Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-04
Th" Free Navigation on ihe HIIssIs
niDDI,

cherish still these memories +rf. p
Remembrances Of long ago.
Tho Free Navigation on ihe MIssis-
sippi. tv
Navigable waters have in all ages been con-
sidered of material advantage to those possess
ing them. The universal experience of man
kind shows that navigation precedes commerce
and civilization, and that II is an essential pre-
requisite to substantial nationality. -.r-i q
Like other material interests, when once
iegitimateiy secured aud enjoyed by a people, 1t
becomes to them an absolute necessity t, their
well.being. - .
More particularly is such the case when they
have CONFIRMED and to q great extent based
their social system upon that interest. After
the American continent was discovered by Eu-
ropeans, the chief inducement to its settlement
was the advantages for navigation it presented.
Accordingly all the principal settlements were
first made on the banks Of navigable rivers, and
along the sea-coast wherever safe and commo.
dious harbors were found.
They invariably hOutished in proportion to
the use made Of the advantages so presented -
wherever the people devoted the most atten
ton TO maritime commerce, as was the case in
the New England and middle colonies, there
wealth and intelligence, coupled with popula-
ton and power, were the most marked, and
there were first developed the distinctive char.
acteristics OF new nationality. When these
colonies had assumed the crystalized form of
sovereignty, and had been admitted into the
family OF nations as one people, the commercial
restraints which England had arbitrarily and
selhshly imposed upon them being removed,
they were Tree to foster the syetem of commerce
which nature had rendered peculiarly promia-
log by the vast extent Of their sea coast, by
their innumerable and commodlous harbors,
and by the majestic rivers which furrow the
country. '.5 .Iri -tg a'3ilET
Immediately after the close Of the revolution
ary struggle, the commercial energies of the
American people were powerfully directed TO
maritime commerce. But It was not until the
old Confederacy, which was found to be mad
equate to protection and good government, was
superseded BY the present national constitution
that their maritime commerce began to assume
definite, symmetrical proportions.
At the time Of the adoption of the Federal
constitution the maritime commerce of the
country, as shown by the registered and enroll
ed tonnage, amounted to two hundred and one
thousand i've hundred and sixty-two tons. The
population Of the country at the same time was,
In round numbers, four millions, distributed al
most entirely east of the Allegheny Mountains
along the tide-waters Of the Atlantic.
In 1903 the population had increased to Eve
million, six hundred thousand, of which more
than half million were settled along the trib.
utaries Of the Mississippi, and In the same time
the registered and enrolled tonnage had in.
creased to six hundred and eighty thousand
three hundred and eighty ak tons, Of which o
large share fioated on the waters of the Missis.
sippi Valley. " '"
This unparalleled increase of population and
commercial industry of the United States, par
ticularly OF the tection west of the Alleghanies,
rendered the navigable waters Of the West of
vital Importance to the nation.
q Accordingly, to establish uniform national
polity over the whole region, and secure to all
the citizens an undlsputed right of transit over
its waters, negotiations were entered into by the
people OF the United States, through their gov
with the government Of France, which
then held and possessed the territory watered
BY the Mississippi. These negotiations tsrmi
mated in 1903 in the transfer BY the French
through their Commissioner, Laussat, of the
Louisiana Territory, which, In the language of
The transfer, "included within its boundaries
The whole Of the Mississippi river from its
source to the Gulf Of Mexico" '' ~
The Commissioners for the people OF the
United States we're Messrs Claiborne and
Wilkinson. ~, :. ,.,-,-,I- 80,
On the day Of the transfer they addressed the
following letter to the government at Washing
ton; q .i5 l-s ,yii7o1irt f1El sago;.
CITY OF New oRLEAss. Dec. 3. .le09.y /
"SR-We have the satisfsction to announce
TO you that the Province OF Louisiana was this
day surrendered to the United States bs the
Commissioner Of Frances; and to add that the
Dag OF our country was raised amidst the. aecla-
nations Of the Inhabitants. .,.., :, ..'.-. /
OWN. c. c. CLAIBORNE,
J.S.WILKINSON.
"To Hon. JAMEs MADISON, Secretary of State,
City Of Washington.
Thus, with the joyful consent of 1t, inhabit-
ants, was the sovereignty and property of this
vast territory, including the Mississippi river
from It's source to the Gulf OF Mexico, vested In
the people Of the United States -.
The territory and river were first discovered
by France In 1864, which, according TO the ca
tablished laws Of European nations, gave her
the right Of exclusive occupation. She fist set,
tied the territory, but subsequently,, In 1853,
transferred II to Spain, who re.trausferred it to
France In 1900, from whom, In 1908, the people
Of the United States purchased the entire terri
tory for fifteen million dollars.
From population at that time Of less than
six millions, and o registered and enrolled ton
mage Of tfiae over six hundred and eighty
thousand tons, there had grown up, In 1857, q
registered and enrolled tonnage Of nearly five
million tons, and q population Of thirty mil
lions. Of which population more than fourteen
millions were distributed In the immense region
Of one million square miles, drained by the
Mississippi and its tributaries. ~ SN' w
= This astonishing growth Of population and
commerce resulted principally from the unity OF
government, which protected the interests of
the people.
The citizens Of the United States, after the
expiration Of the treaty stipulation with England
10 1914, enjoyed the exclusive navigation Of the
Mississippi river. ,,
The sentiment that the ocean is free to al
men and its rivers % all their Inhabitants, wae
fully established, and, until the present time,
has been, In this country, undisputed. 49,
But now, as one State after another has az.
sumed an exclusive Jurisdiction Of those rivers
flowing within their State boundaries, the aues.
tion Of their free navigation assumes momeut
Gus proportions.
The question, although not open to arru
ment, Is still to be determined BY the logic oI
power. $3.50 ifi SO l8 silog n5dE a,tle ~
/. A whole people cannot be deprived of yet
ed right, Q right which they have enjoyed with
out molestation, and upon which depends theil
social and political prosperity, and upon which
as base, they have erected the temple Of self
government. The Mississippi was acquired BY
the United States Government as trustee for the
people. Full property passed by the purchase
and full sovereignty passed BY delivery. The
whole people, as joint owners, are interested ID
u, ana no citizen can be deprived Of bs property
In the river without the joint action Of the whels
people. -, ~ Al ,,,.',,., ..,,, i. (.
But without considering The property righ.s b
each citizen, the nation 81 large. has q legiti
mate claim 70 its use und occupation. 80.
The induztnsl, agricultural aud mineral e.