The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-05-02

Mississippi.
Il GooDRIcH's LAmGxo, LA.,l
Aptil'l6 1854.
Editor Gate City: Located ~ you ere
on the banks Of the Mississippi river. i
will be matter of no small interest Il
You and your numerous readers to know
that one ex-Lieut. Governor Rusch, whs
is now a Captsin and Quartermasser in
charge Of River Transportation, with hi.
headquarters at Vicksburg. has been en-.
trusted with the Inauguration OF scheme
for the protection Of tho Lower Mississip-
pi country. The plan u his own, and the
fitness of his appointaasas totAs inpsssant
Position for carrying it into operation
must be apparent to. ALL The plan,
which believe you have already pub
lished, contemplstes the establishment Of
Government wood yards at convenient
points all along the river, and the pay
ment OF extraordinary wages to the wood
chopper in order to induce them to brave
tho dangers of a residence among the
guerrillas. and musquisos, the latter OF
which are regarded with the greatex ter
ror BY those Who have lived long enough
among both to learn their real character
istics. The guerrillas are Dotoriously
cowardly, y ean.cut-throah always are,
and never astask whom they suppose to
be prepared for..thsu. II they get into .
fight it is alwsys 81 mistake. As the
thief, they wiilskill rather than be taken,
bat never seek : nasly fight; while the
moro brave musqaitos. 'sundsr cover Of
night" always attack brsyely.
Every one knows the remedy for mus
quitos, and an effeosual preventive Of
neutrality-suspicious. may: always ke &c
cured in little armed neutrality. Ac-
cordingly, the wood-choppers viii be fur
nished With arms as::well as axes, and all
the Inducements that can viii be held out
to foreign emigration. and no ons under
stands this subject better than Capt.
Rusch, having filed the post of Emigr.nt
Agent for your State for several years in
New York. IS shN HI Tf
Thus, while our Government cannot
90 to : fofeign land 10 raiss soldien for
our armies, Capt. Rusch, or his agent, can
60 with impunity with an Invitation to
the down.troddeA people to come and oc-
cupy the richest land in christendom,
with the ostensible object of simply chop
ping wood, bst really 70 take armed pos
session Of the rich land, and defend the /
navigation of the river. Once located
the emigrant win soon become : citizen
and permanent resident.
While the Captains plan win secure .
large foreign emigration, the exuberant
vigor Of our Northern Ststes viii rapidly
infuse large and intelligent Northern
popslation into the South, and particalar-
ly along its great rivers and through it's
rich. alluvial bottoms. The new popula-
ton, bound by common instincts and
principles, will soon become homogcns-
oas the thousand acre plantations, of
slavery, with their concomitant ignorance
and inhumanity, will rapidly give place
to small farms, school houses and church
es, with the inevitable blessings of gene
raj Indulgence, happiness and philan
thropy. The old aristocratic planters Of
the past will never be duplicated. Their
children viii initiate the new order OF
men, or go down to be the yagabonds OF a
social system too good for their degeuera-
ted natures TO appreciate or enjoy.
Having lived some time 10 the country
of which spesk, and taken great pains
to gain information on this subject, l
take great pleasure in manifestipg my
adhesion to Capt Rusch's plan, as the
most practical as well as important move,
in thesway OF = healing medium, that has
yet been proposed, and if NOT circum-
vented by the narrow-minded jealousy Of
aspiring military politicians, have per-
feet confidence IN its success.
The large farm system is "played out"
The old planters must rent or sell. In
either case the energy Of the Mortimer"
will soon wrest tho realty from the feeble
grasp of its pressut owners, and the
South's future will be to its past - . gar
den to . wilderness-psradiss replacing
purgatory.
would urge upon you tho importance
of this plan. For every wood chopper To-
Gated on theNriver. soldier nov guard
ing it may be spared for active duty in
the field. s. A. D.