Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-04-02

The present attitude 81 L0nislana towards /
the States lying northwaid upon the Mississip-
pi River has attracted attention TO a project
considerably discussed a few years sipces---l
She now claims TO belong TO foreign
sovereignty Within her terri ory lie the
months of the Mississippi, and she now holds
with her troops the forts which command
them. It is true her Legislature has declared
that she intends its commerce shall be free,
but an assurance from a government which,
deems it honest 10 lay hands upon the money,
Tnints, vessels and fortresses OF the United
States, with no excuse except that President
it does not like has been constitutionally
elected, and descends to honor traitor
deeply dyed In perjury, cannot be relied upon
10 keep It's faith q moment longer than its
passion or seli-inteFest may dictate. Its
honor is q poor reliance TO men educated 70
regard oaths obligatory, and the West viii
be reluctant to hazard its produce and mer-
chandise, which have hitherto passed to and
from the ocean by the way Of New Orleans,
to the risk Of seizure by the same officials
who deem it honorable to rob, steal and pat
rouize treason generally, a5f ,r.faia-d
The project referred te is the connecting
Lake Michigan with the Illinois river by q
steamboat uhNAEhLlOu- ~ Was 1GAAOAoAl NbAfT
sidered at the West several years since, but
the want Of means to carry it into ettect has
for some time prevented any aotiveehorts IN
its behalf. Capitalists prefer making invest
ment in enterprises which promise return
in the shape OF semi-annual dividends.-
They are slow in expending money upon
works, which, though certain to enrich large
districts of country, may not return to them
an interest on the outlay. A steamboat
navigation between the Mississippi and the
great lakes might not an once produce to us
sufficient to afford the capitalist his interest
while it would add untold millions to the
value of the West, and multiply the COM
meree Of her cities and the city of New Y York.
If possible, it should be as lightly encum-
| bered with charges as possible. The value
Of such navigation can hardly be overesti-
mated. s5s sai ~ aa
For abo ut twelve years there has been a
canal connecting Chicago with the Illinois
river. Its capacity is only sufficient for the
canal boats which were originally used upon
the Rrie. It's summit level is supplied with
water by pumps. Such a canal, with the
necessity of having the property carried upon
it transhipped at each terminus, aad connect
| ing with the Illinois river, which, during
which portions Of the summer seasons is too
/ low for steamboat navigation, can never COM
mand very extensive traffic The proposed
connection would be quite another affair. It
contemplates a navigable channel for the
steamboats, which are used on the Mississippi
and the propellers which navigate the lakes
and a supply of water to the Illinois river
at all times.-A through cut of one hundred,
feet wide and eight feet deep from the riverf
three miles from its mouth, il the city of
Chicago, through the dividing ridge TO the
Illinois river would draw from the lake a
stream sufficient for these purposes at the
| dryest season. Il is estimated that such a
canal can be constructed for four million
/ dollars. All the steamers navigating the
waters of the great westerly valley could then
freely pass into Lake Michigan at Chicago,
and proceed without breaking bulk or other
| interruption directly to the New Y York canals,
Buffalo and 0swego.
The effect of the connection UDon the great
cities of the west would be striking. By
means of railroads, Cincinnati, Louisville, St
Louis and Chicago are within few hours
from each other. Each is the center of a
large district as fertile and prolific as any
| in the world, brought, as it were, to its own
| suburbs But, notwithstanding the faeili-
| ties of transportation which railroads have
conferred upon each, there are mary of the
agricultural products of the western valley
which require cheaper method of transit
than railroads furnish. Hitherto these have
followed the natural channels of the western
rivers, and found their market at New Or
leans. With the proposed channel opened,
| they would find the route cheaper and more
secure by Chicago, the Lakes, the Erie canal,
and the Hudson river, to New York-a mar
ket always more desirable than New Orleans,
The result would be substantially TO make
New York the outlet of the Mississippi valley
with its three thousand miles of steamboat
navigation coursing through the most inEit-
ing agricultural country in the world, pro.
ducing every variety of vegetable growth
found in temperate regions, with many pro-
ductions peculiar to the tropics, and teeming
with almost every metal and mineral useful
in the arts.
New York viii derive an advantage from
everything which promotes the prosperity of
the WeSA Every dollar added to the wealth
of the later adds to its wealth and growth.
The railroads stretching from the Western
valleys have done much, very much, to in
"rease the business of the Atlantic cities
;oston, Philadelphia aud Baltimore, as well
New York, exemplify this truth. But, as
las been suggested, much of the products of
The West requires cheaper method of trans
portatien.- Navigation alone furnishes this.
Let the proposed communication be opened,
and large part of the whole annual burden
of her soil and the products Of her mines
would find their market here. Certainly
when the action of Louisiana indicates that
the commerce of the valley must all pay trib-
ute to the new government, the importance
! of opening channel BY which II may avoid
the imposition is most manifest. Already,
as appears BY the report Of Secretary Dix TO
congress, the foreign importations of the
merchants Of st. Louis, LOUISVILLE Cincin-
matt and other inland cities have been de-
tanned at New Orleans until they should pay
duties to Louisiana. How soon she may lay
export duties upon the produce coming there
/ from the Northern and Western States or
may seize the whole as she has the mint
and national vessels, no prophet can fore
tell.
Indeed, the safety of the whole valley of
/ the Mississippi and of its continents northerIy
l Of the line of Louisiana demands the construc-
ton of this channel The whole cost is tri-
fling in comparison to its Importance. It
would be less than one-half the sum annually
raised in The city of New York for ordinary
taxes; less by one-6fth than the cost of the
land taken fol the Central Park less than
one-third Of what was paid for the Croton
water; about one-third of the expenditure for
the Hudson River Railroad, and about one
eighth of the cost of the Erie. Gould four
million dollars be otherwise expended with
so great an advantage to our city lwould
at once add untold millions to our commerce,
and continue TO multiply its benefits until the
last acre of uncultvated land in the whole
! western valley should be subdued, and the
last manufacturing establishment within it
should be completed. The original construc-
ton of the Erie Canal cost about eight mill
| inna Within the first ten veara affnr itn