, 1866-01-26
FRIDAY. JANUARY 20, 1868.
orm 1uIEF NECESSITY.


We publish In another column, tho Ineno-
rial Of the Board of Trade OF St, Paul, to
Congress, tn favor Of improving the naviga-
4lon Of the Upper Mississippi, Of cn1atgIng
the Wclland, 81. Lawrence and Erie Canals,
from their present capacity Of 400, 800, md
200 tons respectively, to capacity to pass
vessels OF At least l 600 tons, and 3na1ly of
such reciprocity treaty rs shall make the
Wclland and ST, Lawrence Canals free to
A1na,ican vessels, TO the ocean. # St. Paul,
and other interior cities similarly situated
have an interest In these projects, far more
have the cities and country bordering on the
1akcs- especially Chicago, Milwaukee, De.
1roat, Cleveland and the smaller towns.
The proposed enlargement and freedom Of
the Eric, NeIland md st. Lawrence cana1s,
wopld convrr our magnificent chain Of lakes
now closed, except 10 few coasting vessels
orlight burden, into another Mediterranean
Sea and would expand our lake cities into
scAports for the commerce of tho world. The
pea1inzulas Of the Lake Superior mining re-
gion. Of Michigan and Of Cnnad& Waat would
then develop geographical and commercial
advantages like those which lifted the peuiu-
sulas of Ancient Greece, Italy. Carthage and
epst, into supremacy, over the vast
tracts Of inland continent behind them.
Instead Of agriculture being as now
30 crippled and Impoverished for want OF the
means Of getting its overnowing abundance
to adequate markets, TINT the farmers must
burn their corn Ior fuel, md turn from raising
wheat md other grains to grazing, the limit
Of profitable agriculture would he suddenly
extended from its present confines outward
over tic unploaghed prnisies and onward
toward the Rocky Mountains, until the
former should all wave with skilfu1ly cultira-
ted harvests, and tho thousand bills Of the
latter should be 1nottlcd with herds Of cattle.
Ten millions Of additional populat1on would
find ample support and the means of
wealth between Lake Michigan and
tie Upper Missouri, and twlcs its
nreseut population could not &C.
complish The business which would pour
into the lap Of Chicago. Every city lot In
cur midst would be worth twice its present
value, and every acre Of land in The North
west would rise MS If the prairie flowers were
Dlossoming into % grecabacks."
Our own columns would overflow with ad-
vcrtismeuts Of oceau shippers competing for
the Carrying trade between our port and LAv-
crpool and Hayre, and the world would won
der TINT the hidden wealth that lined The
shores of tho great American Medsterrancan,
the uneouutcd resources of the Garden Of the
World, the treasures Of the Mississippi Val,
ley, had becn so long nailed under coffin lid
and buried deep by Il few natural obstacles tc
navigation, easily overcome, ut Niagara Fails
and the St Lawrence Rapids.
We hesitate not to kay lhat nil this and more,
which only an apocalyptic vision and N In
spSred pen could unfold, would follow upon
the simple reduction Of the expense Of trans
porting . bushel of wheat from Chicago 10 Liv
e1pool from The present tazi: Of seventy sever
cents 10 twenty-five cents which would be The
1ariT Of freight we're Chicago thus made ses
port. CornJtn Liverpool would siill be worth
about the same price rs now, Sl.10; tic differ
ence being that The northwestern farmer, who
now gets &c cts. per bush. for his wheat nfter he
hns transported Il 10 Chicago, would then get
ciehty-tlye cents per bushcl, or an addition oi
the hny-two cents per bushcl which he is
now taxed in order to sustain the present OBJ
structions in the navigation Of the lakes and
ST.. Lawrence Let tho Upper Mississippi
also be improved snd ship canal be opened
nj somc proper point between the Missis
sippi and Lake Michigan, and tue West vii
rise from he1 pTescnt lcltefs aioentAsn snaNs
and prepared for new strides onward II
greatness, usefulness and power.
Whatever reciprocity treaty, carefully an'
fairly framed, will securc the great ndvautass
accr1ltng from opening tlc Siagara and ST
Lawrence Canals TO the commarca
tho oocau and the 1akes, should b
negotiated as speedily as possible. We di'
think that under the last treaty Canada al
ranged very nearly both ends Of The bargain
especially as her canals were grossly In
adequate 10 our necessities. But, for adequat
canal transportation, such as we have indi
Gated We could afford TO deal with The Cana
diaus very Abe1aMy. VIII The Congressmr'
from the Northwest nuke this matter thei
chief aim and study, and viii the people, an
especially our own citizens, speak to them il
thunder tones that shall be irresistible Of it
crownfng importance: