, 1862-12-27


The bill to grant government aid for the |
enlargement Of the Illinois and Michigan |
canal, SO as to secure free and abundant water |
communication between the Western lakes ct |
chleago, and The Mississippi River at Cairo,
xl1 be earnestly pressed upon Congress at |
its present session. There is no doubt that !
the projects deserving Of most grave eonsid-
eration-ln some measure as q great convent !
ence for military purposes in time Of war, but
chiefly Us eheapening and increasing the
fighting facilities between the West and the
East, and titus knitting more firmly together
these two great, and to each other now vitallF
important secTions Of our country. The plan
contemplated is to enlarge the present canal,
so as to allow the passage Of boats seventy
feet wide and $50 feet long, for distance Of
thirty-s1S miles, and to improve the Illinois
River by series Of locks aud dams, 50 that it
! shall have the carrying capacity Of the Missis-
eippi above ST. 1onis. This line Of commu-
nication is 516 miles long, nearly riye1ing the
| passing it in the capacity for transportation.
The estimated cost Of this work is by one
plan 60, 0oo ego, By another sll, coo, and
By 2 third s1s, ,Goo, 900. -
western men, who have this project deeply at
heart. They allege that this is . york essen
TALLY national in its character, and vitality inl
portant both in war aud in peace; that while
The commerce Of the lnkes is greater than the
| exterior commerce Of the whole country
there is not along Il lake coast, longer than
that Of the Atlantic from Milne to Florida,
but 4 single vessel, armed with single gun,
to protect such gigantic interests and that
while by the treaty stipnlltions between Eng
land and the United States, neither power has
the right to build or put alloas more than
three armed vessels of small size On these
waters, tlle practical effect is to bind us hand
| and foot, and allow England, in case Of rup-
ture, to introduce any number Of gunboats TO
the lakes through the Wellaud aud st. Law
| ta%9e
link Of communication between the lakes and
the Mississippi River, and the enlargement Of
the New York and Erie Canal, all Of the
naval resources Of the country, except such
vessels us 1rtw upwards Of ten feet Of watcr,
can be rapidly concentrated at any point on
nayigab1e water not less than 80 600 mics in
extent.
Such is the military aspect; let us look at
! the commercial. We are advised that, not
withsta,ldiDg the apparant prosperity which
cultural interest Of the West is really in de-
; pressed condition, that the blockade Of the
Mississippi bears with peculiar hardship On
the farmers, and that they arealrcady forming
. 1eagues with Il view Of rc1netyiug these evils.
While the carrying interest has received such
: enornous profits, tho producer and consumer
, | hare alike been excluded. Let us take two o]
tie great staples Of Illinois, as illustr1t1ou
, | Of this diversion Of trade. Her surplus d
, wheat Tor expectation this year, will reach
} 15,0t0, 600 bushels, while her surplus Of corn
will reach SC. COX, 600 bushels. The difference
| between the New York and New Orleans mar
kets would be,so far as relates to corn ,at least
Twelve cents in favor Of the latter, which
between the producer.nd consumer; while, il
: | regard to wheat, The iif1erenc. would amount
{ to 81 SIX, GEO. With the eSorbitant rates O.
c i1arsE oztation TO the East, which have pre-
is 11cltcr for the prairie farmer 10 consume hi
r surplus corn as fuel, than to haul it to 4 rail
road station ten miles distant, and then sell il
+ at the prevailing prices. Thc stories wlfc1
: occasionally find their way into the ncwspa
5 pers as to using corn for fuel arc 10 fictiof1s
e Few people, not Immediately connected
/, with the gr.in trade, have all idea Of the ma!,
1 ritude Of this interest. For instance, between
+ January and November Of this year, ther
Q have been receiver at four Of tile principa
: lake ports 100 0oo ,0oo bushels ot grain Of al
y kinds; sufficient to feed nearly the existin.
d population of the United States Now, if b,
e means Of increased facilities Of transportation
and diminished cost, a saving Of four cents
:" bushel could be effected on this im1nens
n stock, it would amount to 81, ,oo0, goo, whic]
would be equivalent to nearly seven pc
d cent interest on all expenditure Of 360, ,000, ,0W
: But it must be borne in mind that these ar
T, only two Of great staples to be benefited b
q ! the proposed works. The pork, the beef. til
Il lumber, the iron, the lead, all are really in
terests Of commanding importance.
Is This is a question Of cheap bread, one j
e which the New England citizen is equally il
ID terested wife the western farmer. The Easi
It for the first time. has become the sole rec
q pient Of this western fertilizing stream
a commerce, and if she wishes to retain It atte
?, tho crushing out Of the rebellion, she must 4
1e once take steps to make the rates Of transpo
d. tation to the scaboard as cheap as to the Gu
y coast. Unless the present opportunity is in
= proved, 1t il gone, many fear, forever
n The support which this measure received {
1t the last session Of Congress mas cordial an
y unanimous, SO far as related to the Nortl
TO west, and near1y so so far as related to Ne
1e York; while Pennsylvania and Marylan
OF maintained strenuous opposition, based q
n, the snpposition that the measure would
e. tract from their carrying trade, and be ipj
rious to Baltimore and Philadelphia On tt
: other hand, New England did not give it tn
81 | it had right to expect.