Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1859-01-19

The public are now pretty well advised that
this Canal. which in It's projecting and con /
slructien. engaged the greatest shsre Of the
public anxleties Of the people OF Western In
diana. aud absorbed millions of money. Which
frst sedreed aud deiuded the State into debt
of several millions Of dollars. Then the cred
iiors Of the State. to. not only rellnqulsh to
her sir millions of hev debt TO them, bat also
10 advance for its completion aud for the sup
posed beuefl Of the State. several hundred
thousand dollars more. TO be- sunk and lost in
the same vortex. is DOW inevitably TO be aban-
donsd aud to 90 to certain ruin and decay
We told. aud have no doubt that IL is the
truth, that this Canal which our early fancy
foresaw finished aud laden with growing
burden Of the spoils Of Industry taken from
our exhau-tless soil, will not. now that its
completion has been realized. furnish an ade.
quste revenue TO keep up its repairs aud pre-
serve its navigation.
The Trustees % the Canal have made their
report TO the Legislature. and although II has
ne, been printed. assured that il dis
linctly states that the earnings OF the Canal
bave not been adequate TO its maintenance da-
ring the past two years. by many thousand
dollars, aud that IL is estimated that to open
the same in the spring and continue its navi
gable condition during the coming season will
require the sum of So 900 in addition to all
its probable earnings. We are also Informed
IL At ,he Trustees report that they have no,
money 10 their treasury sufficient 10 open il.
AID resources from which to supply this
deficiency. They state. We ara informed. that
tbsy are poweTless 10 do more to maintain the
Canal.
And i, follows that without the interposi-
ton Of the Legislature or OF the people inter
es,ed in some form. the whole work will soon
20 to neglect and decay. and that all the vast
property. inter. st. and expect atoms which
have been bull, up along il. and prsdicated
upon its preservation and use. to be sud
denly ann.hila,ed.
We ale informed that there Is no visible dis
position the part Il the Legislature. now in
session, to touch the subject. bat that every
member seems disposed either to evade, or
openly expresses his opposition 10 any action
whatever in regard TO il. Some who repre-
sent constituency most interested in the pre-
servation Of that Canal express themselves
With entire ind ference IN regard 10 il, aud
on the whole Their. is not presented the slight
est hope that the Legislature viii do anything
at all TO save il.
Few members. think, understand the
true position Of the Stale in reference 20 the
Canal. Most, if not all. are impressed with
the opiuien that the boudholdcrs have abso
lutte property in it. and that the State has no
title or interest 10 it whatever. This is not
the case The Canal /, vested in the Board OF
Trustees In trust aud security. and the State
has a r.vision-ry Interest in it. She elects a
Trustee 10 take care Of that interest, aad also
10 protcc! tie public enjoyment Of its naviga-
ton. Aud the members of the Legislature
Cannot cast this suhj-ct from them, without a
breach Of duty. which. few years ago, would
have been considered fatal 10 the reputation Il
any member.
! 1t eecns nov TO ts consi Tered tina, If tie
Leg rlsture do auyihius at all in regard lo
lsis subject. or even discuss il they will com
nit the State 10 some new and increased oblI
CATION toward, her creditors n no have rein
pushed oDc half their claims against the Stat.
( in consideration of this Trust But this is all
absurd. There is DO such thing as the State,
liability. All obligations against the State
are OF a moral nature merely. The State can
4 l. a
aoy obligation. No jadgment eau be obtained
AMI no execution eau run against the State
Ii 10 plain that her moral obligations cannot
DC increase if the Legislature should be able
to muster resolution To deliberate awhile upon
the important question as to whether she
ought aud eau do anything to save the vast
and iminent sacrifice which will follow the
loss Of the Canal.
We are not prepared to say now What the
Legislature ought to do. nor indeed whether it
10 practicable for Der to do anything We are
not Informed fully of the facts which should
control the action Of the Legislature. But We
are we'll convinced that taey cannot shrink
from a consideration Of The crisis presented
think that it presents TO them one Of the most
important matters which will engage their at
,entiou during the session.
Ii may be that the Canal cannst be main
tained without great and inadmssible ex
pense 10 the State and that the Legislature
cannot wisely appropriate any means towards
its preservation. 0fthis we are not advised -
Bot Of another thing we are advised. aud that
10. that the Genial canno. be abandoned and al
lowed to 30 to ruin without vast and direct
cost 10 the State. The private claims against
the State TO arise out Of such an abandonment
will lang upon future Legislatures like the
pestilentIal vapors over the stsgnant waters Of
the deserted Canal. These claims will be
pressed and persescred In. They will come on
To the Capitol from every square acre Of ground
along the line Of the Canal from the State line
to Evansville. they viii multiply every year
Many Of them will be speculative and fraudu
lent--msuy most just and meritorious. They
will urged with sffert, aud hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars will be required to foot the
final bill. Every warehouse. mill and manu-
factory aleng the Canal-every lease Of water
poucr--ev.ry side Cut thai Ia, been bull, into
IL by private espital-svsry boat Constructed
for use upon i,s waters. aud every Cubic yard