The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-19
Letter 10 the Hon. David L. seymour.
IiovsE o. REPRESENTATIVES,. June II, 1852

occupy chairman oil TIE Co0lhHlre on Commerce OF
be House OF Representatives, take occasion in this
wsy 10 cali your attention 10 be Improvement OF The nav
,,on Of the Mississippi river, aud especially 10 those
Unions of known as the celebrated Des Mones and
Rock River Rapids.
Bat FIRST / will submit some general reflections and
facts upon the subject
10 what extent the opinion prevails in Congress that
,poopatons for the Improvement Of the great river Of
hy Wes and OF The country cannot constutonally be
made do not know OF one thing. however, ! ON
snre-there Ought 10 be bni opinion upon The sub
ect majority OF the people whom represent hold 10
what they call strict construction OF the constitution US
does also their representative But at The same time,
they do not believe that The constitution IN any oil lts
,owers should be construed TO noihing--lha
hose very powers should he absracted from Stale pow
ets, and set mean nothing when committed 10 the const
,ni,on Of The United States Ii is impossible Tor The
States TO improve the navigation oil those rivers over
which no State has exclusive iurisdiction Dlfcn-
s are constantly encountered where the jurisdiction is
concurrent, or where il is divided by the thread OF
The stream. Besides, great OUTLAWS OF money ave re-
CURED for the improvement OF particular localities,
IN which distant States are just az much interested,
because they will derive much advantage, as con-
l,uous States. Take, for instance, the rapids which
have mentioned; they lie between The States OF Illinois
and Iowa but Louisiana, Missouri, and Minnesota are
almost as much interested in their Improvement as The
States which lie upon their borders would be, there
lore, extremely unequal w SoHPei tc p'eo
last named 10 make those improvements Tor The benefit
Of distant States as well their unless the constl
tuition clearly excludes the action OF the general govern.
ment in The matter am aware that much hair-spilng
Argument has been had upon that clause IN the constiu
ton which gives 10 Congress the power 'to regulate
commerce among the Staies."-lt has been said that TO
reeuae is not create, but that TO improve rivers and
habors is 10 afford those commercial facilities which Is
equivalent The creation OF commerce, and is therefore
more than the mere regulation OF commerce. But be-
leye the better oinon-l might almost say The settled
opDon-among sound practical minds, is that the power
quoted includes the power 10 improve rivers and harbos
which are national in their character. know that the
distinction between general and special improvements has
denied and rdlcnled by those whose political
interest il was 10 do So as chmera But Mr. Calhoun,
a. his luminous, discriminating Memphis report, in lS4G,
has taken the distinction and put down the landmarks
However the question may Heretofore have been
garded vexed question, 1t would seem to me that the
immense body OF statistics and facts there thrown to-
gelher and Gollaed in connection with the discriminating
and luminous reasoning oil that great mlnd, ought TO dis
pei all doubt upon the subject.
The terms .sto regulate commerce" ia the const-
tulon precisely what they did before ITS formation, when
commeice regulated by The States respectively.
Those terms have merely scooped out the power from
among the several States, and made II unit in the gen
eal government There is difference in the nature of
the power nor The objects of its application, but the
source from which is 10 come is changed-,ha Is all.
The restriction however, not TO be lost sight Of viz
the power is confined TO The regulation of commerce
among the Salesihat is to say the external commerce
Of the States not that which is confined 10 individual
States Ii is admitted that the trainers OF the conshti-
ton had in mind the Atlantic commerce alone; and Tor
a reason which then good as lack OF progress
would suffer to be- viz because The idea had not thsn
entered the minds of men that the Mississippi would ever
become navgable river, or wanted as such.
But the constitution contains power enough and It's
cTownng excellence 10, IFS perfect adoption to new de.
veomens of necessities and CLASSES OF circumsta
ces as they arise will here out single paragraph
from the mastery report 10 which have alluded
The rea sons which Influenced the frameH Of the
tuton delegate 10 Congress the power 10 egn ate com
inerce among The States are now applicable TO the
states hardening the Mississippi and is great rbn-
taries Il then those bordering the Atlantic
u IL necessary 10 delegate a IN reference 70 The
latter 10 and collision between tem
% consequence o. eac. Ieknang ,'s cohece WI'h tne
other the Necessity Is equally urgent IA reference 10 those
bordering on the Mississippi. fot ths same reasons
Indeed, IL may he said 20 be mere So because nu-
aerous States, grouped together on large stream and
ats ,bosres aud depending on us Navigation exclusively
a, the medium OF their with each other and the
rest OF world would be much posed TO embar
ulate their commerce. than those stretched long
ne OF The latter might possibly manage each
but without such power. the former would almost
sadly be involved IN continual conflict and hosies, 50,
among them, IN reference 20 the safety and facility
of Navigation, greater la relation 10 te states on the
the coast, the hangers and mpeduuens to which Il
srxposed greater, while from their character they may
be more eheciay guarded against 10y being removed"
But Is 10 p1i Of my object 10 make constitutional
Argument There are but few, il any, who will deny
thai the Mississippi river and The lakes may be improved
Tor purposes of navigation well az The Atlantic seaboard
Ny purpose IS TO state facts which appeal with such
duectness aud force for the immediate action Of the gov
ernment.
The Des Moines rapids Of The Mississippi river
are little more than two bundled miles above II
LOUIS, and list above the mouth Of The Des Moines
river, which is the principal river within The Stale
OF Iowa, and from which they derive their name
The length Of these rapids is about len eleven
miles; they always covered with water, which is
sometimes shallow and through theo there crooked
channels, forced out by the When The water il
low the passage OF The rapids difficult and dangerous the
navigation is ihus npedel about three months 10 the
year Il is also closed by ice about four months longer
which gives only FIVE months Of good uninterrupted
navigation. The upper or Rock River rapids derive
their name from Rock river the principal river Of north
sm Illinois. They commence at the celebrated island
called Rock Island, aud extend about fourteen miles
The fall through the whsle length il nearly tweniy-six
feet They are much OF the character as the Des
MONIES rapids. though not so difficult and dangerous
These rapids are the great obstacles navigation from the
Gulf Of Mexico TO the Falls OF ST. Anthony distance
Of something over 900 miles The interests demanding
the Improvement Of these rapids are great rapidly in.
cfeasing, and will soon be immense.
In 1877 the number Of steamboats, running upon the