Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-02-18

sion to the remedy proposed by this bill,
and should only inquire, is it feasible2 |
Not what it costs in dollars; its vast ma
tionaI Importance cannot be dwarfed to a |
valuation. The remedy is as sim |
Die and grand as the demand is great and |
imperious. It is to enlarge the capacity |
of the New York canals, and construct a
ship canal connecting the Mississippi with
Lake Michigan, thus securing two naval
channels to these lakes for armed vessels
against the one Of our rival. Can this be
done2 Is it physical possibility? for I
crre little for its cost. The best military
engineers declare that this is entirely
practicable, and give US the plans and es-
Inmates. The chairman Of the Ways and
Means, in his poverty stricken speech Of
Saturday, declares that the thing itself
cannot be done. And when the authori-
ties are quoted in reply to him, he can
only escape like that other venerable lady
from a similar difhoulty-"I and Paul diff
fer" In the event Of war with England,
says that gentleman, ave will seize the
Welland canal" Certainly by all means;
20 in for that. Sir, one-half of our own
territory is holden from us by an armed
OCCUPATION Ludh HAS Llus 4dE uGlCu LuN
power Of the nation to .rePossess it. The
broad-tide river that sweeps by this capi-
tai has been blockaded for year at time,
so that herring could hardly navigate il.
think see the Ways and Means invad-
ing the British empire We have had some
useful experience in this war Of invasion.
But we are told that we can extempor-
ize an armed feet on these lakes ample
in time and force for any emergency. Do
gentlemen forget that our enemies possess
Just the same facilities for building; as
much means, men, money, and power,
with as much practical skill and daring
with ample naval transit from the ocean
TO the lakes2 Sir, If war were to break
out tomorrow with England, no armed
vessel of ours would ever float upen the
lakes. They would be burned on the
stocks by the enemy's gunboats from the
ocean. Do gentlemen really desire a
repetition of the fierce old battle for the
empire of these very waters, even if we
could enter upon the effort, as we cannot,
on equal terms2 Would it not cost US
more than this canal 2 Is the hazard no.
thing2 Suppose we were to fail in the
next great struggle? What then2 My
people demand that this risk shall not be
run; it can be avoided. There are three
gentlemen now on this floor, Messrs. Crit
tenden, Wicklife, and Grider Of Kentucky,
who heard the roar of Perry's guns in
that old-time sea fight. When Shelby and
Clay and Johnson went plunging through
the wilderness to the woody shores of the
r-off Erie; among all that gallant host
were none nobler in the opening flush and
rising glory Of proud young manhood
than these who come from those distant
battle-felds, through all the wrecking
vicissitudes of life and time here to vote
on this great measure, hardly dare think
how. 1 would remind them that that far
off frontier is as defenseless now as when
they shielded it with their breasts.
1 know that the Rhode Island youth,
who had, with Preble and Decatur, chas-
tised the Corsairs, came with his three or
four dozen sailors, and, aided by the
tanned hunters and frontiersmen Of that
hardy region, constructed a feet in less
than ninety days, with which they went
in quest of the foe. How eagerly the
struggling dwellers in wilderness hasten
ed to the shore if haply they might catch
sight of the sails that waited their coun-
trymen to battle. And when the battle
Joined, and its thunders rolled through
the dim aisles Of the old woods, what
mortal of US can realize the terrible
anxiety that questioned of the result
No railroad brought it; no telegraph
flashed it but the triumphant fleet,
crescent-formed, with the humbled foe in
the center, swept proudly down the re-
joicing sea, bearing the tidings Of its own
victory. Long ago that fleet was dis
mantled, and the larger vessels sunk.
And it is since my own manhood that the
Lawrence was raised, and her timbers and
spars carved into canes and picture frames
and caskets and cabinets, and given and
received as the most treasured mementoes,
souvenoirs, and amulets. And the hero
Perry passed-oh, long ago-to the mem
ory and history of his country; and from
the granite pedestal in the beautiful park
of one of the loveliest cities Of the globe,
his form in Parian marble stands, with
his soul breaking from the speaking linea-
ments of his face; with his hand pointing
ever to the near sea, as a reminder that
as that was the scene of great achieve
ment, so it is the source of great danger.
He stands there an exclamation point in
marble against the unmanly ribaldry with
which the opponents of this measure seek
to overwhelm it. Had Great Britain then
possessed the Welland canal who is hardy
enough to declare that Perry could have
won the mastery Of the lakes ?
But we are told that the scheme will re-
quire an outlay of $4,000, 900, according
to the fierce harangue Of the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Porter; and others
swell it to S100,0O0,000. Since gentlemen
draw their figures from their fancy, why
not say S500,000000, or any other sum.
The estimates are S16,000,000; and the
bill requires the States of Illinois and
New York to provide for anything more
that may be required. But suppose that
fifty or hundred millions were required,
is it worth nothing to insure six hundred
or a thousand millions of property that
floats over these waters2 Nothing-to
protect Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleve-
land, and Buffalo, and Toledo and Erie ?
Nothing-to save nine million people from
invasion, and their lands and property
from tribute and spoliation Estimate
the wastes of war. The amplest tables
are now before US. Many of them time
nor thrift can ever restore. Why, sir, an
armed vessel in a single week, in those
narrow lakes, could destroy twice as much
as these improvements would cost, under
the fabulous estimates of even the oppo-
nents of this measure. And is it worth
nothing to prevent the hazard of a war
with England? ? Does anybody suppose
that with the certain means of controlling
these lakes, and thus Of controlling Cana
da, there would then ever arise proba-
bility Of war2
Ny able colleague from the Dayton Dis
trict, (Mr. Vallandigham, opposes this
measure, because, he says, that it is di-
rect war upon the interests Of five or six
States, and Of as many great cities. This
is grave declaration, indeed. 1t is kin
dred to the opposition of the two gentle