The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-03-25
THE LAKE CADDo IMPkovEMENr.-The le


ment ii the navigation Of Lake Caddo. q when
". smoke a day or two since, as of SO much I'M
nortanc. to the people Of the State. and Of
New Orleans. Col. Matt. Ward, Of Texas,
paid fyng trip to Baton Rouge. few days
ago, to present this matter properly 'o ~
members. and his success was immediate. No
appropriation OF money. directly, was asked
for. but resolution was passed, placing the
internal improvement force OF the STATE. IN ne
proes and snag boats. at the disposal OF the
Safe Engineer TO effect this Improvement anu
10 doubt remains, now that the public atten-
ton is fixed upon the subject that 4 this mode
be insufficient 10 accomplish the Object. suf1 Y
cient appropriations Of money vii not % want
irp at a subsequent session. The improve
ment is one which commends itself to the sup
port Of every intelligent citizen as OF vast I'M
portance TO a large, fertile, and rapidly grow
inc region of the State, and to the commercial
interests of New Orleans. The DISTINCTIONS
in the navigation of Caddo Lake are obstacles
small in extent, and removable at llttle com
parative cost They extend into two States,
one Of which, Texas. has already appropriated
a sufficient sum to clear them away to the
Louisiana line, and what IS needed to make a
perpetual navigation. opening 70 market a wide
field already prosperous and capable OF grand
expansion, is corresponding action on our
part Few persons understand how great and
fertile 4 territory lies beyond the great raft Of
Red River, accessible by the-streams above,
land through streams like this Of Caddo Lake,
needing only the hand Of man to make them
easy channels for an aboundlng commerce
This single improvement. costing only few
thousands of dollars at the utmost, will open
| a way to market for a vast amount OF produce,
annually increasing in a ratio compounded Of
| its own fertility and the augmeniing facilities
I Of transportation. II is a fine cotton country
and sends down now hundred thousand bales
Of cotton, to be annually augmented. It is a
wheat region of immense capacity, and will
| under the stimulus Of regular avenues to mar
ket, grow in productivtness, to vie with the
more distant regions to which we now look for
our supplies For all things needed, with
which. we are now supplied from the northwest
we shall have a sure reliance in the nearer
mart whenever the channels for trade are open
I'd TO free and constant use. This Caddo i'm
| provemtnt, small in amount, is one Of very
great resulting value. s @ Picayune.
The DRIED Scorr CAsE.-The opinion ofthe
Supr,m me Court at Washington. in the case OF
Scott vs. Sanford. was delivered by he Chief
Justice on the 9Th inst. 1t was full and
elaborate statement of the views of the court.
They have thus decided the following all
portant points:
| L. Negroes, whether slaves or free that's,
men of the African race, are not citizens OF
the United States BY the constitution.
/ g. The ordinance Of 1857 had no independ-
ent constitutional form or legal effect suisse
quently to the adoption Of the constitution, and
could not operate of itself 10 confer freedom
or citizenship within the northwest territory on
negroes not citizens by the constitution.
g. The provision of the act of 1920, com
monty. called the Missouri Compromise, in so
far as it undertook to exclude negro slavery
| from, and communicate freedom and citizen
ship to- negroes in the northern part of the
/ Louisiana cesson was Legislative act exceed
ing the powers Of congress, and void, and Of
no legal effect to thai end.
In deciding these main points. the Supreme
Court determined the following incidental
points
/. The expression Territory and other
property" of the Union. in the constitution
Union possessed at the time of the adoption Of
the constitution.
9. The rights of citizens of the United
States, emgrating into federal territory and
the power 81 tie federal government there. de
penl on the general provisions Of the consti-
tuition, which defines in that as in all other re-
pects, the powers OF congress. .# s~=5-
3. AS Congress does not possess power it.
self to make enactinents relative to the persons
or property Of citizens Of the United States in
federal territory other than such as the con-
stitution confers. SO it cannot conslitutionally
delegate any such power to a territorial gov
eminent organized by it under the consttu-
ton. 4 ,-s...as ss
4. The legal condition of a slave in the
State of Missouri is net affected by the tenn
porary soiournof such slave in any other State;
but on his return his condition still depends on
the laws of Missouri. gs4.
DEATH OF AN ESTEEMED CITIzEN-Anothe1
of our venerable and greatly esteemed fellow
cisizcns, Philemon C. Wederstrandt esq, de.
parted this life at the residence of his son, DR.
John G. ?. Wederstrandt,. in this city, yester-
day, AT the ripe aye Of seventy eight years, the
last forty of which We're spent AS a planter in
this State, where he constantly resided. The
deceased gentleman was educated for the sea
and first visited Louisiana in command of a ma
val force dispatched to intercept and arrest the
famous Aaron Burr, on his contemplated tx
pedion. by the federal government Before
the breaking out Of the war with Great Brit
ain, and when their was little expectation o.
such an event, he resigned his lieutenancy and
came here, AS We have stated. where he made
his permanent home in the parish Of Plaque
mines.
For twenty years we enjoyed, uninterrupt.
| eddy, his friendship and agreeable intercourse
and it is but a few days since he called upor
us for a few moments, saying, with a sad bu
true presentiment, that perhaps it might tht
last time our hands would be clasped in !
kindly and affectionate adieu. How truly TIT
coming event cast lis shadow before, we now
poigrrntly realize. for kindly greeting. hi.
bluff, cordial saluon. his good wishes foroul
health and prosperity $50 often heard since the
time when We were stranger in the land
shall never fall with its accustomed welcome
on our ear again
In this brief notice, which we pen with diff.
fculty at this moment, in presence Of his loss
1--we cannot do more than alluue to his early