The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-18

age, thus doubly compromising the govern
ment for its care and foresight. The benefit
of this wise policy does not, however, end
here, for il enables To government to shed
NE bleessnG OF safety over those who are up
On such ehways, ard to create reduction
n the CO.. OF transportation to the people
fhat IS let thron6 hbAt the length and breadth
[cf ths whole coVhry.A Thl6she purposes of
war and of peace are both accomplished at
ture. VIZ '- 7'''''
For the very laudable purpose of con-
structing railways frem the Mississippi to the
Pacific slope, large subsidies have been grant
ed. For the one from Superior to Pugets
Sound we have donated 47.OO0,0O0y of the
public domain. The land, at s % per acre,
amonnts to neaxly 4s0; oe8,0e9 enough co.
| improve the navigation of thirty. thousand
mies Of these rivers twice over. IT Isl with
IN the bounds of reason to assert that these
thirty thousand miles of rivers thus improved
could accommodate one thousand fold more
of the products of the country in transit
than this l,S00 mites of railway when COM
pleted. Wien itis.built, It must be renewed
| from time to time. The track must all be
| relaid within Al few years at great cost, and
I the road bed and bridges viii need constant
| repairs. The Improvements Of the rivers
| once accomplished, remains grand and i'm
| perishable monument of the genius, the In
! telligence and the patriotism OF the present
generation. applause.
| 1t is claimed and think with reason, that
| the government will receive full compensa-
| ton for these grants by the enhanced value
| of those it retains near these roads. We see
how rapidly these lands are sold as the roads
| are constructed.
| The government owns about 400, 000,-
| 900 of acres drained by these rivers.-
| Their improvement would greatly enhance
| the value of these lands by making them
more accessible to the great marts Of the
| country. We may safely assume that these
Improvements would expedite their sale FIVE
/ five years. Their value at S rs per acre is
| $500,000,o00. If this assumption be COR
| rect, the government would save Eve wears
interest on this amount which would be about
$l20,000,000 over and above the cost of the
entire improvement If they were sold one
year earlier in consequence of these improve
ments, the government would save as much
1 IN interest as the total cost of the work. A
/ tax OF one cent per acre per annum on these
| lands would pay for the whole cost of these
/ improvements in five or SIX years.
! 1t is not unusual for our best steamers to
pay an insurance of II per cent per annum
| on the Mississippi. On the Missouri. Ar,
| kansas and Red river the rate is much high
! er. The commerce in transit paws a cerres-
| ponding rate. This commerce was estimated
| II years ago in Col. s. H. Longs report to
the war department, at nearly twelve hundred
millions of dollars annually. One per cent.
| insurance on this immense commerce would
| be Sl2.Q00,006 per annum. / have no means
of aseertaining the exact amount now paid.
/ but have no doubt this is less than the reah-
| ty. let this enormous tax of $4,000, 900
| does not represent the fourth part of what
| the country is annually losing BY these OBJ
structons. 1t only represents the absolute
annlhllation of that much of the created
| wealth of the people that is DESTROYED wear
after year. 1t exhibits no portion of the un-
| insured property annually lost. and none of
| the still more enormous losses incurred by
vexatieus delays and exorbitant freightare
all OF which must be born by the consumers
| and producers of this vast commerce. The
| patient and long suffering of consumers and
producers, they who are the sovereign people.
1.-THE salt of the earth claiming to be the
most enlightened and intelligent people on
the face OF the earth, and yet foolishly, yea
slntuily, losing this fifty or sixty millions of
their own wealth year after year, losing twice
As much as the total cost of removing the
evil, every year, simply because they do not
| as they should do, command their servants
at Washington 10 stop this criminal vast. al
once and savethe blush of shame from mant-
hing the cheek of every thoughtful and intel
hgent American. -
Ii the government were not a governments
OF the people, made by themselves and for
their own benefit, there might be some req
son for this disgracefnl neglect. If we were
compelled to await the mandate of some i'm
beetle tyrant impionsly claiming to rule us
by divine right, we might stand acquitted of
this shameful dereliction,: hnt. in .l-"+'
~~l,.z-,s .,,ss OF the people is the supreme
LAWN a land where they read and reflect
a land where the light Of knowledge prevades
the whole realm. like the blessed rays of the
sun, and glows as brightly IN the humbest
cottage as It does IN the palatial mansion
we should need no other impulse than the
spirit of the age and our national pride to
urge US to the consumation of this noble en-.
terprise.
| will not at this time occupy the attention
of the convention with a description of the
different classes of instructions which inter
rupt the navigation of these rivers. 1t is
sufficient Tor the present TO state that similar
distractions have been removed elsewhere
In fact there is scarcely a river in the whole
valley large enough on which to mannuyre a
steamboat hut what can be made absolutely
safe and naugabie. From nv own knowI-
edge OF these instructions | feel fully war
ranted IN asserting that there is not one Of
them IN any OF these rivers, great or small.
that engineering skill and cunning cannot
master. The human intellect, that mvster;.
GUS light from the infinite wisdom Of God
himself, That has revealed to man the eurions
secrets OF nature that has taught him tn
time the flight, and weigh as with a balance
the ponderous spheres that move in the i'm.
mense void OF space; that has given him |
DOMINION over the elements and harnessad |
the very hghtnings of heaven to bear his in. |
SEPARATIONS to the EXTREMIST limits of land or /
sea, Is competent TO curb and direct those
mighty currents, to Danish from their b;ddan
depths their dreadful terrors, and make their
vast waters the faithful and submissive cory.
ants of his will. (Applsuse.l
In conclusion, Mr.. President, and gentle
men OF the convention, | thank Won in no.
malt OF the Merchants Exchange for the
patent attention you have given their hum.
Die spokesman. The theme is as exbanstless
as the river itself, and worthy of the HIGHEST
eioquenee and the gravest consideration of
your ablest statesmen. The presence of on
many of the earnest men of tba conn+.,. 60
seilho 'oSetner upon 1t assures me that the
OF these waters is already de-
80. tAppiause.l Ihls gran. and impos
~ concentration OF mental force and energy !
ira~h hither from all parts of the valley i
II IA e,oquehc Illustration of that giant stream
hnc tfN,,.r