Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-13
The Mississippi Lsvsss.
.om the New York Times.

i
of the North American continent, afford.
ing $4,000 miles of navigable streams
The Red river, which is one of the unim-
portant tributaries of the Mississippi, is
$500 miles long, aud drains country
larger and infinitely more fertile than
Egypt. 1t is on the banks of the Red
river, and its innumerabe tributaries
living within the State of Louisiana, aid
upon the banks of the Mississippi, from
the mouth of Red river to some forty
miles below New Orleans, that within the
last half century has been established
what is known as the Louisiana Levee
System
The necessity of these embsnkments
grows out of the fact that the shores
which line these rivers within the State of
Louisiana are annually subject to over.
fow. Aside from this objection, ne
country on the globe presents 80 many
advantages for the happiness of man.
And within few years, under the
auspices of free labor, it will undoubtedly
be the garden spot of the world, for the
soil is inexhaustible, the climate is mild
without being enervating, and the ex-
penses of dwelling, clothing and living
are merely nominal, compared with the
| demands made in the colder regions of
the North. In fact, free labor has never
before had such an Eden for the display
| of its thrift, enterprise and consequent
material happiness. ~ IA
l The highest point on the banks of the
| rivers we have alluded to, within the
| "levee district is ct the shore line, and
| the land descesds as you go inland about
| four inches 10 the mile. In the highest
stage of the flood, which is designated
the "Spring rise" the water weuld, If
not obstructed, rise from two to five feet
above the natural EN- bsnkment, and rush
| with great velocity in the swamps. 70
avoid this catastrophe there is erected
along the river front what is called the
"levee." When one is built it is usual
to place the foundations about thirty or
forty yards from the face Of the natural
bank. The laborers throw up dirt from
the outside, and vary the hight of the
levee from FIVE to fifteen feet, according
to the demand.
The levee pursues zigzag course, for
being too weak to give direction, it has
to yield to the caprices of the current.
| If the bank on which the levee has been
| built threatens to "cave in" another
levee is built in the rear. If "a" Gu. off
occurs and changes the current of the
river, then the levee in the vicinity is
moved to the front" so as to include
what would otherwise be waste land. No
permanency, indeed, is to be relied upon
for the levee lize. Houses that once
stood two miles from the river bank,
have 10 time htoppled into the surging
waves of the Mississippi" and houses
again that we're built near the bank, have
had acres deposited in front of them.
As much as the river may change in
its resting bed, it never alters its average
width or sameness of appearance. What
is engulphed by the swiftly rushing wa
tiers = in tbs BEND is thrown up on the
opposite shore as the obtruding point"
aud thus the Mississippi, ever changing,
is eternally the same. 1
New Orleans, POLITICALLY denominated
the " Crescent City" is buiit on one of
these graceful bends, yet just below, for.
tunately for its protection, is point.
McDonough, once the millionaire of New
Orleans, lived opposite the city, and his
"home estate" was constantly caving
10, and he observed with a miser's sor-
row that the exact amount Of land he
lost came up IN city lots on the opposite
side Of the river. 1t was suggested by q
very acute surveyor that Mr., McDonough
have the latitude and longitude of bis
place taken and officially recorded, and
the longitude Of the opposite or city side
of the river taken and officially recorded
and ~ this means hs could establish a
legal claim against New Orleans, and
get well paid for the losses he sustained |
by his runaway land.
When the levees were first constructed,
they we're unimportant 10 their influence
on the current Of the river, but when
cotton and sugar became the profitable
agricultural PRODUCTIONS Of tho country,
plantations we're rapidly opened, and of
= necessity lands more aud more "under
high-water mark were brought into cul-
tivaiion, and the river itself was con-
siantly brought within newly constructed
embankments; aud thus it was that, at
the breaking out Of the rebellion. the
levees Of Louisiana extended along both
sides of the river to the Arkansas aud
Mississippi State levees, and reached for
M Red river, and had inteElacing levees
on inuumerable tributary streams
By law every planter was obliged to
keep up the leYee in from! Of his planta'
! ton, aud when q "erevasse was threat
ened or occurred, every negro laboror IN
/ the district affected was hurried from the
plantations, and by superhuman efforts,
and BY the most ill-directed industry pos
/ Al. a.. dor..O. 80. - ,,uob n x.oaothfs
avoided.
For years before tia lssss system was
destroyed by the efforts OF the rebels TO
drown out the Federal forces operating
against Vicksburg aud Port Hudson, il
was admitted by intelligent planters and
good observers, that Louisiana was set
tied century too soon; which meant
tha, in another hundred years, If len m
disturbed, hy tie annual deposits OF the
river, would have raised its banks 10 a
level with the highest point Of elevation.
II was also admitted that more land was
included within the protection Of levses
than could be securely held, for annually,
the river broke through some point or
another, and thus relieved itself from
general devastation Of the country.
We have shown the value Of the levees
spoken Of tie richness Of the country
they protect, and the manner tkey are
built, aud the suggestion crowds Itself
upon the mind, that accident and not
design has devised the system, and
that il was imperfect in its operation,
and hsd reached that point even before
toe rebellion, which vooli have con-
PEELED the planters to entirely change the
manner Of protesting themselves ron
ovrrf;oE.
! Under tree labor, the imperative Law