, 1863-06-02

Khc Canal Convention Mt Chi
cnGo-
from the New York Norld1
We wish 10 cali attention to the great i'm
portancc Of the Convention which assemblies
at Chicago on Tuesday next. The call for
this Convention, which was issued at Wash
ington on the I'd Of March, Is signed By At
torney General Bates (who first rose to IA
tional distinction By speech made at the
river and harbor convention in the same city
the natlonal House OF Representatives, and
eighteen members Of the Senate. The Gov
erDor OF this State has appointed highly
respectable aud influential set Of delegates;
the Chamber Of Commerce, Of this city, sends
q delegation, as DOES also the Board Of Trade
of Buffalo; and NC presume thrre will he
similar delegations from all the leading States
aud commercial cities Of the North. The Con-
vention will bring together body of men
combining more weight Of character and
knowledge of the business interests Of the
country Than have ever before assembled in
this generation.
Ills Convention grows out Of the fact that
tic bill which was btforclthe last Congress for
opening naval communication between the
great hikes and the Mississippi on the one
hand, aud the Atlantic on the other, failed to
pass. That bill proposed, at no great cx-
jccts. to enlarge the Illinois Canal SO as to ad
nit the Mississippi steamers iuto lake M!chi-
Ean, and 10 enlarge the locks on the Eric
Canal to admit the passage Of iron clad gun
boats from the Atlantic coast, Since the trea.
ty with Great Britain by which the parties
b',und themselves to keep only one small YES
sci each, carrying single gun, on Lake On
lakes, and to dissuantlc all their
other war. vcescls on the, lakes, the
Cana dian canals hare been construct
{ ed; - work. Of great cost and capacity,
OF war vessels from Quebec aud Montreal into
the whole chain Of lakes. Our lake cities are
far more numerous, important and hourishinm
than those Of Carata. aud in case Of war with
Great Britain that power conld do us incalcu-
liable damage before We could begin any effect
i've preparations to resist her. But if the cam
ais in question were enlarged, the Two be1lig-
eTents would, from the outset, be on equal
terms, except that the greater number and
wealth II our lake towns render us far more
vulnerable.
But it is not merely as a measure for the
common defense Of the country that these
Improvements are important, although that
consideration alone would more than Justify
the outlay. They would add immensely to
the wealth Of the country, by cheapening
transportation between the East and the
West: giving the East cheaper bread, and
the West cheaper commodities. Thcy would,
tesiccs, be a new tie for binding together the
Union. We can conceive OF but one obIec-
ticn to their Immediate completion, and that
is the flct that we are engaged in . great and
e4I cEsiye war, and cannot spare the means.
But this objection is more specious than
solid The fact that we are engaged in a
great war and running up 4 fearful debt, de.
nonstrates the necessity Of making the
l.aticnal resources rs productive rs possible
to meet our vast liabilities. II, by cnlargine
these works, and improving the navigation o.
the Mississippi and its tributaries, We car
ch. alen transportation to an amount equal to
l.sIf the interest on the war debt, 1t would be
cquisalent, in its effect on the national
wealth, 10 wiring out half Of the debt. Blu,
| it is not Ior us to explain the advantages o.
| these improvements that is the business oi
| tic Convention, the most important d
whose proceedings We shall promptly lay be
| fore our read.rs.