The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-24
Editor and Proprietor
The Thunderer ON the Great Ship Canal

~ Project.
From the London Times, June 26
The war in America has been a war of gun
boats. 1t is by the aid of these vessels that
the Eederals have obtained an ascendency over
the Confederates at all points of the coast and
along the banks of the great rivers. On the
Mississippi the opportune arrival of a couple
OF gunbosts saved the Northern arms from a
terrible disaster, and nothing probably has SO
etfectually impeded McClellan's recent opera
tions as the Inability of his gunboat fotiila to
force passage to Richmond The last de-
mand by the Federal Government on the
country has been demand for fifteen new
gunooats, and the Americans have boosted
that in short time their new navy will be the
most powerful navy in the world As far as
coast or river service is concerned this estimate
IS, perhaps, not ill-founded, and the PROPOSE
ton is now before the Legislature which will
open to these vessels a wider field OF action
than anybody has hitherto conceived. 1t is
actually proposed to complete an entire and
unbroken circuit of inland navigation through
the enormous territories of the American
States. Vessels are to be enabled to pass
from the waters of the Atlantic to the heart of
the continent, and to find their way out into
the Gulf OF Mexico. The Hudson river in
the east Is to be connected with the Missis-
slppl In the west so that the vast tract of
country enclosed will be surrounded by water
life prodigious island. But this plan has
something more in it than mere Improve
ment OF communications. Its immediate OBJ
Ject Is essentially military. The Mississippi
on one side, and the Hudson on the other. are
to be connected with the great lakes of the
North. On one shore of those lakes lies the
| British territory of Canada, and it is avow-
edly for the purpose of insuring a superiority
OF force on these important waters that the
works in question are to be undertaken
| Up to the present time the advantages and
disadvantages of position in these parts have
been pretty evenly divided between America
and England. Some fifty wears ago it was
agreed by treaty that these vast inland lakes,
the possession of which, in case of war; would
be of such decisive Importance, should be
| practically neutralized. Neither country was
to keep any force at all there Equality of
weakness was to be substituted for equality of
strength, and that understanding has been
faithfully observed. It followed, of course,
I tAa. in the event of war the advantage
| would lie with that power which could most
mpidly collect or extemporize a naval force,
and it was easily discernible that at certain
| periods of the year the chances would be in
our own favor, and at others in favor of the
! Americans. Had war, for instance resulted
/ from the affair of the Trent iE December last,
/ the Federal States would probably have Lad
| an advantage over us for time. At that
/
the sea, and, as the Americans were superior
| to the Canadians on the spot in population and
resources, they could in all likelihood have
put superior force aaoat. AS soon, however,
| as the breaking up of the ice had opened the
navigation of the St. Lawrence, we could
have poureda whole feet of gunboats through
that river into the lakes, whereas no such
channel would have been open TO the Ameri
cans. 1t was at the prospect thus disclosed
that the Americans took alarm. Though
peace was happily maintained, war, for some
weeks, had been discussed probable con-
/ tingency, and the advantages secured to as by
| the possession of the st. Lawrence were con-
templated with great uneasiness. Especially
was this anxiety felt in the State of New York,
the Legislature Of which province passed an
1 act in April last for "adapting the canals of
the state to the defense of the northern and
northwestern lakes" This act forms the
groundwork OF the comprehensive project to
which we now invite attention. .-..
The Americans are not absolutely excluded
from these inland lakes. They have system
of canals by which access g gained to the lakes,
but these canals, being constructed for purpo-
ses of traffic only, are not large enough for the
/, passage of gunboats. The first proposal there
fore, is to enlarge the locks of the Erie and
Oswego canals, so that vessels of war may be
Q enabled to get through, and by these means
: tne duQson river Woulo De at once coRnecteu
with the lakes. Mr. Ericsson, the builder Of
S the Monitor, has been consulted on the sub
9 ject, and has specified the dimensions that
r should be given to the locks in order to admit
o gunboats of his model An estimate of cost
' has also been framed, and it is computed that
/ I the work may be performed for about f700, 600
f But this is only one-half of the scheme. A
S narrow and shallow channel embracing the
r small lake of st. Clair, unites the waters OF
# Lake Michigan and Lake Huron with those
a of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. That chan
n mel might easily be stopped, and it has on thai
y account been proposed to open an indepen
a dent access to Lakes Huron and Michigan
8 from the Gulf of Mexico, through the Missis
g sippi and Illinois rivers. Thus, in the even
n Of contest ON the lakes, naval expedition
l. could be dispatched to those waters at onet
, from New York and New Orleans, and if tht
% ST. Clair was open, q gunboat fleet could sal
o right round the chief portion of American ter
y ritory.