New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-27
now TO RAISE THk BAR BLOCKADE

4
! in the great race for the commerce OF tne
! Mississippi valley. 1t ;s by no means
| certain that she is not going backward.
The great dream Of natural advantages Is
void, dissipated by the rough tread OF a"-
vancin9 rivals. II is high time TOR her 20
awake shake OF the pleasing deluslon
that prosperity must come without exer-
ton On her part, and prepare for "ise'
energetic action to make up for ~has she
has lost within the past ten years
Let her citizens continue 60 cry ''nat''-
! raj advantages" until their cheeks crack,
but let there Ae another cry, supplement-
ed by earnest action, Of '.down with M
natural disadvantages. Let as make war
| Te.entlessly on those mOnOpohes that have
driven commerce from our wharTe6 and
forced our trade to seek the far
off cities of she Atlantic seaboard.
II doing shis ies Us begin hrat
with the monster corporation that
tbrottles our commerce and saps its lie at
the very entrance to our port. Let Us
begin with the cowboat ring. We have
already in the columns of this paper pre-
sented charges against it, worded IL the
plain, unmistakable language OF truth,
and known 10 be true by every merchant
in this CITY We have laid bare the mo-
tives actuating the ring; have shown by
what means it holds its tenure OF power,
and bv What course of action il hax been
able 10 render inutile all efforts heretofore
made 10 tighten It's exactions by removing
the natural obstacle which gave it birth
and mainly serses 20 continue Is III auto
cratic existence II must be eurbea or
I DESTROYED, else there is no future for Hew
| Orleans bu: 81 dsindle into the emporium
| Of . fa~ country parishes, wit unit! the
yinc is starved out. and then commence
anew.
The fir,, step IN this battle for son.1'es-
cal life is 20 inform the people Of the
| manner in which they are most oppressed
land to point ou. the oppressor. This ha.
Deen saken~ The neXs is to sap the
power of The ring by making il pecun-
iarily, ana its agents lefsonally. response
Die for acts detrimental 90 the interests .;
| commerce. How 60 cake this step .s
shown bv she following extract from the
| report for 1872, o: the officer in charge OF
dredging q, Southwest Pass:
cOsrROg. OF PIE CHANNEL
ehaye several times represented che ae
| eassitv that exists for giving the engineer
in Cbargs OF This work sufficient iega'
| authority over the use of the channels eX
! payated across the bars TO enable bin tC
select nj, time for work, to prevent inter
! ference with il. and to prevent the passage
| of vessels ut uuseasOnaoie times
Authority 10 direct crossing OF tbs ia? l:
| now vested IA z number of persons more OF
jess indepenient and subject to no suth
D. c;ent penalty :Or damage they may in1c;
IpOu commerce in any othes way shan ~
collision. Managers and captains OF tow
boats. bar siiOts and shipmastegs are a
.his class.
ANY one OF them can. at his own pleasure
- either with or without a knowledge OF tht
.. ehanuel and the currents through 1t, attenp
a crossing, force the dredgeDUat from lie:
work TO make wav tor his Se5se!o and per
hans obatruCt work tor days. Causing de-.
riorat!on of the channel without its being II
the power of any one TO call him to accom-
FOR his action
Cur york has frequently suffered annoy
ance from this needless state OF affairs, H-':
aiIv eitheg because OF the inpatienc" q"
ship masters. ignorance OF pilots "g inte!s
! ZION OF toW boat captalueo
In a previous communication 1 hav'
stated reasons Why the Iowboat Assoc.a
non do no, desire improvement OF the nat
Of ! urai crossing over the bars. and have CIte'
instances il which am positive its emploEe
have inalcously grounded vessels $
a,a to either blockade our work os to caJls
deterioration of she ChauDt: We sa'
/ formed. Vessels drawing less than seven
teen feet have been grounded BY theia o
| tho sides OF q channel eighteen and a hai
feet dPe,s at mean low tide: twenty teet a
nigh tide. 80 feet wide at :ts narroT.s
| paint and its limits marked on each side ..
= line Of spar buoyso AL groundings oE ~
: sides cause rapid deposits and changes =
! the channel and add greatly 60 the labo
and expense Of keepingit open. This wur
is not the Only On6 subject to annoFauC
End damage from unlimited public license
Iextract the following from report e
Major William 4. Merrill. found on pag
ll6. report of the chief Of engineers for lS''
9e need very much IsS to proteo: on
works after they are built, and to regulate to"
tent which cities and ind viduals shall Dc y
nitted to cnCrnach upon the ri yer channel
At present there seems to be no authority fN
~ where to protect works, built for the comm,
- good, from being destroyed by any lndtVid a. "!
mav teel himseif asgrieved, nor to prevent cln
from building out into the stream TO ny eI..1
regardless of the effect upon navigation OF !.1
Srr viduel Tights. a. .
"a The work as the mouth of the Mlsst
of | siDui which 1T best can be made but
rec deem narrow aud we'll defined canal, und,
asst existing regulations can az any time,
a. ! sui, the Whiu or serve the interests OF al
W, ! individual of the cla sos have named. Il
a period, be rendered Vdlueless.
] have already reported the benehc
. results following my assumption OF 90
ED troll at Southwest Pass. in March, 1871
ct, ! can of course, DO the same again, should
,ae de like emergency warrant 1t. but yet VII
ms out legal right or power 10 make my reg
he | lations respected, should the parties lnte
he ested choose to act contrary to them.
| submit, for consideration, the draft
- an act OF Congress re!uiSed TO glvs rs t!
necessary authority:
an Get eutltl1d an at 20 facilitate the exec
tion of aud 10 protect cert sn PLohc SSrss"' "
orr prOyement.
rof ,yer snd hsr Dor in prove nent undertaken by
- government OF the United states ana invoLEl
- the dredging of river o. tddL bars u" ensure
NE | charged with the work meet with rrcqutot 90
snd and the channels ated With important dA
nth age due to the passage OF vesses ut un7sasonh
hen ! times and 70 csrelcs. " malicious aAucHlR
? In | me. and
,ut, whereas This occurs orl~ because there -
ms, one pt rsou duly authorized Ia suptTlntend ann
gas rect the passage OF vesoes ana 10 hou plo.e
ON masters and tow boat ainA H1su0us ole 1hdt
'pl1 | penalty for damage they may cause sucS pun
un4 works described; therefore,
Ba If enacted etc 7 hat from and aTtet fhle oi
! the Secretary OF War is authorized to ASSUME :
I control over tbs navigation OF channel IN cCu
' Of excavation across bars at the mouths Or NV
:D. the 81 trs cos OF harbors Whenever IN nf
in ion, su2h action becomes u 'cessary 70 fclilt Z
hor. and protect the work OF the governments ana 1
;son such regulation Et gardll u. PasSHk hGh 81
Ad- through such channels as he may esttosh 81
binding effect oil pilots ship masters u