Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-14

Address Of Major L. X. shryOck. of st.
Louis, BEFORE the Chamber of Com
meree of Nashville, ora the PrOpO-
sltiOn 20 Open BayOu MRnchae.
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE BOARD OF TRADE: l am not only
highly complimented By the courteous call
upon me on the present occasion TO address
you, out thankful for the privilege bring
ing to your consideration, the great COM
mercial project that has been chiefly instTu-
mental in assembling this intelligent body
Of representative men of your city. After
the very able address Of COL Stewart,
Chairman of the Mobile delegation, there
remains bat little for me to add in COM
mendation Of the enterprise he has 80 clear
ly set forth, and one which we trust COM
mends itself 10 your favorable oonsidera-
ton and action. feel a peculiGr pleasure
in being permitted to stand before an audi-
ence, composed chiefly of citizens who can
claim the proud distinction Of being born
upon the soil Of this noble old Common
wealth, and the lineal descendents of Gen.
Robertson, Hugh L. White, Felix Grundy
and of near relationship to our late model
President Polk, and the Hero of New Or
leans, whose ashes rest in silent grandeur
beneath the soil Of his much loved home
at the Hermitage. j am also proud to
meet here to-day, men of the last century,
who were not only actors in many of the
thrilling events that gave such prominence
TO the life of Gen. Jackson, but who well
remember the trying scenes of the war of
1912, and the necessity laid upon him to
send his brave and hardy Tennesseans to
close up the Bayou Manchac, forcing Gen.
Packenham to abandon his flank and rear
movement upon New Orleans, causing him
to make fair fight in Jackson's front,
which cost the boastful Englishman his
life, and total defeat of his army.
To dwell on these themes would be
pleasurable indeed, for it is a peculiar
characteristicof the American people to em-
balm in their hearts the memory Of their
noble dead, men whose names and deeds
stand like beacon lights upon the pages of
their country's history, examples worthy
the imitation OF generations that shall sue
coed them.
But, gentlemen, feel would be recre-
ant 10 the trust conided to me by the
Chamber of Commerce of ST. Louis, whose
representative / have the honor to be on
this occasion, if did not speak ore es-
pecially in terms Of highest commentator
of the great enterprise before us--the open.
ing to the commerce of the country that
inner passage to the Gulf of Mexico called
the Bayou Manchac. Permit me TO say l
regarded il a project Of the highest I'M
portance to the people Of Nashville, Gin
cinnati, Louisville, ST. Louis st. Paul,
Dubuque, and ia fact all those cities and
States whose shores are washed by the
great rivers that flow into the Gulf of
Mexico. The railroads and artificial
means Of communication through the in
terror of the country are valuable, indeed,
as carriers Of light freig hts and passengers
with rapidity TO the several sections
Of our wide domain, but were never
designed TO supercede the great riv-
ers as carriers Of the products of the
soil and heavy goods that must be trans
ported cheaply. After all the changes that
are rung about the capability of railroads
to carry on the necessary commerce between
different portions of our land, we are COM
PEELED finally to come back TO first princi-
plies and acknowledge the great rivers and
unrestricted water navigation are our main
dependence. But gentlemen, as the late
ness Of the hour forbids me to hope for
much of your patient attention, ] will as
briefly as possible point out to you the in
terest Nashville has in the great project we
have come before you to discuss. Il is a
we'll known fact, and the merchants here
present bear me ont in the remark, that
such is now the competition in nearly all
branches oftrade, the amount saved on the
transportation of goods is the largest item
of profit in business. Ii becomes us then
to seek those channels Of commerce that
present this inducement of patronage
Permit me to say chief among these is the
Bayou Manchac-and | venture the asser-
ton there has not been presented for your
consideration, for the space Of ten years,
subject of such importance to the CONNER
cial portion Of your city as this navigation
project Of opening through Bayou Man
chac an easy, safe and cheap commu-
nication with the deep waters OF Mo
bile Bay and Gulf of Mexico
u is a matter of the highest import
ance TO be enabled TO load boat at your
levee with produce soap, candles, furni-
ture and mill machinery, and cotton gins,
and whatever else you manufacture, and
unload the same without the delay and
costs Of transhipment as is now done at
New Orleans, TO the consumers Of Mobile
and the rich and valuable country trade
along the shores of the Alabama river, as
far up as Montgomery, or on the Tombig-
bee aud Warrior, as Ear interior as Tusca-
loosa, Alabama, and Columbus, Mississip-
pi Here is access established, both easy,
safe, and economical, with the larger por-
lions Of four or five States hitherto nearly
cut OF from the trade Of the West. In
these States reside population Of nearly
three millions Of consumers Of Western
products, and where trade can be brought
70 us and to the city OF Mobile which has
a population ofnesrly 10000, and at whose
wharf sill be sold this year cotton crop
worth all Of forty millions Of dollars-will
any one tell me it is not worth the effort to
open Bayou Manchac 20 reach a country
like this2 No, gentlemen, the work can
aud must be done, and with your aid its
accomplishment can be set at no distant
day. am aware there are many opposed
I to this great commercial project, jealous
cities and corporations, old fogies and fos-
sils Of our land. The city OF New Orleans
has for years resisted every effort to give
10 the West her rights ID, this matter.
She well knows il this channel Of commu-