Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-04-12

NDS. SoE.-ln your fAluAolt 5ouluhi oi W.
2sth ult. I noticed an article from one o.
your correspondents, headed "Let US Work
the Canals by Steam " Some two years ago q
canal boat propelled BY steam passed dow
the Northern portion Of the Ohio Canal, from
Cleveland 10 Columbus. ThenOws had beet
previously heralded Nlong the line that such
q novelty was 70 Be expected, Tue excite
ment amongst the people was intense. Al
almost every village Ia It's Immediate vicinity
large crowds were collected, and a. The boal
hove IN sigh6 loud shouts OF applause greeted
h2f passage downward. But He excitement,
although evineidg tha deep interest taken by
tho people In this new mode Of Canal vaviga'
ton, soon subsided into indifference. They
cav no other steam canal boatt0 revive their
enthusiasm, aud naturally eeuse 70 the con-
clusion that the plan was impossible. ] re-
fjOice thRtlhe attention Of your correspondent,
W. Is. q, has been directed TO the subject.
ana hope hs WsIl-dmed suggestion may be
adopted. Permit me, however, to correct a
slight error Ia regard 10 the Duke OF Bridge
water, who was called the father Of British
inland navigation Your correspondent
states that he employed Brendly, a man poor
&c than hinseli, to construct his canal. Tue
duke was rich IA real estate, and II was 70
carry coal lrom bis mines at WaEerly 10
ManchesteE, which mad previously been trans
ported in wagons that induced him 10 en-
| gage in the work. Brendly was a mill
wright with great inventive genius but with
out the advantages of early education.
Manchester derived the benefit OF the project
as any other manufacturing town in Ohio
may to-day derive similar benefits from a
canal communication with the mineral
regions Of the State. AS BridgeWater and
BFendly were, more than q hundred years
ago, the founders OF canal navigation in Eng
land, 50 Dewitt Clinton, Of New York, with
Alfred Kelley and Mecajah T. Williams, of
Ohio, NAV be said to be the founders Of the
system here. These men have passed awav
Tteir indomitable perseverance, OverrOds tie
popular prejudice aud those who opposed the
grand project Of connecting The lake with
the ocean By inland navigation as an impos-
sibility, ontliyed their error, and witnessed
the mighty impetus given to agriculture,
commerce, manufactures, and the arts, by
thess magnificent works Contrast the
chsraeteE Of the men who projected andcom-
pleted the Ohio and Miami Canals with those
who in recent years managed and eonsruc-
ted them, the difference in meals, between
virtue and vice, or in politics between patrio-
ism and prostituti0a, Z may with q few
honorable exceptions convey the idea Of their
disinterested traits. Il is said a RomHn
orator once acclaimed g Ofenporg omoresF'
when lamenting over the degeneracy OF his
ie6untrymen. An honest citizen Of Ohio
might now exclaim. 20 times, Omauners,h
when seeing ths Efforts making in high places
to wrest from the people their public works
for the benefit Of a gang of political s~pecula-
tors. Talk to the authors and abstfOrs, Of
this piundering scheme about the introduce
ton of steam 70 revive the business on the
canals and they viii contradict you with
the assertion that il is utterly impraoticable,
notwithstanding the experiment is said to
have been successful. They will hear Of no
proposition rahaftmpr04smen save sent
lag them to a hsForite company for ten year,
at q anuuRt-reuE of ten Thousand dollars
when for the ten years previous these very
works paid into the State Treasury The total
amount Of eight hundred aud hAy.nins
thousand four hundred and n~inety-fYe dol
lars eighty-seYen cent? 1855, 498 81, clear
Of aH expenses During The pendencT Of the
renting Bill "a the House, a member offered
40 ~amendment that the lsssees be compelled
10 clear 0uttbs bottom Of the canals, Ona
level with the inter stills, 50 as to establish a
uniform aud unobstructed ~navigation- and
what was the result2 Why, the friends Of
he Company raised such an cutlery Of I'M
affected indignation, that tho amendment was
voted down, without even the privilege of
discussing its utility. The bill passed, and
hangs in the Senate. Did the people call for
such q measure 2 Have they complained OF
The pittance on the general tax lis, 10 keep
Up the canals, for the last four or Eve years2
They well know thai the failure Af the crops,
and the disastrous food of last April, have
largely detracted from the revenue. Have
these take, in other respects, ben heavy
TIE appropriations over the receipts luot-
~WithsiandinQ the extraordinary onfiays Of
Backusl have been a mere mile in the sg-
.gregate Of taxation. Are the people Of Ohio
Wiling 70 surreEder their rights to all con-
.trel ever the carrying trade Of the State of
Ohio, to save q mere pittanca Of their taxes
when there is every reason 70 believe the
public works in future viii be more than self
sustaining. That question has not been put
to them, nor do the advocates OF leasing or
selling risk the submission of the case to their
decision. It is few men who have been for
years identified with the frauds and spe0ula-
lions Of the public works, some Of whom
have grown rich by the plumbers they are
now besieging the Legislature to rent Per-
haps one or two Of this gang may show them
selves as applicants, but the original movers
of the scheme remain behind the curtain
operating IN parious rays IN the most talka-
tive and talented members Of the Legislature.
How far the pressat the seat of Government
may be involved in the combination, is SONY
to be suspected from the amount Of published
matter in favor OF the scheme. Though diff
iering from the veteran editor otthe Columbus
Crisis on almost svery other subject Of State
and National policy, be sertainly deserves
credit for the following item, which l select
from his paper Of the 2sthsofM March;
LEASING THE CANALS.
nnnr resnactahla dafIies=fhe Statesman