Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-04-14

1
HS1. In addition to the news we gave in our
Geographic columns yesterday, we surrender a
large portion Of our space to today to the pro-
ceedings of the Southern and Western Conven-
ton, as we do not doubt that there is a general
desire amongst our readers to be informed in
regard to them. Wecopy from the Charleston
Mercury the following remarks on the subject
"THE CoNvENTIoN.-The assemblage Of
delegate yesterday was large, and the whole
proceedings were marked by cordial, brother
ly spirit, that was itsefs worth travelling thou
sand miles to witness, among people that
have so much to gain by union, and SO much
to lose by discord, as those of the southern
States. All the slaveholding States were rep
resented except Texas, and we hope to hear
from her before the occasion is over. Senator
Dawson was made president in spite of his
earnest remonstrances. They fairly sacrificed
him on the altar of his country. There were
good reasons for this. Mr.. Dawson is an ad-
mirable presiding officer, skilled in the rules
of proceeding, ready, composed, and good-tem-
pered. He had been president of the two pre-
ceding conventions, and all could unite with
out scruple in keeping him in an Office which
he had filled so acceptably before. We deeply
regret that Mr.. Dawsoas health is such as to
make it in no small degree burdensome to him
to discharge the duties of his office.
I'm his speech, on taking the chair, Mr.. Daw-
son was very happy. He reviewed a wide range
of topics as subjects for the action Of the con-
vention, on many of which there will be gene
raj agreement, while others will necessarily be
laid aside as involving irreconcilable division
of opinion. Among the latter we suppose must
be placed his recommendation of enhancing
the Mississippi, SO as to bring into culture the
immense swamp regions on its borders. Now,
Congress made a present of these swamp lands
to the States in which they lie, on the ground
| that they were unmarketable, without the ex-
pense of embanking the river. Surely Con-
gress cannot now be called upon to remove the
| defect which was the very motive to the grant.
But there are other objections to this whole
sale embankment Of the Mississippi which are
quite independent Of politics. The Mississippi,
when he mounts his treshet team, is no triher,
but real Titan, bent on carrying all before
him. In his mood he eats mile of levee at a
mouthful, and makes wild work with brides
| and harness. And if this embankment could
be made complete, the consequence would be
an ever accumulating pressure towards the sea.
By the time it reached New Orleans, it would
be as unmanageable as an earthquake. In
deed that city has already felt the effects of the
partial embankments of the stream above.
"There is another consequence Of the COM
plete embankmept of great sedimentary river,
which abundant experience has shown to be
inevitable, we mean the gradual elevation Of
the bed of the stream above the surrounding
country. The true policy is not to compress
the freshets of such river, but to diffuse them
by canals as widely as possible. In this way
the Chinese have made their great rivers the
source of boundless fertility to their country,
at the same time that they secured themselves
against the dangers of their periodical spring
tides. Divide and conquer never had fairer
application than in this case"