New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-24
his subject in 1886, and was backed by others 81

with five locks around the Little Falls" OF the Mo-
hawk was constructed in tho course Of the ensuing
six or seven years, with another at the German
Flats and another connecting Wood Creek with thu
Mohawk-in all, seven miles OF Canal, with nine
wooden locks The whole cost 100000, and were
not worth even that sum for the facilities for nay
CATION thereby afforded were so meager and imper
feet that 80 little commerce was attracted TO this
route that it never paid expenses In fact, 1t was
morally impossible that any adequate and attractive
channel of transportation should be created other
wise than by employing the resources and credit of
the State.
Here New-York paused, as If amazed at her own
temerity--our State then containing scarcely mora
than quarter Of million Inhabitants hardly five
thousand Of whom lived westward of Utica-and
gave Pennsylvania, with her vastly superior wealth
and population ample opportunity TO secure for her
self the proud position of Empire State and for her
chief city the enduring character and prestige Of
Emporium Of American Commerce. Ignorance or
heedlessness can hardly excuse her failure; for
early as 1885, Robert Fulton then in Europe, wrote
to her Governor Thomas Miiinl, urging her to open
water transit through her territory from the sea-
board to the Lakes, and adding
81 hope shall see the time when canals shall pass
through every vale. wind around each hill and bind
the whole country together In bonds OF social inter
course
He was too sanguine, as great men are apt to be.
He did not live even 70 soc the Erie Canal COM
menced. But he did live to see its construction di-
rected and assumed by the State after years ~ pre-
paratory discussion, surveying. and estimat-
ing and to be himself chosen one Of the Com
missioDers TO direct tho great enterprise:
but War with Great Britain intervened to
postpone its actual commencement. so that his de-
cease preceded, by than two years, the actual
breaking ground . from which date eight years were
required TO complete the narrow and shallow water
ways which first connected the nayigabe waters Of
the Hudson with those of Lakes ChamplaiD Ontario
and Erie. The cost Of those rudimentary canals was
about Seven Millions of Dollars; and there
are this day One Thousand Millions worth
more of property in this City and State, and
thrice that amount in the Union. more than there
would have been had that work been postponed even
80 short term as twenty years.
Yet it evinced far greater courage in our State to
undertake it in 1911 than for the Union half cen
fury later 10 resolve that il would have Railroad
from the Missouri TO the Pacific.
The commercial ascendency, and consequent rapid
growth IN business industry, and wealth, Of tho City
of NewYork are direct and manifest results Of tho
resolution Of the State, under the lead Of DE Witt
Clinton, to construct on her own responsibility and
credit the Erie and Champlan Canals. This resolu-
a
vehement opposition. generally upheld by the very
City which those Canals were TO aggrandize beyond
the widest dreams of enthusiasts or spectators
in cOrner-lots. The Canal policy was maintained
by the strong arms of our Western pioneers
and small farmers, mainly Yankees. then grow
ing Wheat in the rich valleys OF the Oehesee
and Tioga at % TO 80 cents per DusheI' anu
intent on having a cheaper outlet 10 the sea
boardT They reelected De Witt Clinton Gov.
ernor in 1870. when his defeat was deemed
inevitable, and when the politicians ard
journals of the lower end of the State were almost
o INIT against him. and when the cry :" Fill up
the ditch" was popular in the barrooms and around
the polls of the Southern District The City Of New
York owes her present proud position to the fact
that those Western farmers had not studied political
economy in the school of negation and obstruc-
ton, whereof DR.. Ray is graduate and apostle
But opposition to the Canal policy Wa
not confined to the region below the High
lands, though there it most rampant.
Men who reasoned DIR. Ray and other Free
Traders now do were heard in every county. Are
spectacle Dutch farmer, owning aud enjoying
goodly estate on the Mohawk fats above ScheEec-
tady, hung himself when he found it I'M
possible to prevent the cutting of the
hated ditch right through his rich meadows. Even
so late as 1897, heard nnkeeper of fair natural
powers IN CnautAuqua county -uc
Canal as an unmitgated curse to Western New
York. Nearly twenty years later, the able and emf
nent Col Samuel Young, in report to the Senate
pronounced the songs of internal improvement"
libels on the laws of God.' The Canal policy Of
New York was fought as recklessy as the Protective
policy now is, upon the same fundamental assump
tons and by essentially identical arguments. IL was
stigmatized device of the specializing grasp
ing few 10 enrich themselves at the expense OF
the simple, plOdding. credulOus many by means
wholly foreign to the legitimate sphere Of Govern
ment. And, if the premises above laid down By DR..
Ray are sound. they were clearly right. II he
knows as much of Political Economy as one should
do who 20 teach it, then State has not. and
never had, any right to make canals. II his funda-
mental assumption is sound, then the Erie Canal IA
the result of laundering usurpatiOn and New-lork
has no business TO be the Commercial Emporium.
seeing that she became so by reason Of our states
fragrant defiance of the natural inalionable Rights
OF Man.
proceed to consider moderate and plausible af-
frmative ayerment of the doctrine which, in its
negative application DIR. Ray seems to me 10 have
overstrained and run into the ground. l quote it
from Adam Smiths rs follows:
" Every individual is continually eNerting himself
to find out the most advantageous employment for
whatever capital he can command. Ii Is his own
advantage, indeed and not that of the society that
he has IN Yiew-bW the study Of his Olrn ddrantggs
naturally rather necessarily leads hiE 10 prefer nat
employment which Is most advantageous 10 the society,"
This is the true and necessary cornerstone of the
Free Trade structure / cannot accept it, Ii ignoref
the most vital distinctions. and makes him wbs
amasses most wealth the most useful citizen oD
trry to every mans experience and moral psrcsg
tons HeEe are four brothers, who set out resolSS
to make their way in the world; one Of them pa