Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-08-25
Opening Of sbs Iissisaippi-AH0thsF Fed-
arai View.

Opening Of ahe IEisHissippi-AH0theF Fed
erai View.
Fron She Tiekzburg WaF Eaziel
The closing Of the Mississippi river, and The
shutting up Of the msTkst of New Orleans, was
las heaviest burden imposed by the rebellion
uD0E the millions OF pr0dueerH In the States Of
Missouri, Ksn8ss. Iowa, Minnesota. Wisconsin
Michigan Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky P-unsyl-
vsnis and Wesiern Vrgiris. Pacuuariiy, the
rebelhsn would have fallen lightly upoa the pa0-
pie Of these States Z the navigation Of tbs Mia
sissippi river bad oss1 iett free and autTamsl=d
BY many 50uth8usgs Is is even doubted WhetheT
there would have been such an outucuring Of
the Western masses If their personal interests
had NOS bcen iBtsrisred wish. None doubt that
love foF the old fac, the Union snd ths Con
stituti0n buns brightly 10 the hearts Of these
hardy sons % toll, out it was doubted whether
they would have been able to appreciate the
dagger that meHacsd their country, with
the Mississippi open and their usual com
merco unrestrictsd. Surrounded By the
eVideaee8 Of peace. the fruits Of honest industry,
and viTtusus and lol al neighbors, it wouid have
been hard 70 c0Dviues them that more tbsn
few crazy is1atic8 could have been found
wicked and insane enough to rebel sgainst the
Government, and ley b. aI 70 the root Of the
tree Of liberty, surrounded by the graves and
wttersd 5y The blood Of thsir fathers
uaal-1r liiH1t-Ell.-l EeEAlHtl
the scales from their eyes On the S-h day Of
Isuutry, 1861, nearly two months before Mr
Line0la 7gss iusuguTassd, battery, plautsf
shove VicksbuTg, opened 6rst with blank
cartridge, ihen Wfh ball upan The a. o Tylor.
q Etps sasr psacsably pursuing her course to-
ward Neu Oraans. loaded with nsTchsgdiss,
and ler cabin crowded with friendly passengers
Nothing saved the EyloT from destruction aud
many Of her passengers from death, bat The
IA. & that another steamer 1e1i3- -B5Eily swung
between her aud the battery, reqUiing the zT-
il.zrists to withhold their fire. This was thu
beginning Of the blockade on fhe Mississippi
Near the last Of February, 1861 the Coufs5-
crate Congress assembled Et Montgomery, passed
a bill guaranteeing the free navigation Of the
Mississippi, with the exception Of certain little
fees which were 90 20 into the Confederate tFea-
sury. Every steamer was t0 give an sccount
Of herself and cargo to Coutsderats agents. and
her officers and crew were o. be under q con
sisnt surveillance ef ths spies Of C0Efedsrste
vigilance cOmE1ittees-au8theF name for BcOun-
dyels and murdsFe-8- This virtually atoppsd
the trsde with The Northwest, even before the
Inauguration Of President Lincoln. and the
people Of the great valley Of the Miss's-
Hppi and its tributaries were completely
cut of from the market which their
wealth, enterprise sud industry bad
nsiniy contribuis to buiid up Ii IS useless 70
deny that this blockade seriously iueommOded
the people of The Northwest. All classes felt
the burden. For a time tbs merchants Of st
Louis Chicago, Pittsburg, Cincinnati and Louis
vile were thTeatensd with tnsnclal ruini and
the farmers Of the entire valley declared it use
less TO pl5w, and plant, aud harvest, while the
COST Of predicting was greater thsn could lie OBJ
tanned for the pTodzcts Of The soil Soon, how
ever, the demands Of the Government gave a
new impulse to trade aud agriculture which
gradually increased until at the beginning Of
shis year merchants and farmers were more
prosperous thsn they syer were before. This,
lso without the Mississippi river and the great
commercial mart al its mouth
TRe rebels nave been well aware Of the valUs
Fbicb the Northwest sttsched TO tbis great
national th0r0ughfs-e From time % iims they
bsvs presented its free navigation a. 8 bait to
the Northwest 70 seducs her from her loyalty 70
the Union They had no right .o he Missis-
sippi Ii wss not trairs % give; 6ut they were
not without precedent. More than eight en-
years ago he FIRST rebel attsmp. ed 10 seduee the
Son Of God from his Loyalty 20 the King Of
Kings by the premise Of a fres gifl Of property
TO W hieh be had as small a title a5 had J. g
Davis to the free navigation cf the Mississippi
Both rebels were alike unsuccessful 10 their at
tempted swindle The tempted in both cases
replied ''get thes behind me, Satan" In both
cases the tempted were the irue proprietors-the
tsmptsrs arrant inpostOEs. The parallel is COM
plste.