Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-03-10
THE MISSISSIPPI.

opinioa for 4 reconstruction with portion
of tho non slavehold;ng States; which States,
70 Il remembered, GRO net asking admission
into our Confederscy, but demanding nj The
cannon's mouth that we shall join thelF
"Union" again. 1t would he better II those
Contederatcs, Sd poor in spirit would say ~
onee that they are tired OF tho war, and sh'nk
the :independence of the Corfsdsracy not
worth the prizes we have to pay for IT. 6ut
~ they do not yet avow this, and profess
still certain willingness to continue the az
in defence f our liberties, not 100 bitterly or
furiously, but in al ineekuess, it becomes
needfui to examine little their system Of
ratiocin:tior.
Their great point is tho Misa'ssippl river.
This river appears to us Simply IS large
current Of water, " hich carries the drainage
of tho central portion Of The continent cut
iato tho Gulf OF Mexico; anu herein 1t Is just
like any other river; bat il Is great blsh-
wsy Q: conm-sce and travel $50; so Is the
Rhine; 90 IS the DANUBE - is Liz: Sea Mi.
Lincoln, wo knox. ard ~. Seward. AID Mr..
Vslandisham, and all t:;a reef OF our Martin
ern enemies. urge that aSstae y Ss. Ss'p!, Han S
from North to South, iT1auss ic nat freely
epen u navigation, for that has hrtn c"hcaf'ii
from tho h.st-but b. c'C:osei i''ol: s:n!cr
to mouth, w'thiuj 3 political government -
We can understand vary welt la, nnpu
dcni apology Tor sn ~ gum ut in Tho ;f'"ut''
of our NorttHln curu!'c+; for they 81"
claim our ssa coat ..nd hnrGosh On TIE
Atlaa.ic aud Cult; and, iUc that mattcr,
our lands, toe, 80 well ~ Gur waters.
But hpT any Southern, "An repeat surh
nonsense Is amazr s to ~, un'h.s on Tie sup
petition that h" wi*he" political 70 union
wita the old Unit.d Stats g. portion
thsrenf-ia o:h2r words, wi-hsl for "ub'n;s-
sion; because tho e.":ny desires no ic'":'ion
with US OF: NY othcr t.rms.
The Rhine i a rivor s's", and a s.c.; a5.d
famous rive; tese;rg Oh IL hrosd stsesn
commerce VICE as vaiHsh,e a. !hH Hl:.sIai,pi
eyer yst I'D. |: rises in S&i:Z2ilnnH llGws
aui par; OF l..a G.:IaE,c Confederation;
next flaws between EGi.n aud France, The
two banks being urdrr & = dim uiOn Of the
two powers respectively Eek. 1t flows en-
tirely through Prussia. both banks being
Prussian; next through Holland, and 80 to
the oc3sn. Ill the Countries named have
-, b.. r
this right is secured TO them by treaties
Wealthy and spIeudid manufacturing cities
d on OF near tho banks Of tho river, ard
It for their trade. Much Of the wealth
of Switzerland il set stlaat upon it at the city
Of Bssle; at Mulhouse and S:rahbure the pre-
ci0us fabrics Of Franco aye committed to its
current from the one bank, those Of Germany
from The other. Again, ono Of It's great tri
outs.ies. The Moselle. flowing out Of France,
before it reaches lie Rhine, runs between
Prussia and the Dutch province of Luxen-
bourg, each bank of this French ri.er belong
ing to one OF the two latter p ,wei,; while
the great Dutch port cG R0tsa. dam, s! its
mouth, rtcsives the produce OF all those cGun-
tries and transmits them to the euds Of the
earth-sendiug up in return the SEA borne
wealth of foreign lands. No idict Of Ill the
cretins Of Switzerland, evec hawls out that
God aud Nature meant the EhiEo 10 flow
through Swiss Can,ons, and that i, il "rhys-
cally impossible" (See Lincoln) for it 10 flow
anywhere: else. No drunken Gc:iuan stu
dent, though in bis sores tho Rhine is Cor
man river, ever, when sche:, utieis in prose
the sentiment that both lis banks, from tho
Alps to the Sea, must DO Iultd BY the Ger
manic Confederation. No Fleuchmsa, while
he always looks to the Rhine (Tor short
part Of its coune).a IA his na,nrsl BOUNDARY,
ever demands both banks, Oh dreaies Of held
ing sway ever its mouth or 'ts upper waters.
No DutcGDan presumes to think OF putting
his custom houses ct Msyence or Frank.
fort.
Row, in separ atiug the political ti-1 iich
bound us to the old federsticn. we have al
ready made known, by tho public action OF
our Provisional Congress, :ia! our determine
ton way, in accordance with :h7 uraces of all
civilized nations, to allow f.co na9iseiinn OF
the mississippi Gownway9o--or cnaTse &c.
quiring free navigation for ourselves Up : ayls
We were willing, and are wiliin;: To .nrac
treaty with the Federal Ststea Of tho North,
or with the North western States alone, If
they choose to mako = Confede:acy Of their
own, to that precise effect; ard they all know
It. Their newspapers haYo stated aud re-
peated it. Rosocranz, their Ohio General, has
commented on it. hut with Indignation and
Andrew johnson, tho Tenncssce
traitor, haR endeavored In caul;ss i,s eff cts
and we believe with succssa We'll. then,
what more do these North western people
want? What moro can We 90 for them X
cept submit and return into their Union;
We offer the same freedom to thci. nsvisa-
ton by treaty, which European treaii,s have
secured 20 French merchandise passing down
The Rhine through Prussia. And what is
there In the Mississippi moro than in the
Rhine Who arc the Uoosicrs that they
should demand greater guarantees than these
With which Frenchmen have 10 BIO satisfied : |
Oh! we are told thus is net Europe; this Clio
nous gals1y Of States is hone of your net,y
municipalities, the creation OF mn::s,cbical III.
'lomacy, but the respondent aud supcrIlup,,n |
Pluribus Cnum, that spreads lis wings r.om
'coan TO ocean, and lays its eggs from polo 10
pole. Ia short, this august river Of ours IS
lot asmere current Of sublunary water, hu.
no mysterious Mississippi, Father of Water
md Grandfather Of Sovereign States. This
all nonsense. We have high respect for tho
liver, but have no suposstitious awe Of II
Ike tho Indians who stood sghast when D.
OTTO first trnd ita sacred nrncinn.s L.. |