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

opinion for reconstruction with portion
of tho non slavehold;ng States; which States,
be It remembered, nIe Ent asking admission
into our CoDfedeFscy, but demanding ut The
lannon's mouth that we shall JOIN 'heif
"Union" again. 1t would be better If those
Consederatcs, SD poor in spirit, wousd say al
once that they are tired Of tho war, and sh'nK
the sindepebdenco Of tho Corfsdsracy not
worth the price We have to pay for It. but
M thsy do not yet avow this, and profess
still certain willingness to continue the " ar
IN defence f our liberties, rot 100 bitterly or
furiously, but in sll 1neekress, It becomes
reedful to examine little their system OF
ratiecin:tior.
Their crest point is tho Mississippi river.
This river appears to us Simply ts large
currcGt Of water, W hich carries tho d'ainaEe
of tho central portion Of Tie con:iEent cut
into tho Gulf OF Mexico; anu herein It is just
like any other river; bat is Is 8 great hIS!-
say o! coInmnscs and travel also; so Is tho
Rhina; 90 is the Danube so is lh:: SEA Mr.
Linco!n, We knox. ard ~. Seward. a"d Mr..
Valandish ham, anu all Ia, rect oi tu. Naith>
ern enemies, u:gs that, asStAr u 50 SS'g!'i hos S
from North to South. mus lc MT freely
open to nav icstioa. for that las hD,u conceded
from tho fiIst-but hb c;c:osei ;ion! ~'u!cr
to mouth. wlthip poihieaI gov":nmen. -
We can Understand vary vel! tos. nnpu
den! apology Tor al a,gum at in tsr si,.ut',
of our Norlh"Ir cnru.irr; fhr they al:u
claim our ssa C0a-t a1i nnrhoW ON tie
Atlantic aud Gulf; and, i..T that matter,
our lands. too, az wei ~ cue Writer'S.
But h'% any Souths!na. "Aa repeat such
nonsense Is alnazir { 10 ~, unlc-s on ,he sup
position that he Wishes political 70 union
with tee old Unit.d Stats or i portion
thsre"f-ia o:hs- words wishes I"r "nh'n;s-
sion; bacanSe tho eI':ny 'lciicG no .e.nai;n
with US Ola MY othr: t."taa.
Tho Rhine i; rivor .'sH, snt c.e.: aid
famous i've; res-;'g or is hrosa slsesm q
commerce twice. as vai!gsh.e - !ilH &l::1Eai .p
eYsr Jet t;d. |. l;!:rs in S%i:Z:i lan'!. !i@wa
for part oi Is Course, between Switzerland
and part of ls4n C.;ina,;c Cun!eAr: s;ior;
two banks being under e 9 dun zion Of the
two powers respectively noxt 1t flows en-
tieoly through Prussia, both Ranks being
PruEsian; next through Holland, aud so to
the oc5an. A II the Countries named have
right to the free navigation Of tho Rhine; and
this right is secured TO than by treaties.-
Wealthy and spieudid manufacturing cities
d on o. near the hanks Of tho river, ard
It far their trade Much Of The wealth
OF Switzerland Is get stlast upon it al The city
Of Bssle; at Mulbuuso and S.rashurg the pre-
cious fabrics Of France ara committed TO its
current from tho one hauk, those Of Gsrm=ny
from the other. again, ono Of lis great tri-
outa.ies. he Moselle flowing out Of F.ancc,
before it reaches lie Rhine, runs between
Prussia and the Dutch province Of Luxen-
bourg, each bank of tha French river belong
ing to one OF the Two latter p)wc,t; while
the great Dutch po1t CT Hotsss dam, S! its
mouth, receives the produce OF sll those ccun
earth-sending up in return the SEA boEno
wealth of foreign lands. No idivt Of Ill the
crstins Of Switzerland, evec hawls ont that
God and Nature meant tie Ehiro TO flow
through Swiss Cantons, and that i, il "physi-
cally impossible" iSee Lincoln) for it to flow
anywhere: else. No d,uHken Gcgiuan stu
dent, though in bis Songs the Rhine is Ger
man river, ever, when Eoher, utieis in prose
the sentiment that both lis banks from tho
Alps to the Sea, must BIO Iultd by tho Ger
manic Confederation. No FIcAchmsa, while
he always looks to the Rhine Uor short
part Of its couyse,).a HIS natursl bcunds,I
ever demands both banks, Oh dreams of held
ing SWAY sysr its mouth OF its upper wato's.
No DutcSDan presumes to think OF putting
his custom houses at Msyence or Frank.
fort.
Now, in separating the political lis VI l.ieh
bound us to the old federstion We have al
ready made known, by tho public action Of
our Provisional Congress, tia! our detesmina
ton was in accordance with ;ha ugaces of all |
civilized nstions, to allow FREQ eayis.tion OF
the Mississippi downwaIds--of couyse &c.
quiriug free navigation for ourselves rps a,ts
We were willing, and arc willing, To rake |
treaty with the Federal States Of tho North, |
or with the Northwestern States alone, if
they choose to make Confectionery of their
own, to that precise effect; ard they NIL know
it. Their newspapers hayo Stated aud re-
pested it. Rosecranz, their Ohio General, hiss |
commented On it, but with Indignation and |
Andrew johnson, tho Tsnncssce
traitor, hos endeavored 10 s0ru,'s, ITO eff.c.s
and We believe with success. We'll then
what more do these No'.h western people
want? What moro can We io for them *
cept submit and return into ther Union:
We ctler the Same frotd to thti. navira-
ton by treaty, which European treaiiss have
secured to Fronch merchandise passias down
The Ehine through Prussia. And wha; is
there In the Mississippi moro thaa in the
Rhlne Who arc The Uoosiors that they
should demand greater guarantees than these
with which Frenchmen have to be satisfied
Oh! we are told tins is net Europe; this glo.
'ious galaxy of States il none of your petty
the creation OF mo:..,cbical al
'lomacy, but the resp!enden, aud suprrhnn;,u
Plur'6us Cnum, that spreads lis wings from
ocean TO ocean, and lays its eggs from polo 10
pole. Ia short, this august river Of ours is
aot a'mers curront Of sublunary water, hu.
ne mysterious Mississippi; Father of Water,
'no arano1atner OF Sovereign States. This
Ill nonsense. We have high respect for tho
liver, but have no suporstitious ava If II
Ike the Indiana who stood sghast when y.
|Oto first trod its sacrad nrecinc..