New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-24
mo CONCESsION,N


The St. Louis Journal quotes from th
REPUBLICAN an article on the commo
injury to st. Louis and New Orleans t
arise from the conflicting modes Of prose
cutting the common interest 1t is as
claimants fight over the disposition of
property for which they have brought suit
but which property is still in the occu
pancy of a party defendant stronger tina,
both the claimants put together. In thi
connection the Journal complains tina
New Orleans will make mo concession
as to the mode of improving the river out
let. No concession! We have conceded
to st. Louis and Cincinnati the mode o.
improving all the rest of the river and
of its chief tributaries. We claimed
for New Orleans the right to decide the
mode Of improving the outlet This was
claimed because New Orleans had no
other means of getting to sea. q That
her merchants. mariners and engineers
had more practical knowledge of the OBJ
stacles, and at least as much science as
others. 3. That the vote of the Missis-
sippi valley was insufficient to control
legislation, and is rapidly becoming rela-
lively smaller.
New Orleans, then, has no concession to
make except to abandon her whole right
of designating the mode Of improvement
to st. Louis. New Orleans has no other
proposition to make or to receive except
the canal as first construction, with
other modes in case of its failure. When
the vote Of the whole Mississippi valley
was indispensable to the passage of the
canal bill, here comes a theory that, upon
the mere merit of being gratuitous ex-
pertinent, withdraws the Missouri vote
and thus separates it from the vote of
Louisiana. In mid winter an assertion is
made that work never surveyed is better
than one pronounced practicable upon
two federal surveys. The vote of Con-
gress is divided upon an irresponsible,
proposition to work without compensation.
The Mississippi valley is no pensioner
on the bounty Of Congress. 1t is entitled,
not to the cheapest work, but to the most |
effectual work. She is not to be put off |
with the shoddy work Of an itinerant
peddler.
No concession, What concession can
we make that would not possibly seal our
Port 10 heavy commerce? Suppose Mr..
Eads shall occupy the outlets with fail
ure which it may take FIVE years to demon
strate? 1t may perhaps, pay the bridge
and its connections to pay dead rent on
the river until they may have the power
to close it altogether. 1t would be like
putting an injunction on the Al
MAIDEN, or any other mine, until
its rivals should have secured their posi-
tons or made their fortunes. What be-
comes Of New Orleans in the meantime.
Within five years the representative power
of the Northwest will increase at the rate
Of 10000 per annum. The wealth Of !
the Eastern cities and railroads in SINH t
lar ratio Is it likely at the end of that j
period that the Mississippi valley can get
/ ship canal? Is it probable that We can t
get dredge or a jetty appropriation
through Congress? 1t is not probable that
70 can. What then is the situation
# st. Louis? She falls philosophically :
Jack on her bridges acros, the Mis-
issippi river, and calls upon the |
Northwest above, and the South
vest into which she has thrust her Il
always to come forward and aid her.
Ter prosperity is onward. She becomes
ven more than at present feeder and n :,
tributary to the Eastern railways which 9
raw her trade through her tunnel and a
ver her bridge, and she will receive all a.
hat she may need from Congress. New "
'rleans cut off from all commercial rela- "
ons with St Louis, except as depot for G.
,me domestic consumption, may drift off
ito insignificance, ST. Louis even becom-
lg her antagonist as an agent for Eastern ~
always to turn all foreign export across Ia
lie Mississippi. New Orleans has no ST
lrther concessions to make, except to
oncede to st. Louis the responsibility of cl
efeating the only possible prospect of
he valley for sufficient and permanent
utlet to the ocean. This concession she %
ereby tenders. VIII st. Louis accept it? =,