The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-28

The NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI TO BE UN-
OBsTKUCTED-We are glad to see by the mes
sage of Governor Pettus, of Mississippi, and
the proceedings of the Louisiana Convention,
that the people of those States have no idea of
lima, and running their own commerce in order
to carry out their extreme political notions.
The subject of the navigation of the Mississippi
is one of great practical importance, perhaps
the greatest among all the complications in
volved in the problem of disunion. Five and
twenty years ago, before the whistle of the To-
comotive-the herald of progress and civili-
zation-had been heard west Of the Alleghanies
or south of Baltimore, the act of shutting up
the lower Mississippi to Northern trade would
have ruined the great West. Now, however,
the farmers and producers of Ohio, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin have
other markets, and the South depends upon
them, not they upon the South. If Louisiana
and Mississippi agreed to throw obstacles
in the way of the free navigation of the
Father Of Rivers, they would cut their
own throats; and they know it as well as we do.
Latterly there has been great excitement all
over the North and West in consequence of the
fact that the State authorities of Mississippi had
caused the erection of batteries near Vicks-
burg, and that steamboats, passing down the
river were fred upon in case they did not stop
at that point. There was good deal Of fierce
talk on both sides, and some Western Governors
drew ensanguined pictures Of possible difficult
ties to take place among the canebrakes and
woodyards Of the Mississippi 1t appears, how
ever, that these batteries were temporary
affairs, built to prevent the reinforcement of
the forts at points below Vicksburg, more es-
pecially those at New Orleans. The Louisiana
Convention made haste to declare that the
all friendly States and Powers" The Go
vernon Of Mississippi recommends that
the "most prompt and efficient measures
be adopted to make known TO the people
of the Northwestern States that peaceful
commerce on the Mississippi river will neither
be interrupted nor annoyed by the people of
Mississippi" We agree with the Governor in
the statement that "ths will preserve peace
between the South and the Northwest, il it can
be preserved" Further than that, we believe
that civil war, if it comes at ALL will not break
out in that quarter. The war policy Of the
new administration would undoubtedly be the
starvation of the South, by blocking up its
ports and destroying its commerce. Accord
ing to present appearances, the Charleston and
Mobile people having saved the republicans
the trouble Of shutting out their foreign and
coasting trade, and the Orleanois seeming al
most as crazy as their friends on the seaboard,
there will be no necessity for coercion In that
shape. However that may be, we regard the
course of Louisiana and Mississippi upon the
matter Of the river navigation as being not
only very important in q commercial point Of
view, but likewise very cheering sign that
our political affairs arc not in such bad way
az to be altogether hopeless. Let Chicago re-
ioice and Wall street be comtorted. Trade,
the calm health Of nations" will still How un-
restricted from the Falls Of 81 Anthony to
the Deka Of the Mississippi.
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RHODE ISLAND AND TUE Personal LIBERTY
BILL The little State OF Rhode Island has
taken the initiative in the repeal Of the OBJ
noxious Personal Liberty bills which so many
of the free States have enacted in notification
of the constitutional Fugitive Slave law. The
lower house of the Legislature concurred with
the previous action Of the Senate by repeating
that act on Friday, by the decisive vote Of