Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-30
The Memphis Conventton md the
liver nnnz0n


The National Intelligencer of the 2lst con
rains a long letter from Lieut. Maury, of th'
National Observatory, in reply to one from l.
P. Pryor Esq, chairman of the committee o
Invitation to the Memphis Convention
Lieut.. NJ. discusses his favorite ioplcs-th'
navigation OF the river Amazon, and direcI
trade from some Southern port with the coon
tries it drains. The letter is written in The
unaffected. but fervid and fascinating style sc
characteristic of it's learned author. and throws
a food of light upon the question it relates To
Before coming 10 the main subject of hi;
communication Lieut.M. expresses his amnze.
ment at 'fhe giant spirit VI Internal Improve
ment that is abroad. and tho achievements
which it is accomplishing in the South and
West" The degree of energy, he says, now
displayed by the people Of the South and West
in The construction of railroads and other works
OF Internal Improvement has never been sur
passed nor equaled in any age. Never has there
been exhibited such a display ofwell directed
energy, public spirit, corporate and individual
enterprise" lie excuses himself for confn-
ing his letter To the Amazon foi the reason
that he has made it the subject Of study for
years. and has had The benefit of some pecu
liar sources of information with regard to il.
He then procee. 8:
Do me the favor to pick up thefrst school
atlas you my soe.an turn To themap Of North
and South America. if it has one if not. To
the map of the world. You will there see
that our continent has, as IL were, been stretch
ed out I'LL IT has nearly been drawn in two, the
two parts being held together in the middle
by a very narrow neck of land. After this
pulling asunde.. the southern part appears TO
have been thrust over to the eastward, form
ing of this neck Of land an elbow or blight, IN
" hich lies embosomed midway between the
two Americas, that beautiful sheet of wafer
composing the Gulf o. Mexico and The Carib-
bean sea. which | have so often described as
Our mediterranean"
Keep your eye still on the map, If you
please, and see that South America is in the
shape OF a beautiful cOrnucopja. Consider its
mountains, that they are away to the west j;
look at the number and extent Of lis rivers,lhat
you may understand how well watered the
whole Atlantic slope Of that couutry is, and
you w'l see that, literally and truly. it is des-
tined to be a great horn OF plenty. It's mouth
is turned right towards US, as though it were
ready to pour out of its vast abundance an in
finite variety of fruits. Whenever It does pour
then out il will empty them into our CONNER.
cial lap-that aforesaid magnificent Mediterra.
can sea of America.
Turn steam, the emigrant, and
with then influences, upon the water shed and
you will make oft one vast plantation, which
will produce for us all that the climate of
India affords, and, being at our own doors. will
wnnt from us in return every thing which We
have to spare. And what it is that ne@ set
tiers in a new country do not want
To show what these tremendous agencies
can accomplish Lieut.. Nj. adverts 10 the effec,
produced upon the Mississippi valley by the
construction Of the Erie canal and other work.
Of Internal Improvement running out of New
York. They have we'll nigh, he says, turnet
the Mississippi river upside down. and have
taken one of its commercial mouths. at least
from the Belize and placed it at Sandy Hook
The Rio do la Plata, he continues, is nearl,
as large as the Mississippi. The valley !
drains is proportionably as great, and far NOR,
fertile, for IT Is intertropical, and a canal of
few steps in length by comparison will tnrr
that Mississippi ofthe South completely upsid,
down, also bringing its mouth, for all the prac
teal purposes oftrade and commerce., into III,
Amazon. And the two will then, for man,
other great purposes of state, be taken by tn,
physical agents Of the Creator-the winds q
heaven and the currents of the sea-and broug.
to the straits of Florida, there to be united i,
theirgreat outlet of the high seas with tn,
mouth of our own Mississippi. What a focusl'
The Amazon as it now exists. gives drain
], age to ak nations. 1t is the natural outlet l.
; the Atlantic Of much Of Brazil, ofmost of Boil
via, Peru, and Ecuador, and Of large provin
ces in New Granada, and Venezuela. Blu
the Empire has the strength and the position
she holds the mouth, and will not let the r.
public go up or come down with their steam
boats. They are our sisters. They want GU
? sympathy, and need our assistance in their nc
BILE efforts to introduce the principal of FIRE
| .a l. ,Na. tba H. IL u