Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-05-03

durable LeVees Wltnn the Stale u LouisidHd''
For the Sentinel.
The Levees of Louisiana.
a~IsLAsD'' April 3oth, 1881.
E.ptron OF THE SOUTHERN SENTINEL
M Dear Sri notice in your paper of the
10Th inst, in an article upon the present and tu-
ytures prospects of I%berville,,' that in speaking ofthe
Lepees of our State, you put forth the opinion,
8 that the Legislature should by Statute, give the
entire charge of Levees within the State of Loui-
siana, to the authorities of the State-and should
create a tax for the purpose OF carrying out the
proyisions of such an act This is wise-this is
what should be. have entertained and advo-
Gated this view Of our Levee system, for the past
years. The present, unjust, onerous, and I'M
ssAssw,iise tai, uponthe8 riparian proprietor-ought to
Acease to exist. The State should make the Lee
wees of the State-the State must make the Le-
wees Of the State. The experience Of the past
three years has taught us conclusiyely, that pri-
Syate enterprise, cannot. or will not, dam out the
waters of the. Mississippi The fairest garden OF
the Earth, is now but one wide spread ruin. An
element, the most destructive in its course, has
H. %1eluIeu dItu l1IQs WASTE liz dllus ~ 80
State, but for which, wouldsnow, as formerly, be
teeming with those productions Of our soil, which
Yielded to us our wealth. The experience. OF the
past warns us to make provision against the fu-
ps tire. We must find a remedy. We must find a re-
medy against the annual floods which noc come
down upon US. We mast find an efficient remedy,
: against the evils Of ,acoarci s.aThe Almighty
made sthe Great River crooked. We see and
knop the wisdom of such creation. Man, desiring
To improve upon the works of God-has attempt
el&fo. and in places, has succeeded IN making 1t
straight. We of the low lands feel and suffer the
consequences. The waters drained by the Mis-
sissippi-foreed into a less space than Nature de-
creed them to occupy-rush down upon us,
~ overflow the ~banks-break down our leyees-
rush over our lands, andscarry with them in their
course, the hard earningso Of the past, the aecumu-
lated wealth, the labor of years leaving behind
them only the devastation created by their course.
All Of the evils with which the planter has hith-
erto had to contend-all of them say, united,
were mercy to this new havoc. Therenedy ex-
lists. The use of the remedy now rests with QgEs
selves. Forewarned-we are forearmed The
Remedy is-plain, substanaid Lcues, and an open
ing Of the outlets.
Levees to be made and kept up by the State
the public Road, II, places, to be on top OF the
public Levee-in all places, where there is six feet
ofwater at high water mark, against the levees,
let the public Road be upon the top of that Levee.
Nor need taxation be heavy for this purpose.
The General Government has given to us the
Swamp lands of the State. They are now being
surveyed to us. They were given for SPECIFIC
p0rposes-one of these purposes, is to make Le-
wees. Let the proceeds then be religiously ap-
pscpriated to the making the Levees of the State
What will they yield? Five millions of dollars!
Three millions, would make a continuous levee
from New Orleans to Baton Rouge upon the lett
bank, and from New Orleans to Vidalia upon the
right bank of the Mississippi, with a base of one
hundred feet-with the necessary height, and the
pblic Road upon its top.
Perhaps. noe sriN hare to come to this-some men
think Motive shall see. In this question OF
Levees there are three interests in our State
in opposition. First. Louisiana, below the mouth
of Red River, including the Attakapas; Second,
ri Louisiana, above the mouth of Red River-and
II lastly, the Hills. The first named interest, will
- rZE
II be in favor of a large appropriation for protection
against the waters of the Mississippi-the second,
for a moderate appropriation-and the third Tor
none at all, affecting them. But the Hills have
zoswamp lands. 1t is reasonable to suppose then,
that they will agree that we of the Swamps shall
reap the exclusive benefit of the proceeds of the
sale of our swamps! If they do this, they will
not then object, to a reasonable appropriation from
he Treasury of the State for outlets, if the same
Shecomes necessary. If they do, then ue must
spote them, and this we can do.
agree with you, Mr.. Editor. We are upon the
ese Of our Semi-Annual State Elections. Let our
eandidates be pledged to support a change in the
present Levee System. A change, that shall give
the making Of, and the CONTROL of the Levees Of
the State, to the State. That shall relieve the UNI
fortunate riparian proprietor of the tar, with which
e is now SO unjustlys burdened-that shah %