The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-06-12
me Shin Canal Convention at Chicago.

The Ship Canal Convention at Chicago.
Tho Convention at Chicago, on Tuesday
and Wednesday of last week, known as tho
Ship Canal Convention, in respect to tho
number In attendance, tho ability Of It's
members, and tho objects Il was called to
promote, was ono of the most important
ever beld in the country. An immense tent,
procured for the occasion. and intended to
seat 400 persons, was filled to its utmost
capacity. Maine, New Hampshire, Yer.
mont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. Con-
noc,icut, New York, Now Jersey, Ohio,
Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mime
sofa, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky were
represented. Pennsylvania and Indiana
were unrepresonted. Hon. Hannibal Ham
lin presided. assisted by one Vice-Presidcnt-
ot.Large, (lon. Hiram Walbridge, of Now
York; aud one for each Of tho States rep
resented
The distinguished Vice President Of tho
United States, on taking the chair, was
greeted with great applause. He eStated that
they had met at period of time remarka
bio in the history Of our country, Obediont
to the call of prominent citizens in different
soctions Of tho country they had met in this
wonderful city, which sets like queen upon
! tho lake, to deliberate upon tho important
| questions whose decision should strengthen
/ tho Goyernmout. II was a remarkable fact
that at this time Of war, this vast assembly
had met to prepare for tho necessities Of
the future. [Applause.] But few years
and the population Of this mighty central
! portion Of our Government was numbered
almost by units, and its statistics found no
! place in commercial records. To day how
great the contrast. Thoy had como togeth.
or to initiate those works which wore com.
mensurate with the domands of tho day.
| GApplause.1 They OF the West had met to
deliberate upon military necessities" and
to prepare those necessitlos for tho future
if they should be demanded. [Applauso.
! A population that would startle the nations
of tho Old World wore hero along tho lake
shores, without gun to protect their homes.
Have they not right to demand OF the
government this protection i: In the pres.
eut condition Of things q foreign and hostile
Government might send a force against our
very homes, whio we had no power to Eroven,
IT, But this scheme was not onlya military
!
or as q means for transportation of tho de.
mands of the country, who is there that
should say that our Government should not
give helping hand to roliovo tho neces
sitios of the hour. -[Appause Mr.. Ham
lin closed by urging the Convention to
lay aside all minor considerations and up
hold and forward only those which would
bind us still nearer together in Union, in
.Poaco, in Harmony and in Liberty forever
Great applause. ........... .... ....
The following resolutions wero presented
by tho Committee on Resolutions, through
tho Chairman, Mr.. Rugglos, of Now York
Resoiped, That in view of the immense
increase in the products of tho States ada
cent to the lakes OF tho Upper Mississippi,
and of the necessity of providing for the de-
fenso of tho national commerce upon those
waters, this convention bold il TO- be an i'm ;
pcrativo duty of the General Government
to provide any necessary facilities for cheap.
enng and protecting said commerce by ado
quately enIarging and improving the canals
and rivers now connecting the Lakes with
tho Hudson and Mississippi rivers.
Resolped, That the proposed advantages.
military aud commercial, of " canal around
the Falls of Niagara be also commended to
the careful consideration Of Congress.
Mr. Riddle, who was the momber of In,
Committee from Ohio, and who, our roader
will remember, supported the Ship Cana
project in an able and telling speech in tn
House, Inst winter, offered the following, o
Q substitute for the second resolution:
!, Resoir,d, That tho construction of a sbi
canal on American soil around the Falls o
: Niagara, thus completing the great chain 0
/ lakes, and giving them an outlet to tho ocean
is pro eminently a natiopal enterprise. tha
. tho National Government should execute a
tho earliest practicable day. q. .,-.... ...
Mr.. Riddle, in speaking Of his own reso
!, luiicn, said IL would bo discovered that ther
: were two propositions reported by tho Com
4 mittee. and both were not on the same ba
sis. That in regard to tho Ship Canal wa
placed in u subordinate position. He desire
o that they should DO put upnn tho same bas
!. precisely. An intelligent stranger who woul
y first unroll the map of North America woul
be struck perhaps with nothing more d
70 rectly than with tho immense system {
70 great inland waters. He would be als
= struck with the interruption OF navlgatio
v by the Falls of Niagara, between lake Err
= : and Ontario; and he would ask whether
= was possible to secure navigabe faciiti,
,, from the great Lakes to the ocean. Eve
!? before constructing tho Erie Canal,
10 would query whethor that great obstac
could be removed. He would coDten
plate that il was tho duty of the sovereig
O. TO complete what nature had thus left il
10 complete, If no looked further he won
N find that tho sovereign of the soil on Il
40 northern side had acted on that natural hin
aud had for itself aud for those who shou
70 be pleased to pay tribute to it complete
n, what nature, for somo purpose bad left u
as complete, and had already constructed
-. ship canal. lie would be utterly ANA Il
that the great nation like our own, who hi
y planted its footsteps on tho further shor
IN, of those great lakes, was still content
Is, grope through that canal which tho Britt
re Government had constructed on tho 9th
/. sido, and to pay tribute therefor He wou
- be utterly amazed that the great nation
oil tho south sido of those now unnayigab
$50 waters, had not acted on the teachings
ne nature herself. and followed tho example
,d her great rival, by constructing for hersel
~ on her own soil, ship canal arourd Il
IT. Falls of Niagara. That was pre.eminent
no tho first link in tho erection of that gre
NO chain Of lake navigation. Ho submitted th
~ eyen'if it was not entitled to the first pla
Nv in the proceedings of this Convention,
10, certainly was entitled TO be placed on pI