The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-04-30
E..Ue
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
VOLUME XXI.
2o01Gd0G
From the National hieiligencer.


NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER MissIssIPPI-THE
NUMEROUS DISPUTES WHICH WOULD ENsUG IF
THIS UNION SHOULD BE DISSOLVED
FROM A CORRESPONDENT IN THE WEST
Il will be remembered that one of the
schemes of the last Nashville Convention
ss the appropriation Of The mouths Of the
Mississippi asd the control of its navigation.
As having direct bearing upon that subject,
we noticed recently the ordinance of the Con.
venuou Of The State of Mississippi, which
formed IT'S Constitution in 1917, and which
is appended to tha, instrument. The follow.
ing is an extract;
Whereas it is required by the act Of
Congress under which this Convention is as.
.smbled that certain provisions should be
made by an ordnance Of this Con, enlon !:
Therefore, this Convention, for and in behalf
OF The people inhabI,ing this State, do agree,
ordan, aud declare that .. the river Mis-.
ssslppI, and the navigable rivers and waters
leading into the same, or iato the Gulf OF
Mexico, shall be common hig ghways and FOR
EVER FREE, as well 10 the inhabitants of this
State as TO other citizens of the United States,
shou, any duty, tax, lmposI, or toll there.
for, imposed by this State and this ordinance
,hereby i, declared IRREvocABLE without the
consent Of The United Saes."
We believe that there are in that State
bu, very few who are disposed to maintain
he South Carolina doctrine of " the right
Of secession" Even they would be compel.
ed to admit that The State could never, ia aay
event, assume any rishliul control Of the n.
yer Mississippi without the consent Of the
United States" Our object IN this quota.
IIon is to draw attention to the utterly REvo
LrTIoNARY character Of any scheme propo.
slag to place that great river under the con.
troll of distinct nations. No portion Of the
United States would ever consent TO any such
appropriation. Ii is true that no ordinance
was required 10 show tina. fact. The i'm.
msnse interests Of the great valley Of that
| river would forbid it, as well as this solemn,
uualterable compact, which is expressly bin
ding "forerer upon the people and State
Of Mississippi. II 10 worthy Of notice that
similar compact is made, in almost the same
words BY the ordinance o. the Convention OF
the Safe Of Alabama IN 1919, 10 reference
10 all navieabe waters within that State.
The good people Of Mississippi doubtless
have lust claims 10 ask the General Govern.
ment to improve the navigation OF the Mis-
.usslpp, the State having, by the ordinance
above quoted, yielded all right to impose
tell or tax for that or any other purpose. They
are as much interested as The people Of any
Stat. 10 such Improvements being made, el.
ther al It's mouth or in any portion of Its whole
length. Indeed, this declaring all nsyigable
walers forerer free, is making them empha,.
lcalIy inland seas, like the Mediterranean,
tss Mr. Calhoun said at the Memphis Con.
ventlon,) open TO the commerce OF The whole
Union. These ordinances certainly give n
additional argument as to The duty of Con.
gress to improve such tIvers.
At this Iunciufd Of our affairs II IS salula.
rs 10 contemplate what an lohnile multitude
Of causes for war would exist If the accursed
schemes of disunlon we're ever consumma.
ted. What, for instance, could be more preg
nant with difficulties than this subject Of na
vgalion Of the Mississippi The States on
rs upper waters could ever point TO this r
rtrocable ordinance as ground for their de.
mauds. They could say tsat /: gave them
fee simple 10 It's navigation more absolute
and perpetual than that by WHICH they could
own an acre Of land. But this is but one out
of countless number OF causes for contro-
vefsy and war which would inevitably arise.
We believe that it would be useful for our
country men to bear in mind the utility Of our
Union in anticipating, preventing, and settling
disputes and causes of war between c0terml.
nous or neighboring States. This suhlec,
has been foIcibly touched upon by the Hon.
Edward Everett, IN his recent speech Co
pied into your paper. and delivered at the
celebration Of the 22d February, in New
York city. 1t is easy to recur to the hume
rous examples in which warm disputes have
arisen between bordering States for instance
between Iowa and Missouri, between Ohic
and Michigan, between Pennsylvania anc
MARYLAND. between Massachusetts and Rhode
Island, between Vermont and New York
and in the old Confederation between Virgin
ia and Maryland. In some Of these instan
ees 1t is we'll known that there was imml
nent danger Of collision by arms, even while
within the Union. lf they had been ndepen
dent nations, (exulllng IN their sulky solta
~ grandeur and in their boasted prowess,
nothing in many Of these cases could hav'
prevented long aud bloody wars be!wee'
hem. Such is the weakness Of poor ERIN!
human nature and such are the fierce pas
Sons and bslligerent appsi,es-a Pandora
bor-whch lay dormant in the breasts 0
our bold, proud Saxon race Thus does
clearly appear tina. our Constitution isa gran
apparatus to preserve peace upon this cont
hen,, and that it beuignly acts like Christi
.nty TO extsrminate the evil propenstles an
aamosltIes Of men, TO enforce self denia
and 10 foster all those charities, virtues, an
affections which exat the character Of ma
tleas as we'll as Of individuals. Thanks {