, 1873-05-15
THE 81, LOUlB CONVENTION,

| "-T~~@ - "@e ~A-SH- ~
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| THE 81. LOUIS CONVENTION.
Tho excursion Of Congressman from st. Louis
to Galveston has been inauguratod by no loss
than throo BpeoolloB,-ono by tho Governor of
| Missouri, one by tho o1.Lioutennnt.G Governor,
md now mcmbor Of Congress, staunnrd, and tho
third by the Hon. Horny 7. blow. Tho sub
stance Of tho business Is tho nccosBity and Inn
por&ance OF moro perfoot water-routos from tito
interior to tho ocoan. Tho question Ia, Of course,
Important, mud ono great difficulty in having
something accomplished ie tho fact that, when It
is proposed to oxpond five dollars for n roally
practicable and desirable end, at least fifty dol
lars moro arc demanded for othor works TINT arc
not practicable, mud aro usoloss, except for pur-
! poses Of jobbory and plunder.
Tho speakers at st. Louis pointed out. with
great cloar1loas, tho magnitude OF tho commerce
which would bo maintained if tho mississippi
River was 30 improved at,its mouth TINT res-
| so1s could arriyo and depart from Now Orleans
without the delays and cost Of ightorago and
towago; but even st. Louis gentlemon could not
discuss this question without aooming1y bidding
tho Ohio River to Rchmond, and another by
way Of the Tennessee River into Georgia, with
branches to Mobile and Savannah. The
throe works mentioned up to Tuesday
night as dosorying Immediate attention
were: i. Tho Jamoa nivor i Kauawha Canal.
2. The Atlantic and aroat Western Canal,
through kentucky, TonnoBsoo; Alabama, and
Georgia; md 8. THO Fort st. Philip Canal, from
| point on tho AIississIppi River below New Or
| loans, at or noar Fort st. Philip, to the Guilt.
| OF those, the latter Is unquestionably OF groat
practical importance, II 1t DO foas1ble, and when
accomplished, will furnish permanent moans
| Of reaching Now Orleans from tho Gulf. At
present, vessels drawing oyor II foot can cross
the bar at tho mouth Of the mississippi; ut that
point vosHolB cntcrinE tho river hayo to transfer
their cargo to Bcows and ba,gos, which arc towed
up the river. Vosaels Of tint sizo cannot take
full cargoes ut Now Orleans without broaking
bul}s again, at the bar aud having their
freight carried: over It in Lighters. Tho cotton
trade at Now: Orleans, If this difficulty
did not exist, would give employment to four
| timos tho number Of ocoan-golng vessels that
now do business at that city. The difficulty at
tho mouth OF tho river is ono that cannot be
romodied. As fast as tho bars arc drodgod out,
they form again. If this Fort st. Philip Canal
were constructed, It would permit steamers and
yessoa Of tic largest class to enter tho rivor at
a point far above tho river distractions, and
permit IN uninterrupted continuance of COM
merco. Tho construction OF tile canal, IT prao-
tioablo, will DO costly, so fur as tho amount Of
money is concerned, but 1t would 10 OF perma-
mont valuo and would open tho whole Missia-
sippi River to tho Immense commerce which bo-
| longs to it naturally.
It tho Convention at St. Lonls hns the facts
and information showing that the Fort Philip
Canal is possible OF construction, or that there
is my other mode by which the arrival aud de-
parture Of yossols to New OrloanB from tho
ocean can be made certainty and FREQ Of all
obstruction by tho over changing progress aud
deposits OF tho river and will conflno its recon-
nlenlations to that object it will elicit from tho
J. whole country strong aud earnest support.
Such work must be- OF national Importance
and Of national intorost, and worthy OF tho lib
eral and prompt action Of tic Government. At
present, tho distractions at tho entrance to tho
rlyor eHe. preventive Of commerce they
aro breaking up commerce in tho
great section OF country Of which 1t is tho natural
outlet. Those distractions arc daily growing
worse. They defy the remedial nrt Of man. Tho
only recourse is to avoid them by m artldcal
channel. II the construction of this channel be
possible, eithor ut Fort st. Philip or elsewhere,
1t ought to be done.
The mistake of all theae conventions is, that
inntoad OF addressing themselves to roally
proper md desirable ond, they purchase cheap
recommendation Of thom by adding thereto n
liko commondation Of other works which are
visionary and absurd, impracticable and dcu-
slye, and thus tho really mortorious is buried be-
noath tho mass Of wild aud utopian achomea The
| spoooh-makors at st. Louis Ind much to soy
about water-routos below the freezing line."
Where is The freezing lino3 During tho vim
ter seaBon, tho Ohio River aud tho Mississippi
| Rlvor aboyo tho Ohio are aB closed to transpor-
tation as Is Lako Michigan. OF what avail,
then, il 1t to st. Louis or Dubuque, or st. Paul
or omaha, that the river III open hotwcon yicks-
burg aud Now Orleans, it 1t ia not open to them 2
The proprioty Of milking tho 1Iisaissippi Niyor
accessible to tho largcst-Hzcd yosaela docs not
rost upon tho fact TINT New Orleans is below tho
froozng line, but to tho fact that tho opening Of
that channel should 10 made permanent in sum-
NOR as we'll Us in winter. This measure
stands upon as1ch national groundsthnt 1t ts vast
| ly injured and hindered by thu weakneas which
forever couplca 1t with the wild schomo Of canal
and locked rivers from tho mouth OF tho Ohio
through tho mountainB OF Tennessee, Goorgia,
and Alabama, and thu other equally absurd
scheme OF hhfp-canal from the Kama
wha oyer tho mountains OF Vireinia
| to Richmond. All that Is secured by this