Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-11-02
Qcommunicated.}
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
The ImpSlicy of The Leyee System Con-
sidered.

because although all those above cut-otfs
may be relieved, all those below TO the
same extent viii be overfiowed.D
This, from his stand, is all true, and the
logical results to the leCter of his scientific
theory, for OF course he begins at or near
Cairo with his first cut and stops before
he gets down TO the bottom, and here
makes the last n grand cutoff OF lis, for
this empues him into, the Gulf, 10 miles
below New Orleans, and a thousand Mis-
sissippl rivers cannot effect the Gulf, and
no one lives on it to be overfiowed If it
did. SO much for his science in Gu. offs-
making a beginning at the top and never
reaching the bottom; about as much sense
IN IL as there would be in putting up a
house Without a foundation.
Thus, we have shown the results of his
scientific cutoff SYSTEM beginning at the
Top and never reachingthe bottom. Now,
let US eNaInine a cutoff system based on
common sense, by commencingat the bot
tom gong mp to the Great Lakes.
kirst-make this first and grand cutoff
at the English Time, 10 miles below New
Orleans, turn the Mississippi into Lake
Borgne, dlScharging its waters in the pro-
tected harbors OF the Chanddeleurs,
near Ship Island, with 90 feet of
water, which viii never be less
until the mOuth of the river ex-
tends out beyond the protection Of these
AAAL HAAA DO ~ lGdok IUu AEAlE A..
then u ships as the Great Eastern can
either steam up or sail up to New Orleans,
saving thetowdge, which is now. IN and
down, two dollars and twenty-five cents a
ton. When this is done, then New Or
leans can and will be made the cheapest
instead ofthe dearest port in America:
ana not until then can the grain, or any
other trade, remain or come South: but do
thai n no combination OF men or money
can Keep IL away. Then every railroad
that crosses or approaches the river on the
east, as well as west side, will be so many
great commercial tongues lappinr ont
drawing to, instead of carving from. this
great river. Do that, and enough steam
boats and barges cannot be built to trans
port up and down the vast freight that
VIII hUat on its bosom. Do that. and Won
make commerce cheap, quick, regular
and pos1tlve-bring big ships to aid our
big steamboats,, build up direct trade with
{ e word, make New Orleans. st. IOuis.
Chicago and all other cities and towns of
any enterprise, great commercial marts.
owning three-fonrths the marine onnage
OF tune ChHed States, besides more steam
boat tonnage han there is in the world.
to-day. The Mississippi valley viii not
only own the commerce of America. but
Its capital, with all its vast power and
patronage, viii soon be at St. Louis, at
the same tire, in IT'S march of progres-
sion, breaking down all m~onOpoiies. tar
MS, etc., and last. though not least, giving
Us iree trade, and the old Constitutional
rights Of civil and religious liberty.
But vast and great as all this may an
pear, II Is not aIl-no, not the half this
grand cutoff will do. When it is made
we have bat laid the foundation for the
only plan or system thai can ever control
and keep the Mississippi w.thin its banks;
and this will do IL without a foot of levee.
and the whole thing at a cost not so great
as to patch up the present broken levees
in Louisiana.
When this cutoff is made, we bring the
Gulf of Mexico, with its tide water, level
up TO New Orleans, or, in other words.
we lower down perpetually TO tide or
low water mark, the Mississippi river.
or have fifteen bank above any water the
year round II New Orleans. This will
greatly increase the current in the lower
n OF the river, from New Orleans up TO
Nicksburg.
Then, the next thing to increase this
grand lower vacuum viii be to reopen
every bayou; that viii carry water to the
Gulf from the river, up as high as the
mouth of Red river. Then dam that river
up, placing a lock in the dam, that boats
might pass as now.
This will turn into the G%ulfthrough the
Avtchafayalaand Berwick's Bay, Redriver
and-ail its tributaries. Then, all the out
lets, great and small, from Napoleon down
on the west side of the Mississippi river.
could be opened, thus in safety carving
away from the Mississippi vast volumes
OF water to the Gulf, giving permanent
relief tOail the lower rivers. Then, a
large portion OF the waters Of the Arkan-
Sas river, from Pine Bluff down to Napo-
leon, could, in the same way. be taken
from the Mississippi through Bayou Bar
tholomeW and many other bavoas, thus
all the time taking vast volumes of water
from the lower Mississippi, increasing this
lower grand acuum
Then we have prepared, from the bot
tom up, the river for a general cutoff
system to Cairo, which would in all
I shorten the river three hundred miles.
and make the current about a third faster.
