Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-12
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI AND THE NAvIGA-
TION OF THE RIVER MISsISSIPPL.-THE NU-
MEROUs DISPUTES WHICH WOULD ENSUE II
THIS UNION SHOULD BE DISSOLVED.
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Il will be remembered that one Of the schemes
of the last Nashville Convention was the appropri-
alton of the mouths of the Mississippi and the con-
troll Of its navigation. As having direct bearing
upon that subject we noticed recently the ordinance
of the Convention of the State of Mississippi,
which formed its Constitution in 1917, and which
is appended to that instrument. The following is
an extract:
..Whereas it is required by the act of Congress under
which this Convention is assembled that certain provisions
should be made by ordinance Of this Convention There
fore this Convention for and in behalf of the people nha
tng this State do agree, odan and declare thats the
river Mississippi, and the navgabe rivers and waters lead
ing into the same into the Gulf Of Mexico shall be
common highways and FREE, well to the inha
btants Of this State to other citizens OF the United States
without any duty, tax, mpos toll therefor, imposed by
this State and this ordinance is hereby declared
CABLE without the consent Of the United States"
We believe that there are in that State but very
few who are disposed to maintain the South Caro-
lima doctrine Of !" the right Of secession" Even
they would be compelled to admit that the State
could never, in any event, assume any rghtful con-
troll of the river Mississippi without the consent
of the United States" Our object in this quo
tation is to draw attention to the utterly REvoLU-
place that great river under the control Of distinct
nations. No portion Of the United States would
ever consent to any such appropriation. It tis true
that no ordinance was required to show that fact.
The immense interests Of the great valley of that
river would forbid it, as well this solemn, unal
terable compact, which is expressly binding for
euer" upon the people and State of Mississippi.
1t is worthy of notice that similar compact is
made, in ALMOST the same words, by the ordinance
of the Convention of the State of Alabama in 1919,
in reference to "all navigable waters within that
State.
The good people of Mississippi doubtless have
lust claims to ask the General Government TO i'm
prove the navigation Of the Mississippi, the State
having, by the ordinance above quoted yielded all
right to impose toll or tax for that or any other
purpose. They are as much interested as the peo-
pie of any State in such improvements being made,
either at its mouth or in any portion of its whole
length. Indeed this declaring all navigable waters
foreuer free, is making them emphatically inland
seas, like the Mediterranean, (as Mr.. CALHOUN said
at the Memphis Convention,) open to the commerce
of the whole Union These ordinances certainly
give an additional argument as to the duty of Con-
gress to improve such rivers.
At this juncture of our affairs it is salutary to
contemplate what an infinite multitude of causes
for war would exist if the accursed schemes of dis
union were ever consummated. What, for instance,
could be more pregnant with difficulties than this
subject of the navigation of the Mississippi! The
States on its upper waters could point to this
arrevocabie ordinance as ground for their demands.
They could say that it gave them fee simple to
its 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 controversy and war which would inevitably
arise.
We believe that it would be useful for our coun-
trymen to bear in mind the utility of our Union in
anticipating, preventing, and settling disputes and
causes of war between coterminous or neighboring
States. This subject has been forcibly touched
upon by the Hon. EDWARD EVERETT, in his recent
speech, copied into your paper and delivered at
the celebration Of the 22d February, in New York
city. 1t is easy to recur to the numerous exam
Piles in which warm disputes have arisen between
! bordering States for instance, between Iowa and
Missouri, between Ohio and Michigan, between
Pennsylvania and Maryland, between Massachu-
sets and Rhode Island, between Vermont and New
| York, and in the old Confederation between Vir-
ginia and Maryland. In some of these instances it
is well known that there was imminent danger of
collision by arms, even while within the Union.
If they had been Independent nations, (exulting in
their sulky solitary grandeur and in their boasted
prowess, nothing in many of these cases could
have prevented long and bloody wars between
ulcIn. OuCH lS VIC WcdkHcsS VI pOOT cTFiHg HuLudu
nature and such are the fierce passions and belli-
gerent appetites-a Pandora's box-which lay DOR
mant in the breasts of our bold, proud Saxon race
\ Thus does it clearly appear that our Constitution
is grand apparatus to preserve peace upon this
continent, and that it benignly acts like Christianity
to exterminate the evil propensites and animoses
Of men, enforce selfdena, and to foster all those
charities, virtues, and affections which exalt the
character of nations as well as of individuals.
Thanks to the wisdom of our ancestors those evil
passions have been muzzled, and these disputes
have all been settled by the benecent action of our
Union either through the Supreme Court or by the
legislation Of Congress.
Look at the eternal wars which have occupied
, bordering States in Europe! What benevolent
men are earnestly seeking for Europe, viz. Peace
Congress between the various nations. we have al.
ready secured. 1t cannot be too forcibly impress
ed upon the minds Of our people, especially at the
North, that lin the words Of the admirable charge
of Judge SPRAGUE) "THE STATES WITHOUT THE
CONSTITUTION WOULD BE TO EACH OTHER AS Fo-
REIGN NATIONS" 1t is the losing sight Of this
simple fact that engenders so much of the spirit of
dictation with many enthusiasts.
Both the Supreme Court and the National Le-
glsature act in many cases Peace Congresses, or
nigh Courts of Arbitration to settle what could be
styled international controversies But il is better
70 seek remedy where practicable by legislation,
tnan oy resort to Court of Judicature, on the
ground that "an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound OF cure. 1t was, for example, far better
that the Texas boundary onee,;or sba,,d b,,o hoon