Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-10-10
Our Iberville Correspondence.
PARISH or IBERyILLE, octobe, 9th

PARISH OF lBERVILLE, OCTOBER 9th, 1867.
! To Editor Gazette d Comet: The latest
sensational event-here-is the appearance
of the State Engineers Report
the Levees. This being an age of prog
ress, on the high pressure and every other
conceivable principle, all public function
aries are expected-as matter of course
to light their big or their little taper-in
the form of Report-for our especial be-
| hoof, -but, in imitation of certain official
routine over the water,-when the mat
ter is of absorbing interest,-they almost
invariably show us-"How NOT To DO IT,
In higher spheres, this, no doubt, has its
uses ,-unsuspected by the vulgar;-yes,
somehow or other, popular prejudice runs
counter to the whole scheme. One portion
of the Engineers Report reads thus :-"I'
does not come within the limits of my le
gitmate duties to submit, financially,
plan for the restoration of the Louisiana
Levees, but may be allowed to suggest,
that the method, most sure and effective, to
escape the evils that will arise, wiN be to
enforce the eristing 1aw upon the subject"
Now, this is, am fully convinced, in direct
opposition to the well-known and we'll
founded conviction Of majority of the
planters, and to that Of the "Press gen
erally-which last refects,-iti is to be pre-
sumed the we'll matured views of the
people. In the normal state of society
when gentle Peace hovers over our
mes,-when a sense of security in
vites the Capitalist to invest his super
fuous gains,-then are individuals most
justly obliged to do that, for the good
of the whole, which, under adverse
clrcumstances,-the community itself must
and should attempt to do. 1t is en-
phatically true, in such cases as this,
(-the existing law in relation to Levees-)
that if the letter killeth, the spirit should
give life. We are all so stepped in poverty,
that if the law should be enforced, every
sane man knows what the result will be to
scope,-ruin and want. We are to recol-
lect that one and the same boat bears us
and our shattered fortunes, and that the
common safety requires, that petty rival
ries, pickering, and fondly-cherishe
schemes should ), eld to the yet higher con-
siderations II tho general welfare. Every
individuaI.- therefore, in each particular
leyee dl-t,ictor W ard can confer benefit
on every other individual therein,-by
cheeytuky conSehtiagto small tar on such
1ands as IRE protected By le0ees. In pre-
vious letter. stated, that all the country
back Of this New River) approved such
measure, most heartily. Why delay in
resorting to til 1t would give the new
levees time to settle and consolidate; la
Dor is at about it's minimum rate, and
many, who have failed in their crops,
would by mpetitivn for contracts, still
farther lower it. 1t is not to be supposed
that this recourse to ta6atioa can alone re-
build our levees;- other expedients may,
undoubtedly, be resorted to, but will not
prove SO popular. In our distress-there-
fore-we look to you, MIR. Editor. and to
others, to enlighten the public; to throw
light where it is so much needed TO save
US, in word, from incompetent, irrespon-
sble and rapacious Boards of "Levee
Commissioners" and from the many ter
| ribls evils that have followed in their
wake
"Tristius baud ills monstrum, nee savior
ulla
PESTS ct ira deum stygiis sese extulit
undisi*
The heavy rumbling of carts and occa-
&There is not a more loathsoms monster than
| they (ths Harpies); nor has any more cruel pest,
| snd angry creation OF the gods, raised its head
| from the stygian waters.