Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-12-05

our own State, frora the alaasst ignpas- /
sable condition OF our cona4nea. roads. I
The west to her was terra sacogaita, I
so long as her trade was limited to the |!
narrow belt of country bafdering the !
Hudson. She occupied, both as regar- !
ded her population and commence, a
position in the rank of Anaerican ci-
ties. Philadelphia was rsgariea, at
home and abroad, as a much more i'm
portant town, and in possession Of the
greater part of the eouafTv ard the
entire trade Of the vest, e.sch is now
regarded as the true. soures of wealth
and prosperity by all our Atlantic el-
ties.
New York showed ncndng more
than the ordinary growfas,f q tosvn,
keeping pace only with 81. growth OF
thessurrounding country. aatii the O.
pe:dag If the Erie eansSEs his work
was b0ift at q tine @f1elf Is wa}ar carriage
was believed to be superior to every
mode, as it was, TO every known one.
The effect which followed the opening
OF this great work was immediate and
decisive. The trade which formerly
went to Philadelphia, over the ordina-
ry wagon roads, wasiinlnediately turn
ed into new channels, and from that
time New I ork shot ahead OF all her
rivals, and soon lett them Iaf behind in
the race for commercial supremacy
she has ever since steadily enlarged
the sphere OF her influence, until she
has nearly driven ali her rivals out 81
the most coveted field, lhG west, ANA
is now in the almost exclusive posses
sion OF that portion o. IL bordering
upon the great lakes, AID Is rapidly at
tracing to herself thai portion OF it
which has been accustomed to use the
Mississippi as their outlet to a market,
and to receive through New Orleans
their supplies OF foreign merchandise.
The Erie canal opened water line
from New York to the great lakes
These virtually carried that great work
thousand miles further west, to Ghica-
go. To avail themselves OF this new
route, the people OF OHIO, indiana aud
Illinois have constructed four eXten-
siye lines OF canal, from different points
on the lakes, 10 the nayigable waters
OF the great valley, the Ohio and the
Illinois rivers. The Erie canal being
the cheapest outlet for these States,
and the different works OF which we
have spoken, gave the Inhabitants of
almost every portion OF the State we
have named, a comparatively cheap
and expeditions outlet to the seaboard.
The immense trade eimmediately thrown
upon the Erie canal, enabled our peo-
PIE to steadily reduce the tolls, till these
at last reached figure far below what
was once believed to be possible. The
effect of the low rates was to attract
an increased business; which promot-
ed still more the rapid growth OF our
city; thus adding at the same time to
its value as d market for the produce
of the west.
1t never entered into the heads of the
projectors of this work, that different
direction could be given to the com
merce of the Mississippi river, nor had
| this idea been seriously entertained by
any one, until within a comparatively
recent period. The fact had to be
p1oced, before the idea could gain any
credence. New York has now enter
ed the lists with new rival She is
now disputing with New Orleans the
supremacy for the trade of the Missis-
| sippi valley, aud success thus far has
been as marked, and the correspond
ing effect upon her rival is as palpabiy
visible, as they were in our contest
with Baltimore and Philadelphia. Al
ready has New York struck decisive
blow at the business of New Orleans,
which is rapidly being reduced, by the
loss of the trade of the upper portions
OF the great valley, which is being
drawn through. the channels of which
we have spoken, to New York.
The result already produced is most
marked, and has caused correspond
ing CONSERVATION. and dismag among
the people of New Orleans. They
feel and acknowledge the inroad alrea-
! dy made upon their trade, and they are
endeavoring to arouse themselves to
some effort to ward of the danger which
/ threatens such disastrous usconsequences.
i The results which have thus far been
accomplished, have been effected en-
!. tirely through the medium OF the New
York and the western canals. The
Ohio canals gave US the trade OF that
State. The Wabash canal has exerted
+ the same effect in Indiana, as fast as its
different divisions have been opened.
] The completion OF the Illinois canal
mas produced the same result there,
1 and has extended the sphere OF our IN
I huence TO the mississippi. On this ac-
count, the Illinois canai may perhaps
be regarded as of more Importance to
this city than either those of Ohio or
Indiana. Tie effects that followed the
opening of these was, in a measure,
confined to the immediate section of
country traversed by them, but the IL
Iinois canal carries us TO the very cen
ire Of the great valley, and taps the
grand artery through which has flown
I It's Iife's blood. which has built up and
sustained The cities and towns upon Its
banks. The Illinois canal Is rapidly
changing the course Of trade IN the
west. Through this route, the whole
Lake rerion receives its supplies of su-