The New York herald., 1862-05-07

ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS FOR THE PASSAGE
OF GUNBoATs-The Legislature of this State
before its adjournment enacted law giving
permission to the general government to en-
large one tier Of the locks on the Erie and
Oswego canals of this State, so as to admit Of
the passage of gunboats to the lakes This,
taken in connection with the movement at
Washington to connect the Mississippi with
Lake Michigan, is one of the most important
measures that has been brought forward in the
last year, and we trust that Congress will not
adjourn without ordering the work to be done
with the greatest possible despatch. Our treaty
with England prevents our having more than
one gunboat on the lakes, and that only small
affair, while she is so situated-having canal
around the rapids in the st. Lawrence, every
foot Of which is in her own territory-that the
moment there is any difficulty between the
two nations and hostilities commence she can
send feet of gunboats through to the lakes,
and, before we can build boats to compete with
her, can lombard and burn all our aourishing
cities and towns ON the. lakes. Thus while the
treaty binds each nation to one gunbcat, Great
Britain has great advantage over us; and
should war break out between the two aationa
this advantage VIII be seriously felt ct every
point ON the shores of our inland seas. 1t ID.
in fact, stated upon good authority that num-
ber of gunboats have been in the course Of
construction during the winter on the Ottawa.
whence they can be run down to the st. Law
renee, near Montreal, and thence through tho
canal to the lakes.
We notice that the Philadelphia papers ara
very much alarmed at the project of enlarg-
ing these canals and opening passage for gun
boats from the Hudson to the Father of Waters.
Like everything else, they look upon it with
jealous eyes, and imagine that they see in it
great reduction in the transportation on their
railroads What, we ask, has that to do with
great measure Of public necessity? Must Buff
falo, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago and the
other fourishing cities and towns on the shores
of our lakes be left defenceless because, for
sooth, their protection may divert traffic from
the railroads leading to Philadelphia! That
view Of a-question Of so great national import
ance is characteristic of Philadelphia, and is,
therefore, not unexpected; and we dare say
Congress will pay but little attention and to
care much less for the jealous rawlings of tho
smallfry Quaker City editors.
The great success that has attended every
trial of the gunboats during the present war
has effectually decided them to be far superior
to Notifications, even for defence; and let this
system Of canal enlargement now broached
in Congress be carried out, connecting
the Hudson with tho Mississippi, and
tho construction of the appropriate IRON
caad. gunboots, and we will be. in
position to defy the combined fleets and.
armies of the world. Thsproject Is in every
particular feasible and practicable, and the
safety of our commerce, upon the lakes do
mands the speedy construction Of this work.
The ill feeling engendered towards England
by her course towards the North since the
commencement of the rebellion, her secret
attempts to help the South and break up the
Union, do not augur harmonious feeling be-
tween the two nations in the future; and tho
first step for Congress to take to prepare tho
nation for any and all emergencies is to make
the necessary appropriation, and direct the On
largement of the locks on the canals OF this
State, and the construction of the canal con-
Meeting Lake Michigan and the Mississippi.
Next to the passage of the Tax bill. this
measure is Of greater public importance than
any other before Congress, and we hope to
chronicle its final passage at an early day.