New-York daily tribune., 1863-09-14
THE OPEN lIEssLssIPPI.

By an order from Headquarters Department
Of the Gulf, dated the third Of this month, the
trade of the city of New Orleans with Cairo, st.
Louis and the Upper Mississippi, the Missouri
and the Ohio, is declared free from any military
restriction whatever at intermediate points
within the Department, such precautions VIII
continue to be exercised as may prevent the sup
ply of provisions and munitions of warto Rebels,
but with this unimportaSt exception the com
merce of tho Mississippi Is finally uniettered.
II has been often affirmed that the fall OF
yicksburg and Port Hudson did not really
reopen the river; that its navigation must re-
main subject to interruption by guerrilla bands
on shore, and that no military possession OF the
insurgent States between which 1t flowed could
be complete. This order attests the folly of the
assertion, for we assume that the removal OF
military restrictions implies the cessation OF the
necessity for those restrictions, and 1t must iol-
low that the military authorities deem them
selves able TO guarantee, by theprcsence OF their
land and naval forces, the reasonably safe pas
SAGE of the few dangerous points on the river
Aud since transports and steamers OF all sorts
do ply their traffic, with little or no hazard, we
are safe in saying that the Mississippi is really
open. from the head of its navigation to the
Gulf.
The significance of the event is immense
The utter disruption of the Eastern and West
erri halves Of the territory claimed as parcel OF
the Rebel Conlederacy is scarcely more i'm
portant than the reunion OF the Northwest and
Southwest, now for more than two years widely
severed. The possession of the uyer was the
bribe which Rebellion offered to the loyal states
Of the Northwest. They spurned it, and SAID,
THAT which belongs to Us OF right we VIII
accep, as grace from no mans hands-least oi
all from hands blood-stained and treacherous;
but its interrupted possession We VIII reconquer
+ for ourselves and repossess for our posterty To
tie end Of time" And the promise being made,
was kept. The Wes, has regalned It's inherit
ance and with it has wrcsted forever from the
Rebellion the hope of great Slave Empire
girdling the Gulf Scattered bands OF maTaud-
ing traitors s,ll precariously plunder some por-
tons Oi ATk,tiSa, ana loulniiii, pIl 'iS i-"l "''
and Freedom Of the territory beyond the Mis-
ssspp are none the less unalterably assured.
There is no n,Xrest Of the West, and almost
none Of the Republic, which is not relieved,
strengthened, and enlarged in value by this re-
POSSESSION Of the river. The lands Of Illinois
and Missouri are worth more than yesterday.
Crops and the labor which produces them, manu-
featuring industry, always largely dependent
on agriculture, the capital which Is invested
in state stocks, in railways conyergne
to the river ports, and IN banks
whose solyency is interviewer with the general
prosperity Of the States, are affected almost as
directly and sensibly. The whole West re-
joiccs in its new strength. Borne on The ire
sis,iblc current Of the "unyexcd Father o
waters" Commerce aud Freedom, Union and
Liberty, follow the flag together, and the Lake.
aud the Gulf are indissolubly reunited.