New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-12

eminent minds ever since RAILWAYS and steam.
snips were constructed; now that these are
nnisned, 1t is felt that we are only at the be.
ginning OF this class Of enterprise. Hence
we look forward with confidence to an inter.
oceanic canal between the Atlantic and Pa.
cific; but while this awaits the slow determi.
nations necessarily preluding work so enor.
nous, we may with profit consider what there
is OF this sort to be done at much less expense
nearer home. We have already expressed
our aversion to the idea of undertaking OIL
gantic system Of national improvements nn.
der the direction Of Congress but the SUBJ
lect to which the President has lust directed
Congressional notice may thus perhaps gain
wider consideration among those whom it
more especially concerns.
Inc great problem of the West is, how to
get Its products to the Atlantic seaboard,
Principally with view to reshpment to
Europe. 1t is roughly and perhaps inaccurate
~ stated by Western producers that they get
but one-fourth of what consumers pay for
everything raised in the Mississippi valley ;
the other .three-fourths go to railroads and
middlemen. The feeling upon this subject is
uery strong at the West; it touches the pock-
et-nerve. In the Presidents message vari-
GUS measures are dwclt upon as possible rem
edies, and investigation is recommended.
Among these is plan to connect the Ohio
and Tennessee rivers with the Savannah and
Ocmulgee, by slackwater navigation, the
route for which has been surveyed and re-
ported on. Then there is slightly novel
phase OF the very old project of the Kanawha
and James river canal, to connect with the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal The President
also alludes, somewhat indefinitely, to much
holder project, Of which the value is at least
more questionable-a system Of land locked
navigation from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico.
There Is simpler plan than any of these,
the serviceableness of which is more demon
strable. 1t is old, being one of those sug-
gestlons which naturally occur to thought
full man with map of this country before
him: Again and again, estimates of what it
would save to the country, even were there
no great changes in the directions of trade to
result from it, have been laid before the pub
lie. The outlet of our greatest river is
barred from the ocean by the isthmus of Flor
IDA. The annual commerce which threads
its devious way through the coral reefs which
guard Florida Pass, is variously estimated
from $3.50 900, 900 to 81 900, OOO, 900. A ship
canal through Florida, near, for instance,
Tampa Bay, would pass through district
but little above sea level, to harbors of deep
water on either side, and could not be ex-
ceedingly costly. Mobile and the water
communications of Alabama would be directly
benetted at once, and the trade of New
Orleans would be immensely increased.
So long as the South alone was to be as
sisted by this improvement, the prospect of
its execution might be indefinitely delayed.
Without discussing the reason, we suppose
the fact will be admitted, that works of this
sort are talked of at the South very long
while before they are begun. But if our
Western friends fairly take the project into
consideration, Its cheapness and efficiency
will hasten its adoption. There are already
numerous instances of successful shipments
by way of the Mississippi to Europe. Well
slowed grain did not heat well-packed meat
did not spoil. An iron steamer for this trade
was built at Dubuque last summer. But
suppose Florida cut bya canal, and the pres
ent waterway by Lake Ponchartrain made
nayigable, so that steamers from the Upper
Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri can pass
through to the Atlantic, avoiding both the
Mississippi bar and the Florida Keys-will
anybody doubt as to the speed and profit of
such voyages to Europe? Railway freights
are estimated as eight times as costly as
water-carriage surely here is margin enough.
What Frenchmen have done in Africa, Amer
leans can certainly do at home. Men York
Tribune.