New Orleans Republican., 1872-11-10
a(etv Orlea'ts 9epltblitat',
8rFnIBl JOURNAL Of THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
THE FORT IT. PHILIP CANAL,


THE FORT IT. PHILIP CANAL.
We publish this morning the following
~arort to the president and members OF the
Chamber Of Commerce Of New Orleans:
srbe delrgatcs to the National Board OF
atrldn Ell its annual session, 1872, i'll New
York. respectfully offer the following re,
gt0Iy on the passage Of resolutions, adopted
$lv the board. recommending to Congress
stac construction al national expenses ana
slnier national jurisdiction ot the Fort ST.
philip canal, at the mouth OF the MlesssIp-
81 river: observing the conditions imposed
Jy the National Board, upon the indorse-
snenf Of federal aid. in the construction OF
9nhIic works within the States, 1t was
oIeemeG 4y vour delegations Judlclous to
6y0id any objections on that score ana
e2reseue the claims OF this outlet canal on
It's merits, leaving to the government to
prescribe the fcrms upon which the ald
would be granted, and the correlatiye rights
Of the grantees to accept or refuse those
terms at their option. The following reso-
}uti0n was therefore, offered as SuDst-
cute for the proposition pending upon tAe
calendar:
Resotred, That the National Board OF
Trade hereby recommend 10 congress v'Io
constructions as a national WORK, on nation
al account. and under national jurisdiction,
nF n free shin canal, to connect the deep
xya+ar of +he Mississippi, near the mouth OF
4bat river. with that of the Gulf OF Mexico,
at uoints near Fort st. Philip and Breton
ISLAND. Provided, that the construction OF
1aid work shall be deemed by Congress
practicable and expedient; and provided
lurthcr. that it be shown that the
State Of Louisiana. within whose territory
the work will be entirely located, consents
90 concede to the general government any
and ali interest in, jurisdiction over and
control Of the said work, together with
grant of the free and unrestricted right OF
yvay. and release OF all proprietary title
1herein and eminent domain thereoVer.
Tpon this substitute the chamber will
pardOu, in consideration Of the OF the I'M
portance of the subject, q recital OF the az
@ument and evidence adduced IN its sup
port.
ADDRESS.
Mr. President and Gentlemen Of the Ma
fional Board Of Trade-There has been
lately q conference between two OF the
greatest powers on earth. Its object was to
establish kindly and commercial relations
between the subjects of the one and the
citizens of the other. All international an
tagOnisms have been postponed to ntefna-
rJonnI interests, and the most cordial and
intimate relations have been fixed between
England and America, on the permanent
basis Of mutual and reciprocal interest.
Tpon this alliance the Chancellor Of the
Excbeouer of England says: II indulge a
hone that we are about to enter upon new
era of relations with America, when each
nation will lay aside its anIm0sltles and
jeaIousies, and when we shall cOnfne our
selves to the noble rivalry which can do
most to extend the interests OF civilization
and of peace over the whole world"
at D recent reception, given to an eminent
l,uh
lean: "God forbid that the stormy winds OF
war ever blow us into hostile collision, and |
grant that the hands just claspGd ut Geneva |
may be clinched in a friendly grasp that |
the Whole world can not sever The his
tOran guest, in commenting upon the reIa-
tiOns Of England and Ireland, said: 1T the |
Irish refuse to be recOnciGd to us, then We
must continue as we are-each a thorn in
the others side-Or they must themselves
seek another home, or else they must tight
for their independence and win it like men.
4 leading political paper of the same
date remarks in relation to what 1T calls
"the ex.leaders Of tho rebellion ''IO be-
stow upon them til" places and honor which
fhey have betrayed and disgraced would be |
to allow the burglar, detected in an attempt
TO rob and kill, to depart in peace. and give
him in addition the goods Ire would have
stolen
Here we see the utmost effort made by
fwO great nations to establish relations OF |
gnutual interest and unity. At the same
SINE public declaration from individuals
GSf each of these countries, bitter hostility
toward sections of the fellow-citizens of
Gach. Foreign friendship and domestic
siiscords are deploTabr. But in all cases
Shese political antagOnismS can only yield
10 the demonstrations OF reciprocal interest.
1t is then very plain that the sole basis of
international or intersecti0nal amity con
u y,+' tn
commercial and material intercourse be.
kween them. 1t is proposed. therefore. to
place two great sections OF the Union upon
She same footing of amity as exists between
the mother country England. and her
s;Olonial empire, which won its liberties by
two long, bloody and obstinate wars against
her, The gallant and unaided rise of this
republic to the first rank Of nationality has
been acknowledged by England before the ]
assembled world Her interest and her
honor have required this alliance.
We present, therefore, Tor your Consdefa |
ion one Of those measures of common in {
,erest and common strength, which tend to
The sincere restoration OF the frateTnltIes OF | {
.he Union. This measure stands upon your {
for yourindOrsement as national
work, and is known as
-HE FORT ST. PHILIP, or MISSISSIPPI OUTLET 1
CANAL. !
The Mississippi and its tributaries afford t
70 600 miles of nayigable water. These j
Train 100000 square miles. They carry ]
ut and in, by the natural outlet of the t
lissss1pp alone, S4j0000,000 commercial p
'alucs. The population Of this area is t.
lore than l7,000,G0O and the tonnage of o
hese rivers equals, perhaps, 0ne-t0urth OF a
he whole national tonnage 1t compre- ?
ends, as will be shown, the interests of all II
ecti0ns and Of the nations. The federal It
Overnment has acknowledged the nation al
lity.of this outlet in many ways. 1t has
at contracts for deepening the channel by
red ging aud by concentrations OF current
t has recognized the nationality of this II
rtiticial outlet by survey Of construc- a
ION made over the very ground now IT
with estimates Of COSTS. made IL
Y Captain w. B. Chase, tied "
tates army, under authority of au II
ct of Congress in 1887. 1t has more re- Il
'ntly ordered a similar survey for the OF
tine work. and the report Of Captain c. 81
7. Howell, United States army, shows the I'll
Ort st. Philip canal to be easily practica- al
es at cost of $6,00000 The govern I'll
ent has for the last three years employed OF
ationaE dredgeboats to open the outlet ht
lannefs The nationality of the work then II
eing indisputablee it may be shown that or
the annual appropriation for dredging liz
le outlet be estimated at $500 0O0, it would ca
ost the nation no more to fund or capital TO
10 thls annuity in national bonds for ce
oUo0,O00o dhis would save the govern OF
tent the annual and perpetual trouble of pc
while it would assure the i'm ST
ense interests locked within this bar an or
ttlet winch no failure Of appropriation, no De
}htlcal change and no political CON 60
pf o'Ouh take ai+ |