New-York tribune., 1873-05-29
THE CONGRESSIONAL PILGRIMAGE.
rrs pILRPosGS AND RESULTS.

Tup CAUSE or INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS NOT RUR-i
TIiERED BY THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. RkCoN
CnIATIoH PROBABLY FASTENED D-INrELIdGRST
APPROPRIATIONS RENDERED. posSIBLE.
(Fnoa TIKI srEcIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRiBUsE.l
NEw-ORLEANs, May 23.-I arrived in st.
Louis late 20 anything but the tsgend OF the
Convention OF Congressmen and If anything thai u did
can be called serious business. not witness OF It,
But did SEQ some OF tho feastng Osronsins Of the
last day went down the river the iron works on the
Great Republic. and have travelled about =
week and nearly fifteen hundred miles OF territory
with the majority of the delegation have therefore.
been able much uelligenty to estimate what was
practically accomplished by this novel expedient OF tax
ing bodily possession OF members Of Congress for lobby
ing purposes than possible for the most attentive
student of the Convention to do on the day oil It's ad
iournment.
The Convention was the first place, failure 90 far
as it was an attempt reach nueptal Eastern repre-
senatives very many OF the msp from any par' VI
tho country whO by their prominence In ether ho"so
are able control largo appropriations The loo h'em
bers of Congress who assembled in tho Temple ana us
tened with more or less attention TO tho speeches thst
were made mostly by dstin guished citizens OF MISSOURI
in favor OF the improvement OF me MISSISSIPPI hNor "
St. Louis above aud below that city and all oi tne way
down to the sea- advocating tho opening AZ pupno o
peuse OF some new water route hom tno "eS' W '"o
Atlantic the removal of restrictions upon tho pur-
chase of foreign ships and their American registry
and sip,iIar questions which are OF peculiar
interest to the merchants and producers OF TINS
great nd fertile valley. mostly those whose MONIES
ara on this side OF the Aeghenes or who are personally
Interested in Western enterprises Such men as these
and the majority Southern members who are ready az
anv n,oment 10 "Log-ro" with tho representatives OF
apy other section OF the Union. matter whether tho
object is the selection OF country postmaster or the ap
propration Of few millions to dredRe out river build
levee or construct canal They need no conversion.
though they the winng and the dininR tue ree
passes the banquets aud tho naturally as
a duck does TO a mud-pUddle. don't mean TO say that
all of the men who assembled at ST. Louis and who have
since spent a week in q run through Missouri. the
Indian Territory and Texas of the class have DC
scrbed there have been some honorable exceptons'
but the majority Of thom what be termed the
ght-weghts OF Congress.
TuE IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES NOT BENEFITED.
The Convention and the subsequent excursion have
failed think to convince the few influential and disn-
terested members OF Congress who have participated
that It will to make the large sppro
pratons asked for to facilitate commerce between the
East West. and between tho West and foreign
ports This gather from conversations with the gen-
temen to whom l refer. St. Louis, al whose door lie
some richest mineral deposits in the United States,
and which has already driven Pittsburgh from some OF
the Western iron markets. Galveston the Queen CITY Of
the Gulf already ranking high a cotton mart and
shipping its goods directly to Liverpool by her own line
of steamers sailing under the American flag and taking
freight at New-York prices; Neworleans, with its
trade hampered by the dangers of the passes
at the months OF the river well by
obstrucOns abovethese we'll other cities and the
whole rich country through which We have passed ap-
peal loudly the sympathy OF Congress. and their
quests whether reasonable otherwise, will he listened
with respectful attention. But As clear headed,
hig nmiDded Eastern Representative remarked yester
day. God has not given any one section of our land
ali tue good He has TO bestow We of the East have
barren, cold, unwilling soil. which We have to nurse
with the greatest care and with fertilizers
to make it produce anything But when with much
hard labor secured small CROP are at the
very door may buy directly from
the farmer and pay for it Its full value. You in
the West aud Southwest are blest with
rich soil produces almost spontaneously. and with
little labor you gather abundant crops. But portion
OF your surplus goes to the remainder 10 market
50 that it is sold you not 80 much richer than
II it cost us as much to get our corn and wheat ana
potatoes to market it does you. should starve; II
1t cost you much 10 make crop as 1t does u.s. you
would starve On the other hand. il We could make as
large crops yOu other things being as they are now
should too rich. and. if you could get your
grain TO market chesply We you would be in the
same condition" rhe conclusion of the whole was that
Nature given advantage, to others an
other and it is grave question how far the General
now much ought to be left to private enterprise
The Mississippi River is the great highway OF the
nation, as well the great suice-wa through which
the debris OF the continent is washed. lts channel
changes day by day. Year after year 1t pours down
into Gnlf immense volume Of mud and soil, and
sugar pantaOns arise where once the sea held
sway. Every engineer knows tnat were the whole
Uuted States Treasury emptied into the Mississippi II
could not be confined TO permanent channel or its
mouth kept free from obsructions Wil It pay 70 build
the Fort 81. Philip Canal3 These and similar arguments
and questions have heard repeatedly during the past
week when the various projects Of the West have been
discussed 10y independent Eastern men.
THE EXCURSION NOT DEVOID OF GOOD RESULTS.
Although think the Convention and the excursion
have failed IN accomplishing many of the objects for
which they planned, they have not been without
their good results Many OF the Western MEMBERS
bad no conception Of the immense mineral wealth OF
Central and Missouri and the unsurpassed
beauty and fertility of the Indian Territory and Central
Texas were a new revelation 10 the whole party The
excursion has also given members OF Congress an op-
that part Of IL involved In the proposition TO
open the Indian Territory to settlement, and
understand both sides Having also visited and per-
sonaly inspected the OF many of the desired I'M
prOvements, the nations representatives, whatever
may be their CONVICTIONS Will be able TO deal more intel
hgently with the subjects when they up for
sideratOn in Congress Finally the excursion has taken
the South for the first time since the war some OF
the ultra Republicans Of the North has brought
them into contact with the people, given them taste
Southern hospitality, rent the black vail OF suspicion
which the carpet-bsggers have held before the
the Grant Republican ticket, and convinced them
by tho aud earnest responses which their loyal
have called FORTH that the carpebsggers and
negroes not the only people In the south who can be
trusted to manage their local affairs or TO participate In
the National Government doubt single member OF
this party OF Congressman will be able again.
in the heat OF political campaign to denounee the
whole Southern people as Rebels" or TO throw any
further obstacles In tho way OF complete reconcia-
ton OF tEe North and South.
..