New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-29
THE BOARD. OF TRADE.V

Il
Chicago last week was sort of congress
of merchants, or perhaps it would b.
more exact to say parliament, as thei1
powers are understood to be confined tt
talking. No doubt there were many able
merchants present on the occasion, but il
seems TO us there were also some out-and
out politicians, and that this class O,
Graders" furnished the most fluent if no,
the ablest and soundest debaters to the
convention. Two or three circumstances
which have been reported serve to confirm
these suspicious. One of these is the
adoption of the rule restricting debaters to
five minutes in which to define their posi-
tons. 1t does not stand to reason that a
merchant, however limited his views may
be, could explain them all in so short a
time; but the politicians were there, ready
| to occupy the time Of the board in defin-
ing their positions. But the real business
I men, or at least the non-talkative, being
in the majority, thought it better to do
the best they could in five minutes, rather
than have the door opeu for ipterninable
stump speeches.
With this premise we wish TO calf at
tention to an error that the Majority Of
| the convention seems to US to have fallen
into. Though met together as merchants,
to consult upon the best means Of pro-
noting the interests of the whole country,
they began TO act as legislators. So
highly did they rate their own importance
that they conceived that every recon-
mendation they should make to Congress
would be regarded by that body in tho
light of mandate, and enacted into n
law instanter. It. therefore, became pec.
essary for them to look into the eonstitu.
ton little, in order that they might not
be guilty of tempting Congress to violate
that instrument. TO Mr.. Woolley, of
Cincinnati. is due the happy conception
that the safety of the country depended
upon keeping Mr.. Burwell, of New Or
leans, off the committee on transporta-
ton. because he had heard that that gen.
tleman entertained the heretical notions
Of Clay, Webster, Clayton, John Quincy
Adams and others about the power of Con-
gress to improve rivers and harbors. Now
it strikes us that if those who voted to sus-
tain Mr.. Wo olley in this opposition re-
fected that they were in consultation as
merchants to give and receive advice,
they would have recommended in a
straightforward manner whatever they
thought was necessary, and left to the
politicians in Congress the business of
finding way to do it. If the American
people happen to want thing done they
do not like to be told they can not have it.
The report Of the Committee on Trans
portation shows the bias of the members.
They hail with satisfaction the completion
of the Welland canal and other Eastern
works, and recommend the improvement
Of the Mississippi. The how or when
this recommendation is to take effect is |
left to conjecture. And the adoption of
the first resolution greatly impairs the
force of the Sc cond, for it is rather weakly |
put that Congress has any authority |
in the matter. It is the system of quail |
fed prayer that We object to. It may be |
likened to man who should say. 80.
Lord, if Thou hast the physical and con-
stitutional power (Which some people
doubt), forgive US our sins and save us"
They tell Congress that, possibly, under
The grant of power to regulate commerce
between the States, authority may be
'ound to do something, especially at the
falls of the Ohio, and, possibly. the Erie
canal.
Now. we speak in the interests of more
han one-third the area and population of
he country when we ask for the imme-
liate construction of deep ship channel
% the sea. The Mississippi is the only
liver III the United States that opens to
he seq and is navigable the year round.
Ind it is the only one that connects the
different degrees of latitude on the CONT
lent. Its improvement vii! not, as many
suppose. injure the commerce Of the great
axes, the st. Lawrence river, the Erie
anal, the Hudson river. or the railroads
ateral to the meridian lines. We want
additional facilities for the great trade
hat is rapidly spriDging up westward Of
he nineteenth degree Of longitude. And
he very gen tlemen who complained that
Ir. Burwell came to Chicago on a special
Mission because he remarked in one of
he five minutes speeches that he was
,etter informed as to the Mississippi route
o the ocean than any other. repeatedly |
'roved they were there to champion spe-
ial interests by reservins all their doubts
# the power of Congress for the improve
nents which we ask for.
'ROGREsS OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. !
a part Of the policy Of the Republican: