, 1862-02-15
THE HLlN0IS AND MICH1~
:. : GAN CAkAL.:c
a mRpEED GoVEBNillis:HTAND
MILITARY Work, II s.
cokclusfaH Of: HON. I. n, Ar:
! W.. HotptS REPORT.

c0kciusmH Of: HON. (. n. AR:
: !: u. :. -hofptS REPORT.
G5kat Britain has; By maus Of her Cauadian
Tssscls Of warisons the 81: lawrence and the
orean into the lakes. =. This s-an advantage
not to he Oh crooked. and It can only be equal
fzed by the enlargement Of the Illinois aud
Michigan Cnnsl- Tie cannls ar'nnd the raplds-
Of thc st. lawrence are built 10 pass Fessefs
from the St Lawrence. Lake Ontario, I8I
feet long, ~ feet beam and 9 feet draft
The Wcliand Canal, around the Falls Of Nj
agasn, connecting Lakes Ontario and Erie, is
capable OF passing vessels l42- feet long, 70
feet beam, and 10 feet draft. Il ia understood
that Great Britain has . large number Of gun
boats capable Of being taken through these
canals. We must command the outlet Of Lake
Huron and the entrance to Lake Erie by Fort
Grctiot and Fort Wayne, and provide arms for
orr Lake craft. Thus we can maintain our
superiority.
Reference to the advantages growing out Of
the Canadian Canals brings Us to the consid~
erafion Of the importance Of the enlargement
Of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, for mill
tary purposes. It will be observed that while
We arc prohibited from placing vessels Of war
On the lakes, Great Britain can accumulate
gnnboats at her pleasure On the St Lawrence,
and By her canals bring them iuto Lake
Eric. We must remedy this by :enlatg~
ing tie Illinois and Michigan Canal.
As early as lSse, Congress authorized the
the public lands to connect the Illinois River
with Lake Michigan. In 1927 a qaanti.y OF
land was granted to the State Of Illinois for
the purpose Of aiding in opening Canal The
work was surveyed and commenced in 1885.
It commences at Chicago and runs to Lasalle,
the head Of navigation On The Illinois river, L
1iEi3Tr nf ahrrf u1nrfy In11aR WIS
na]ly designed to make what was called the
"Geep cut, which WAS to use Lake Michiganas
feeder. The work Has more than half COM
pleted On this basis, but owing 10 financial
and it was completed in lS44s, on the biz leyel,
aud fed by the Chicago, Calumet, Des splaines,
kankalzee and Fox rivers. The realization Of
the grand idea ofa ship canal from, Lake Mich
igan to the Mississippi for military and com
merc:a1 purposes i the great acork Of The a3c.
In effect, commercially, it turns tue Mlssissip-
pi into Lake Michigan, and makes an outlet
for the Great Lakes at New Orleans and for
the Mississippi at New York. It brings to-
gesher the two great systems Of water COM
muplcati0n Of our country =.
This communication, so vast, can be effect
ed at a small expense, and with no long delay
It is but carr, ing out the plan of nature. A
great river, rivallpg the ST. Lawrence in vol
ume, at no distant day was discharged from
Lake Michigan BY the Illinois to the Missis-
ssiRpL lts. banks, its currents, its
Traced, and il oniy needs "a a deepening
OF the present channel for few miles to re-
open magnificent river from Lake Michigan
to tic Mississippi. Had this ship canal been
open, lis cost would have been nearly or quite
eAved during the past year in the economy Of
1he various expeditions on the Mississippi
The-gunboats for these expeditions could have
been readily and cheaply obtained ut the great
ship building ports on the Lakes. This canal
opened, and instead Of two fleets of guuboats
-onc for the Western rivers ana the other for
the IakeE-0ne fleet may be mlde to answer
both purposes, asxneeessity may require. It
would enable the Government to concentrate
the military resources Of the Great Lakes and
the Mississippi and its tributaries, or either Or
any, VIXEN occasion might require. The
opening Of tliis canal would place us on an
equality with Great Britain, in enabling US to
bring from the Atlantic, even, the means OF
defending the Lakes and rivers. Great Britain,
with wise eagacity, has expended many mil
lions in opening canals and creating an en-
trance from the st. Lawrence to the Lakes.
The enlareing Of the Illinois and Michigan C1-
nal would give us equal advantages, at fur less
cost. The Military Committee Of this House,
biting, as is understood, about to report in fa,
yor Of this work, We forbear to dwell upon the
subject further, and will only add our hearty
concurrence in their recommendation.
T. In regard to the Upper Mississippi, the Com
AAAL4II AEeA0 Lb N&1tA LIZ AI1IAtAlA "
| to the fact that an appropriation Of $50 ,00(
| WAS made in March, 1851 for the construction
Of a military posi- IN or near the valley OF the
"Red river Of the Morrill," or SO much Thereof
| Is might be deemed necessary BY the Secretary
ofWar. The long line offrontier between Brit
! ish North America and the State Of Minnesoss
| is without protection by our Government
wli;c Great Britain has two forts-one on th,
norti, shore Of Lake Superior Fort Williams)
and another (FoEt Gary) On the Red River 0
tue North,'' about tifly miles north Of the in
tcrnatIopal line. In view Of these facts, and
| Of lie Secretary Of War, w2 trust this fronticl
will receive the carly attention Of the War De
] partment, which, in the Judgment Of the Tom
mittce, il is greatly entitled to. ~.
The Improvements Of the harbors Of til
| great Lakes, and the widening aud deepcnin!
tf the channel across the St Clair Flats, are q
immediate and pressing Importance, not les
| for military than for commercial Tesoufces.,
/ No great commercial interest in the worl'
has even grown so rapidly aud with 50 littl
encouragement on the part Of Government y
canal around the falls Of Niagara is wosl
national in its character, and which but await
the return Of peace and prosperity to til
country to receive the attention Of Congress
The great interests which your Committe
tion and relation to the Republic. The Nortl
west is inland 1t has as its great channels G
communication to the ocean, the rivers 81
Lawrence and the Mississippi and tile canal
ard railways connecting The lakes. and til
ocean. It can never consent to become isol:
ted from either OF these great outlets.
No foreign territory must ever intervene hs
tween it and the mouth Of the Mississippi
With one hand it clasps the East aud with til
other hand it grasps the South, and will hol
this Union together. The Northwest is moi
earnest in the determination to preserve u
Union than traitors arc to destroy it. tt
Northwest believes that our nationality
worth all the blood aud all the treasure wflie
it may cost to preserve it, and she places Q
: of her men and money at the command Of Il
Government for that purpose,
The Committee will report bills to carry
. to effect the foregoing recommendations-s
Of Which is respectfully submitted.
(Signcd) ISAAC n. ARNOLD, Chairma
! j. n. ASHLEY,
JOHN ". NOEL,
l CYRUS A1pR1cH,
: ELIJAH BABB1TT,
ELDRIGE 6. SFAULDISG,
: BRADLEY F. GRANGER,
! FEB. 10ih, '62- WIN. L. WHEELER.