Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-17
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
ON RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS


The following Letters, from eminent statesmen
and other gentlemen in public life, read al the
late River and Harbor Convention:
Letter from Mr.. Benton.
Sr. LOUIS, JuxE 20, lsl7.
r.; Msys Wayman Crolc, Ed,card Walsh, James T..
Yeatilan, and others, Committee, DC.
GgSTLEMES In my brief addressed you my
turn from Jefferson City, expressed the qualification should
have felt in going with the ST. Louis delegation TO the Chca
90 Convention and made known the that would pre-
vent me from having that pleasure.
The lake and navigation of the great West pro-
mote which the Convention is called very early had share
of my attention. and had doubt Of the constitution
atty expedency of bringing that navigation within the cir
Gle of internal by the Federal Government, when
the object be improved should be Of general and
tlonal Importance
The junction of the two great systems OF waters which
cupy so much of our countryhe Northern Lakes
hand and the Mississippi and tributaries on the otherap-
peared be object OF that character and Chicago
the proper point for eecng the union and near twenty nine
years ago. and published articles in ST. Louis paper
in favor of that object Indicated and almost accomplished by
Nature herself and wanting but helping hand from man to
complete it, Articles in the St Louis Enquirer of 1919,
press the opinions which then entertained and the por
of that PERIOD published in the paper to the Secretary
of War; by Messrs. Graham and Phillips IN favor OF that
nal land which report wroe) probably the first Tor
NAL communications upon authentic data IN favor OF the Chi
cago canal These gentlemen with Mr.. John o. Sullivan,
run line from the south end of Lake Michigan to the Mis-
ssspp proposed to them TO examine the ground between
Chicago and the Illinois river with view to the construction
of canal by the Federal Government They did and on
their Louis submitted all their observations to
me and hence the publications the newspapers, and the
report the Secretary of War; mention this to show mat
my opinions on this subject of long standing, and that the
nationality of the Chicago canal and OF course OF e haioo
at its mouth, by new conceptions win me- but
confess that did oresee then what have since seem
the Falls Of Niagara sumounted by ship canal, and
schooner clearing from Chicago for Liverpool
The river navigation Of the great West the most wonder
full on the globe and the application OF steapower TO
the propulsion vessels possesses the essential qualities OF
navigation Speed distance cheapness magnitude Of
cargoes all there and without the penis OF the sea from
and enemies The boat Is the ship OF the river, and
finds in the Mississippi and its tributaries the ampest theatre
for the diffusion of its and display of It's power Won
derful river connected with by the head and by the
mouth stretching its towards the Atlantic and Pacific
lying in valley, which is valley from the Gulf Of Mexico
Hudsons Bay drawing its waters not from ragged noun
tains but from plateau of lakes the centIe of the con
nent and in communication with the OF the ST. Law
renee and the which take their north Hud
sons Bay draining the largest extent of richest land; col
lecng the products of every cline, the gd to bear
the whole general market in the sunny South, and there
the products Of the entire world Such the Mis-
ssspp And who calculate the aggregate of its advan-
tages and the magnitude of its future commercial results
Many the late Gov Clark and myself undertook
calculate the of the boatabe in the valley Of
the Mississippi made about fifty thousand miles, of
and twenty thousand below OF course, counted all the
infant streams which fat, keel batteau could be
oated and justly for every tributary, OF the humbes boata-
bic character, helps SWELL only the volume of the
trail waters bat Of the upon them Of this i'm
Of avgation, all combined into sys
ten Of waters ST Louis forms the centre and the erepo of
its trade presenting in its infancy an astonishing
and almost incredible amount OF commerce. destined to Increase
forever is considered inland town. Counting by time
and money, the only commercial of distances,
and ST Louis the than New Orleans be-
fore the ow-boa abridged the distance between that
city and the mouth of the Mississippi St Louis seaport
well inland city, and port Of delivery by law and
has collected fifty thousand dollars Of duties on foreign imports
during the year and with liberal custom law would
become great enpot u foreign well Of domestic
With the attributes and characteristics OF seaport,
she entitled the benefit Of one loudly and clearly
New York New Orleans.
About twenty wears ago moved in the Senate and obtain
ed Appropriation for survey Of the Rapids of the Upper
Mississippi; probably the first appropriation OBJ
tanned for the improvement Of the upper part Of the river
About twenty years ago moved, and succeeded IN the
motion, to include the Missouri ryerin bill for the improve
ment Of the Western rivers; the first time that river
had been included. Thus the important items OF the
Chicago canal the Rapids Of the Upper Mississippi and the
Missouri nVer, among the first TO propose to include
them within the circle Of internal improvement by the Federal
Government have always been friend to that system, but
not TO its abuses and here lies the difficulty and the danger
and the stumbinghlock its Objects OF general
and national importance alone claim the aid OF the Fede
raj Government and in favor Of such objects believe all the
departments Of the Government 70 be united Confined to
them, the constitution reach them and the treasury sus
tam them Extended to local sectional Objects and neither
the constitution the treasury could uphold them. National
objects Of improvement few number definite in charac
ter and by the treasury local and sectional OBJ
jecs nnumerable and indefinite, and runous to the
treasury.
Nearly twenty years ago the Treasury threatened with
demand Of two hundred millions Of dollars for objects OF inter-
ma improvement then applied for and many OF them OF no
national importance The enormty Of the baked the
sste and il be again. if the proper discrimination
kept up between local and national subjects Il for
Congress make that discrimination the President cannot
lie must reject approve the bill whole. Here, then, is
the point which the friends Of the stem in Congress must
all their and vigilance No arbitrary rule be
given for the admission exclusion Of proper objects but
really national objects admit Of dispute and confined to
them apprehcnd but little danger Of losing BILL either from
Executive yeoes or for want OF votes in Congress.
Very respectfully gentlemen, your friend and felowci'zen,
TH0S. II. BENTON.
Lstte, from Mr.. fright.