Then, with all these outlets at the bottom
and shortened distance, the waters from
above would pass off with such rapidity
ana with such force of current, that the
bottom of the river, like a mountain
stream, would wash out ali the time and
become deeper and deeper, leaving the
banks higher and higher every year. In
the course of fifty years they would, by
this system, be as high above the highest
water mark, as | contend they would be
below il with the leyee system. Nsviga-
ton would be better from Cairo down,
the bottom of the river gradually DEEPEN
ing, constantly improving the navigation,
and the effects of tide water higher up
the river every year.
Then, in carrying out the grand pro-
granlme of commerce mentioned, the
Michigan and Chicago canal will be en-
largea TO a ship canal, secured with locks.
Any amount OF water can be let through
it, and by that means max the great Lake
a feeder 70 the Mississirii river when re-
CURED to keep open navigation above
fNnTr, Tai H,.wFL. "a
rock dams-successfuily tested on the
Ohio, Red, and other rivers-will give
more water by several feet, during the
low stages, than we now have. Boats
will make the round trip from St. Louis
to New Orleans ana back in less time and
expense than they now do; because, in go
ing down, they will have more current and
less distance, making the downward trip
in half the time aud the up trip in the
same time. The increased current to con-
tend with viii be equaiized by the less
distance.
There is no speculative theory in all
this, but practiced facts, which can be at
tested by every steamboatman on the
Mississippi river. Go to Louisville, JEFF
~fersonville and New Albany, to such men
rs Capts. Sam. Montgomery, Chas. Me
kins, Frank Carter, and others; 20 to st.
Lopis-ask Capt. David White, J. c.
swOn. J. NJ. Converse, George Cable, and
others; 20 10 Matches, and New Orleans
ask Capts. Holmes, feathers, Thomasson,
J. 81. White. Ed. Montgomery, Richard
son, Asbury, Cannon. and others; come
back to u own city-ask Capts. Lee,
Newell, Church, Thomas Miller. all
the old pilots and all the old river resi-
dents-and they will all tell you that what
l say true. These men have spent the
greater portion of their lives on the Mis-
sissippi river, and can date back from a
quarter TO a half century. Some of them
have made fortune 'and honerably re-
tired while others, equally honorable but
less fortunate, are yet o6ntending with
and on its turbid waters for a living. The
testimony OF such men as these should
be taken before adopting doubtful re-
ports, which bare base faisehOod on their
lace. Until we see these Commercial
Conventions represented by such men,
but little good and less truth will be de-
rived from their reports; for the men, as
a general thing. who attend these Con-
venti0ns know but little, if anything at
all, about the Mississippi river, practi-
caliy-and on that subject which is of
more importance to the South and West
than any and all others combined. They
are totally unfit to make a report.
We should not only take up any official
report concerning our welfare made by
men belonging to the East, or governing
poAtAoh " the country WIN great eau
ton, hut look we'll into the motives that
may cause men from tina: section to vote
for appropriations to dredge the mouth
of the Mississippi, for the money that
they vote costs them indirectly nothing, |
while by SO doing they do promote their
own personal interests in stock in canals,
railroads, &c, by which means they have
managed to direct from the Mississippi
river three-fourths the that
properly belongs to it.
There is more knavery than ignorance
in Government circles at Washington
concerning this great River and the OBJ
structions at its mouth. They have the
government, the money, the press, and
make the books we read, and educate our
people to erFOF in spite of ourselves.
These appropriations for dredging, they
know, are so much money thrown away.
But it gratiies and lulIs the people of the
South and West to sleep, while they rob
our pockets, and will continue to do so,
so long as this state of things are suffered
by the people of this valley to exist.
Independent of the vast influence
brought to bear on Congress in favor of
great Northern interests, there is
powerful interest at New Orleans
which has made fortunes not only out
Of these dredging appropriations, but the
tax on commerce growing out
of this state OF things-I mean the Tow
Boat Companies, which are mostly owned
and controlled by Eastern men and
money,-they all have powerful friends at
court, and moi only are deeply interested