definite in character. and manageable by
the treasury; local and sectional objects ale in
Vulnerable, and indefinite, and ruinous 10 The
treasury. Near twenty years ago, The treasury
was threatened with demand tor TWO hundred
millions of dollars for objects OF internal i'm
nrovempnt thpn anniied tor and MANY Of them