New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-17
FALSE ISSUE,

| - Ao0SA ASHSAi
| The st. Louis Democrat having in one
| of its daily Editorials affirmed, upon the
! authority Of that eminent obstructionist
that the ground chosen for an outlet cana
would not bear bird unless the bird was
" eb-tooted, now charges the people Of
New Orleans with a purpose of building a
town on this very ground. Thus it with
| draws all objections to the competency OF
the ground to bear the structure of ship
canal.
1t has now instructions to defame the
canal by asserting that those who advo-
cate it are concerned in the profits Of some
hun dreds of acres of this locality, where
aquatic birds alone according to Professor
Eads, can find footing. 1t seems that
the land, vacant and subject to sale and
entry under the swamp land act, has been
so entered by spectators, and patented.
In order to exonerate the merchants, in
surance officers and engineers who have
for forty years past recommended this
canal, it is only necessary tor the refuta-
ton of any .imputation upon them to
state, upon the authority Of the Picayune,.
that these Objectionable entries have been
made within the past year, the patents
having been signed by Governor Kellogg.
1t must be very palpable, then, that the
advocates who have for more than one
third of century pressed this canal upon
the attention of Congress, could not
have been Influenced by an act of
spec ulution executed within the past four
teen months, even if this speculation
were of sufficient value to buy up the sig
natures of insurance companies and the
best mercantile firms of our city.
For ourselves we never knew in whom
was the proprietary title of this ground
until published in the Picoy,tne, with
other matters favorable to the wingdams,
and hostile to the plan Endorsed by the
merchants and shippers of New Orleans.
The State has released and transferred
its eminent domain and jurisdiction to
the federal government and we supposed
that the present title, in whomsoever it
might rest, would be appropriated and
paid for by the United States; but in
whom the title rested and to whom this
money would be paid, we knew not.
Does not the Democrat know that when
ever patriotic men devise any plan for
public good, there is always class Of sell
fish and sharp men who watch the pros
poets of the plan with no other object than .
personal gain: Does it not know that
such men hasten to obtain some position
by which they may be enriched: Sup
pose the ST. Louis railroad companies to
the Pacific or to Texas should have been
required to testify before an appropriation
Of land or credit was made by the govern
ment, whether any parties had entered or
purchased lands with a'view to their en-
HANGED value by the location of road OF
of a town: Does any one hold. those roads
because selfish spectators
may have watched the labors of other men
to make their own fortunes? We suppose
not. We have signal instance. The Fort
Smelling ground was purchased from the
government, upon an alleged ante-knowl- |
edge that a fort would be built on that |
ground. Did that prevent Minnesota
from accepting work indispensable to
the defense Of her people? There has been
a very costly obstruction thrown across
the Mississippi at st. Louis. 1t is to be
used as bridge to convey Western pro-
luce and merchandise across the river to !
Eastern markets. The ground upon which |
his obstruction abutted was private title. |
Was there no speculation in the purchase
md resale of that ground! The city OF |
st. Louis has given herself to be per-
Grated with a tunnel undermining her |
streets, and in some instances compelling |
he payment Of damages by the tunnel |
oorers. Has there been no speculation |
n the real estate occupied for the adit |
u transit of this tunnel? Let the Demo-
rat answer these questions before it i'm
,utes to the project of transferring pilot |
own to the line of the canal the recon-
of the canal as public work
~ the whole mercantile interests of this
.ity. Let the ownership of the lands be |
Il whom it may does not affect the merits
If the canal as affirmed by our CONNER
ial interests, and confirmed by the engi-
,epr officers of the TTnited States