The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-18
The -. Iouis ADDRESS
Of Capt 5Aznes q. Hads, in behalf
of the 1Eerchants' Exchange. = Z

Nh. President and Gentlemen Of the COnreIt-
ton :,gs5.is bgaseg.a vel has
The StLouis Union Merchants EXCHANGE.
animated with that spirit of delight which
your presence has caused to pervade our
whole city, desires to express to each one OF
you assurance of its most cordial welcoms.
Applause. .....--..--.. .-...-....
Through one of It's members it bees to Law
before your honorable body some of the
weighty considerations that have moved il
to'solieit your valuable Cooperation in effect.
ing the grandest national enterprise of the
present age. (Applause.)
The improvement of the Mississippi river
and its great tributaries is a work which mo,
only deeply interests each member of this
imposing assembiage, and the vast constituent.
cy whom 1T represents, but in some degree
affects the welfare of every citizen within the
limits OF this whole commonwealth. Fully
CONSCIOUS OF the Importance, the gravity and
and the grandeur Of the issues and irte,,ests
involved in the discussion of this subject I
cannot but regret the partiality which has
assigned this honorable duty to one who is
painfully sensible of his inability to perform
1t properly. 1t involves the contemplation
OF one OF the sublimest physical W ,nders of
benehcent Creator; the consideration of
its inestimable social and political yalue IN
the favored people who are, its possessors
and the question of the power of mans e,en,
ious to control and. direct its mighty currents
obedient to His viii. (Applause.)
We cannot contemplate the manner of its
creation, and the numberless ages required
to ut 1t for mans uses, without the deepest
reverence for the power and wisdom. and the
most fervent gratitude for the eeaseless boun-
ty OF our Heavenly Father. Through count
less centuries, long before human form had
rejected the image OF his Maker on this
planet we know that this restless stream.
whose branches receive their limpid tributes
among the highest passes of the Alleganies
and the Rocky Mountains, was being nIenar-
ed by an a!lwise Creator for mans dominion
Through those dark eras, of which the only
record Is found on stony tablets amono
whose sundered leaves and upheaved masses
human lore has traced the marvellous his
tory, the Old Father of Waters was silently
spreading his tertllizing floods over the vast
plans that he between those mountains on
the east and west, and which extend from
the cold highlands of the Lake of the " GODS
and the Assiniboin, away to the sunny climo
where miik-white harvests unfold their downy
treasures amid cypress groves and the fra.
grant perfume ofthe magnolia. applause. !
through that long tide of years he was slow.
y bnt necessarily creating and enrichinp
this immense vally whichis now iustly known
throughout christendom as the garden of
the world tApplause.1
The boundless reservoirs which snnn,- ;.s
channels through such long periods of the
year, and make it SO valuable to man. and
which, II opened simultaneously. would over.
Whelm the valley and mar, its usefulness
are, with that thoughtful care which orders
all things wisely, unlocked in beautiful -snc~
cession, month. after month, by the roev
touch of spring, as she leaves her home in
The tropics to bless with her howery presence
the icy regions of the north. (Applause.l
The giant stream, with its head shrouded
IN arctic SHOWS, embracing half continent
iii the hundred thousand miles of its curious
net work, and coursing its majestic way to
the southern gull, through lands so fertile that
human ingenuity Is overtaxed to harvest
their productiveneSs, has been given by its
immortal architect, every mile of it. into the
jealous keeping of this republic. fApplause.l
The garden which it beauties and en-
riches contains seven hundred and sixtv-eight
millions of acres of the finest lands on the
face OF the globe; enough to make more than
one hundred and fifty States as large as
Massachusetts. Acres of the choicest soil In
profusion sufficient to duplicate proud En-
gland twenty-four times over. More TERRITORY
than the areas of Great Britain, France,
Spain, Austria, Prussia, European Turkey
and the Italian Peninsula combined An
plaus.) If peopled as Massachusetts, is. it
would contain five times the present popula
ton OF the whole United States. Populated
as france is, it would hold as many people
as the whole area of Europe contains Peo-
pied as Belgium and the Netherlands are,
and with not half the danger of famine or
starvation, 1t would contain four hundred
millions OF souls-iargely more than one
third OF the entire population of of the world.
Human comprehension cannot grasp the
grandeur OF such an empire. Human wis
dom cannot estimate the wonderful value of
such an Inheritance, over every acre of which
the banner of this republic floats supreme
tAppause.)
This great valley lies between those paral-
lels of latitude that are known to be the most
conducive to health and to the mental and
physical energies of man. In its capacity to
produce the cereals, grasses, cotton, sugar,
tobacco, hemp, vegetables, and fruits of every
kind in the richness and variety of its min
eral wealth. the grandeur and value of it's
forests, its inexhaustible quarries in word,
in all the natural resources which consnire
TO increase the wealth and power of a people.
the bounty of Providence has been most
wonderfully manifested.
The stream which in every direction nene-
trates this favored region. and is the grand
est feature of North America, holds in its
watery embrace the destinies of the Ameri- |
can people. Sooner or later it must give to |
the jewellers within this valley power and do |
mlnlon over the whole boundless continent |
(Appiause.) 1t is the great arterial system
OF this republic whose heaven wrought chan.
nels should teach the people who nossess
them, that the Almighty designed then, -
dwell IN love and harmony together forever
as one nation. Applause.) There is MT q
crop WITHIN IFS noble VEINS that is NOT lo,oI
10 the Union. No effort can be mad -
sunder the Union that will not vibrata ~
1iarm along ITS sensitive course to their most
lIt ana delicate extremities Its vital
m,"nches ana wonderful articulations nor. q
anea,e ana develope the great body of our q
nrodn n,s s,elns unity to amplitude, value to
49, n,,d neSs' ana to the state resistloss Fl
po"e, Z, ana an existence as ENDURING as Is
man Hpel'y and intelligence. lIPbro,rh NV ~.
I ~ channels, for all time to co.'s i's p
iIs tihed 10 circulate the sustenanoa are OF
OF Its people. Life giving com nu sur Ii
'n,'h brings In It's ever welcome e
lnu sooa Will to men, through its mo- man peace er
.enlen1 passages will distribute nlan.;s con, Z
osper1y throughout the realm, Tba ana m
i - dA vi OF the generous south .n du
go. 10 1eVious currents to their "ai or
pulces, ahe wiii be scattered Win 'efy
ouiu VI ther unkiing rils and -snarl.,: Tue fa'
ascaues' whist. every wave that Is h., tn
.ard the gulf will be burdened 's, polne to- les
lprocated offerings of the cold" IN Inc re- DO