New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-18

A prominent citizen and large planter Of the
parish Of Terebonne writes, under date of the
18th, letter to q commercial house in the city on
the subject of the crevasses, the duty of the PEG
pie, and the prospects of the future. We are per
mitted to publish the following extracts from his
letter, and as the subject ne discusses is one of
such supreme Importance at this time to the PEG
pie of Louisiana, we need do no more than call to
it the attention of our readers
The giving way of the Grand and Morgan3a
levees is a serious affair every way. The loss of
so much work will be felt by the State, as well as
by the contractors but the most serious of all is
the loss it will cause to those who have again
begun to plant trusting to the security which these
leyees promised
al do not believe however, that the effects of
this disaster will be great as has been stated. 1t
should be recollected that last season all these
oreyasses, and perhaps others, were open and
running from the first rise in the water, which oc
CURED much earlier in the season, and reached an
altitude two feet as it is stated above what it has
reached this season.
1t may be remarked also that from 1928 whom
the very highest water occurred, for twelve to
fifteen years there was hardly evee from Pointe
Coupee to the mouth of Red River, and none above
that, and yet from 1928 to 1865 there was no over
flow in this section of the country. If it be true,
as stated in private letters and the newspapers,
that all the waters above Vicksburg are declining,
see no reason for an overflow, except in the line
! of the water in the course to the Gulf and with
the impetus which it has received at the start
from the river, should suppose it would pass off
very rapidly At any rate We have had but little
water above spring tide, and for week this has
been stationary
"This morning we have had very heavy showers
Just what we wanted, and yet could have done
with less. As soon as the water in the Mississippi
returns within its banks the contractors will re-
sumo their work and instead Of beginning to re-
build broken levees, as was the case last year ii
the month of November it will be not later thar
the list Of June or July. 1t may be, too, that the
general government may come to the rescue and
system be inaugurated that will protect all the
lands on both sides of the river as high up as tht
mouth Of the Ohio.
How vastly more important this would be anG
beneficial for the negro, MOTTO speak of the whites
than exhaustless discussions in Congress, abou
the political condition of this same negro.
"No one can help seeing that the valley of tn
Mississippi, with its great fertility and its genial eli
mate is to be the home of the negro long he
mains amongst us; and this may be another reaso
for the great negrophilists at the North to com
to our assistance; but whether these views b
correct or not this country is not to be given up
New Orleans can't get along without its products
The North and West must have them, and tn
people now residing on these lands, from one ez
tremity of the country to the other, will neve
| consent to give them up, only to emigrate to tn
poor worn out soils, or the barren hills fror
whence they fed. For me and mine am deter
! mined to see it out Ihave mine Of wealth, an
t it can be made secure as it has been heretofor
for near forty years. am in a situation Of publ
trust which brings me directly in contact with thi
subject, and intend, with the help of God, t
dedicate whateTer energies have left to the rel
cue of this country from the evils brought upon il
The country cannot be given up, and all men VIII
have the means in and out of place must devot
whatever they have to the accomplishment of thi
paramount work. Imean to direct my energie
here, if the water comes, to saving everythin
that can secure safe crop another year, if W
should be so unfortunate as to lose the fine one
= now have in the ground"