The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-03-23

Thirty years ago, H0ueft u. Lee, then .
Lieutenant in the United Sasss service, il
the Engineer Corps, surveyed the Rapids,
and imported in favor Of blowing ont the
rocky chain ofthe bed of the river. lee vas
southerner, State Rights virginian, OPP
posed to improvements BY the general Gov.
eminent; an abstract theorist, and By no
means practical man, and although . very
fair scientific engineer, too young 70 admit OF
his views being entitled to any very great
authority. Nevertheless, his report remaised
in the Department at Warrington, and foe
thirty years constituted tbs bAsis of Govern
mental plans in references to the improvement
of the Rapids, in pursuance Of which, millions
of dollars havs been Intellectually waeted by
the Government, in grabbing out few rocks
season after season, on the R&pidA I And
so time passed on; the young Engineer be-
came the veteran officer, and ultimately the
military Chief and Hero, Of ssiD greater
ana more disastrous fzfle, the Southern
Confederacy. Having thus lost his prestige,
the War Department, after thirty years, ven
tured upon rs-survey of the RApids, and
the report of the Engineer, with the addition.
81 light of thirty pears experience on the sub
ject, is in favor Of the improvement of the
Rspids by Canal. ~ a "a -
The practical common sense Of the coun.
Try, and of the river men of the Mhsissippi
Valley, had arrived At that conclasion, year.
ago. In this view of the subject, it seeml
passing strange that Senator Grimes should,
in the face of long years of failure, TO effec'
any improvement of the Rapids; in the fact
of the almost universal opinion Of he i'm
partial public, and Of the prs ctical river men
and in the very teeth Of report iua sub
mitted to the War Department, sho.
such grudging reluctance to give mp Lee
old plan, and adopt the new and UNIVERSAL,
approved plan suggested by General War
rem. Our Senator is sustained By no srouns
OF reason; he offers no argument in favor o
Lees plan. he seems TO be moved BY
blind prejudice, which has grown ant
strengthened with years, against the specia
mode Of Improvement suggested by Genera
Warren. But while many Of our citizens in
eiine 10 the opinion that this prejudice arse
from hostility 20 Keokuk, we attribute it rath
er to kind Of settled opposition, which ha
grown upon him, against q mode of improve
ment of the great Father of Waters vhicl
shall, in any way, incommode or burden tn
people, however much it may really improv
the navigation of the river; and this amend
ment proposed by the Senator indicates pre-
cisely the point of difficulty in his mind:
Provided, Aorersr, That any canal that ma
be constructed around the said Des Moines {
lower rapids of the Mssippi river shall b and 10,
ever remain free TO the navigation and commers
of said river, aud no toll shall be collected thers
on"
We incline 10 think that the great mass
the people Of the valley interested in the nav
cation ofthe Mississippi River, will concur i
the propriety Of that amendment. And in vie
of the fact that the Senate Committee had r.
commended the striking out,the entire spprt
priation of million dollars for the improve
ment of the rapids, we do not regard the m,
ton to reduce the appropriation to Eve hui
dred thousand as a hostile movement, especial
asit tended to concilvte opposition, and CAV
the Improvement the chance of q fair coz
mencement the present season.
Eve have to say, that those are very FOOLS
councillors of the city of Keokuk, Who Cd
wise our citizens to "run mack" against q
mankind, and, against Senators with vot,
and influence, which we need in many 9th,
local enterprises, to promote the rising 70
funes and assura thu ultimate ,ros,a 49, a.
greatness Of our city.