Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-10-30
The 7IisaissIPpi.

The people Of St. Louis and other point
North are becoming ciamorous for ihe opening
Of the navigation of the river. The board O.
trade Of s.. LOUIS recently published the fol
lowing manifesto:
There are four States bordering on the Missi5-
/ sippi river, namely Arkansas, Tennessee, Mis-
sissipDi and Louisiana, that claim to have 80
ceded iron the Uaion and to have joined he
| Confederate government, aud by their Secession
20 have given the COufsderscy control Of the
Misss, ippi river for one thousand miles above
its mouth. The four States named have a total
white population Of ] ,S62 593, and contain
within their boundaries lS6OJ0 square miles.
Above these States, fronting on the Mississippi
rIYer or its DsvI2abls tributaries, are situated
the States Of Kentucky, Ohio. Indiana, Illinois
Missouri Iowa, Wisconsin,, Minnesota, Kansas,
and the Territory of Nebraska. These States
have free white population Of nine million one
hundred and forty thousand two handIed and
tweuty-four and contain within th5ir bOulda
RES nine hundred and twenty-iOur thousand and
seventy six fqGare miles.
Wi;hGu these ihe question is strong enough.
Shall the four States hrst named make Us pay
tribute fJf the navi cation Of the Mississippi, OF
control that navigation with few bat,eIies9
The Mis- issipDi river is the natural outlet for
the produce OF this upper valley. j Iring tho
year 1860, the shipments from Cairo and points
above the MissssP Pp and its tributaries, by way
Of the Lower Mississippi, amounted to one mil
lion tuus OF this four hundEed thousand tuns
went from 81. Louis. If you take the average
price of freight by river and by railroad 70 the
seasoard, the difference in the cost Of freight
alone would be ten dollars per tun OF ten million
dollars per snDum on the shipment Of products
to market.
IF you estimate the difference Of freight on the
return Of coffee, sugar, sat. and Other staple
articles consumed IN the valley, yJu canadd i've
millions more, making an annual tax of fifteen
million dsllars now psid by the people of the
West, because tie free navigation Of the biissis-
sippi river is cUt Cf
live pay tax Of fifteen million dollars now
for suffering tine Blssiss ppi river to be closed,
what will is ba few years heucs when those
Western atss shall have population of thirty
or forty millions; when the vast praiTies Of the
West shall be bToaght ia.o cultivation; and
when the rich mining AID manufacturing re-
sources of the Wess are developed
Some anxiety was l., few months ago,
about the IHmoTed Intervention of England
France AID Spain. England, Ireland, Scotland
France and Spain contain Ia ths aggregate SOL
600 square niles little over half the sizs of
the Western States. True, the countries named
contain Al aggregate population OF 20 $4,000.
Taas they have such population will give some
idea Of the pnpu aliOn shat Csn be supported IN
the fertile valley Of tbs Mississippi when time
shall have developed its capacity.
Bat Why look 10 ihs future The present is
upon Us, and va have the humilsting TACT be
fore Us, that four States with an aggregate Of
less than tEo millions, are excluding niu3 mil
lions Of people from their iust right TO navigate
the Mississippi river. l might say ous Ssa;e is
accomplishing 5his, for Mississippi appears at
this time to b. the only S.ase that offers any OBJ
structiou-A Stsle visa lass than One-thiTd the
white population Of the S,ste OF Missouri.
These statements may bs uuPalstsbse but
they are true. Bat can our exclusion long Fe-
msin ii the volunteers now in the army from
II inOis, Iowa, Missouri and Ind aUa, (Fith0ut
calling on ihe gallant soldiers from the other
States menliOned1, wers ordered 10 clear ont the
distinctions, they could take the iEs Of the
river s.; Memphis and march 10 tie BllZ9 in
spite Of all opposition, or any force thas the Con
fedeTacy could send against them
Mr.. j. # Tsou wisely said that whoever held
the mouth Of the Mississippi was the enemy Of
the United Safes When NJ. JEFFERSON made
that declaration there were nOs half a million OF
peop,s in this valley and now when we have
more man utuH miIIOus uI loybI peUPiv EvF---
sented BY four hundred Thousand volunteers in
the Union a IN p, we are deprived Of the free
navigation OI our river. How long viii the
West suffer Ihis outrage upon its righ,s1 If
our c eJn,ns nders vii only give the oLder 81 for
ward, march, we shsll soon see the secesh
driven from Ite shores of this river on the
" double uuics