Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-10-16
BURLINGTON IOWA, OCTOBER 16. 1851
How Keokuk Talks

A"e Neokok Dispatch, speaking of the propo-
sitlon to clear the channel in the Des Moines Ra-
P'ds, thinks proper to PROFOUND, in a tone of af-
fected cahdor, the following rather astonishing
mquiries:-
us such an additional Improvement necessary?
Is not the plan adopted the best for obviatinr the
oostruchons in the river? Have we not the hirh.
es! authority IN favor of the canal-he highest
scientific authority consulted by Congress? i.
Wili not any petition be vain for am object al
ready undertaken by private company? Is not
such The usage of Congress? Is not the aid of
Government usually refused, when there is a
probability even of other and adequate means TO
the same end:" -
we lately had occasion to advert to the appa-
rent lnellnahons of our neighbors below. cloak
ed though they were by an assured indifference
to the course the Rapids Convention may choose
to adopt. They now begin to speak more bold
iy, and, by the time the Convention meets, we
sha'i not be much surprised if they proclaim
themselves out and out opposed to it, unless it
concurs in all things with the famous sHvdraul-
lc" PROJECT, of the equally famous and dsinterest
ed COL Curtis, now of st Louis, and recently of
keokuk.
We know 1t is useless to attempt TO argue with
our neighbors They are ''ioined to their idols >,
and we shall ''let them a'one." We have only to
say that though ''the highest authority be in fa-
vor of CANAL" a little practical knowledge of
human nature has long since convinced us that
the slightest authority" is pretty often the least
valuable OF any, more especially when there is
an under current of self interest to give it pecul
Tar bias. And our readers scarcely need remind
ing OF the several prominent instances of the ac-
complshment of many things BY clear heads and
strong arms, which the ''highest scientific au-
thority' had declared utterly impossible.
Now, we have no objections to the Canal. if
the people OF keokuk can find profitable use for
II. They may build forty of them if they are so
inclined. Bat, they need not calculate upon de-
irving any profit from it through the navigation
of the river. That is to be made FREE. II can
be done, and the people who live out of Keokuk
have pretty generally made up their minds that
1t shall be done. For our part, we think we may
safely undertake TO find contractor. as ..respon-
sible" and with as s'unlimited credit. as Bangs.
Brothers \ Co., who will undertake to make the
Rapids at all times navigable, at one half or less
the cost of the Canal, Col Curtis, and the .'hch-
'''''''f
and not only win they undertake to do it. but they
miH do it, and in shorter time than the shy
draulic company win take to complete one mile
of their Canal.
The queries of the Dispatch are grounded up
on the idea that the "Hydraulic Company" has
a right to meddle with the navigation of the river,
and that ITS plan will speedily be put into execu-
ton. We tell them we have no faith in their pro-
lec in any way, and that they interfere with nav
igation, and intrude upon the river al their peril
As we before said, we have no objections 10 the
company if i is strictly private matter and con-
tinnes so. Bat if the people of kcokuk under-
take to build upon it any objection to an applica-
ton to Congress for the removal of the otstruc-
tons. we Tell them now that we shall dispute
their authority, and, if they so on, they had bet
ter look carefully to their steps.