Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-06-06
The Duty OF the West.


the pen of distinguished Democrat
and we are truly glad TO see that promi.
nent men Of the Democratic party have
the independence and the patriotism to
take such position. We are informed
that at Evansville and elsewhere. the
friends of the improvement of Western
waters are about making movement
for convention to be held in Louisville
| 10 October next, for all the States border
ing on the Ohio, the Mississippi and
the Lakes, to take further action on the
subject of all appropriation by Congress
for the removal Of the distractions in
the rivers and an appropriation for the
Lake harbors: Mo. Republican.
WHAT Is THE DUTY OF THE WEST
Congress, ait its last session, neglected
to pass the River and Harbor bill--wM-
fully, criminatiy, as we think, neglec-
ted TO make an appropriation for the i'm
provement of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, and the harbors of the Lakes, and
for another year at least, nay, for anoth-
er two years, these two streams upon
which are carried an internal commerce
exceeding all our foreigH are to be left
unproy;ded for--he property and the
lives of all who navigate them are TO be
left to the chances of destruction arising
from snags and sawyers and sandbars,
which literally choke the channel OF
these great thoroughfares.
What is TO be done? What is our du
ty under these circumstances? 1t is in
vain TO say that these improvements are
to be left to the action OF the States lying
along their borders. They will take no
action in the premises. Will Ohio, Indi-
ana, Kentucky and Illinois--wil they,
the States bordering on the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers from Pittsburgh to
New Orleans, make an appropriation out
of their State treasures for such pur-
pose? No. Most of them are even
now harrassed with debts growing out of
improvements within their limits, that
have brough. them TO the verge of bank.
rupicy; and even if their treasures were
overflowing, they would not do it. The
people would not consent, and from the
many difficulties growing out of the ex-
tent and character of the improvements
when made. For instance, Kentucky
not only claims but holds jurisdiction of
the Ohio river 10 the low water mark on
the Indiana side. If she have the right
if the river to The point named Is hers
If within her jurisdiction-what right
has Indiana to improve any part of the
Ohio river within her jurisdiction and
claimed by Kentucky, without her assent
first given? Would il not be singular
anomoly on our part 10 ask her consent!
The truth is, TO the General Government
alone belongs the right Of improving the
stream, and, more than all, to Nbelongs
the duty.
For years we have been petitionipg
and demonstrating Congress to perform
the duty. Year after year has the West
been knocking at its doors for relief
Year after we have furnished list OF
lives lost, of property destroyed, on the
Western waters, which is apalling-a
list we venture to say, numerically
greater than any list of losses of lie or
property occurring along our whole ex-
tended seaboard. And when one OF
these calamilies befall our citizens-a
calamity which no foresight or prudence
can guard against-when at the dead
hour of night Western steamer, as in
the case of the John Adams, strikes a
snag, and upwards of one hundred souls,
unannealed, unanointed and unprepared,
are ushered into eternity, and the body
meets watery grave, "with no eye 10
pity, no arm to save" we have it her.
aided in the weekly chapter of accidents
in Western paper-"Another Great
Loss of Life" or "Anolher Terrible
Steamboat Accident" with the simple
record we are unable to state the num-
Der lost correctly, inasmuch as there was
no list of passengers TO be obtained, but
we believe not far from one hundred. "
Such is the only obituary notice of one
hundred human beings, thus suddenly
snatched from existence, and every one
tof whose deaths is chargeable in the
sight of God and man to the neglect OF
our Senators and Representatives in
Congress, to ,oiHfui, criminal neglect oil
duty, in not removing this hidden, but
easily ascertained cause of the disaster,
and which might long since have been
removed, as all such causes might be re-
moved, at mere trihing expense.
The steamship Atlantic was but a
short time since, delayed in her arrival.
The whole Republic was excited. Pray
ers were offered up every Sunday in
our churches for her safety. Thousands
crowded the piers in New York daily
to catch the slightest tidings, by tran
silent report of steamer coming in. For
tunately she. escaped the perils which
surrounded her, and reached port in Eu-
rope in safety. Suppose that gallant
vessel had gone down. inside of Sandy
Hook, by striking ship which had been
sunk, or concealed rock, whose posi-
lion had been known at certain periods
of the tide, but unknown at high tide
Suppose Congress had been memorial
zed for years by the Chamber Of Com
merce of New York, and its merchants,
to remove the obstruction, and had fail
| ed tn tlo so. SunDose that One-half her