New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-21
HOME PROJECTION AGAINST OVERFLOW.

American Union there IS an organize
militia to guard against instruction an
!. give protection to life and property. Or
carnations Of fire companies in cities an
towns for home protection also exist al
over the country as means Of suppress
ing fires. These organizations have bee'
of great benefit to society, without bein;
the cause of any serious evil. The ez
pense of State militia is sometimes OBJ
jected to, it is true, and so is government
for that matter; but as we can have NJ
civilization at the present time without
these little etceteras, the people have de-
cided to possess them in order to be pre-
pared to meet common enemy that has
long existed in the shape of an incendiary
The militia forms breastwork against
instruction, while the fire brigade stands
ready to combat another dangerous ele-
ment, when left to pursue its own course,
in the shape Of fire. With these exam
pies Of what organization can do to bene-
fit society, it should not be deemed
strange, in view of all the circumstances,
that organization is now being sought to
aid in giving protection against the future
inundation of our State. The St. James
Sentinel, of the thirteenth instant, contains
a communication from Mr.. V. E. NJ. Ander-
son, suggesting that citizens OF parishes
subject to overfows from the Mississippi
form themselves into companies for the
purpose of watching the levees in time of
danger and preventing crevasses. His
| idea is to have an organized company,
similar to our fire companies, in every
ward in a parish, the members of the
same to hold themselves in readiness, with
tools and material, to aid in ayerting the
dangers of overflow In order that there
shall be no conflict between the organiza-
tons and the Levee Company he
propose that it shall be the duty Of the
officers of said companies to cooperate
with the Levee Company and the State
engineers in the work of preserving the
levees, and for SO doing expects that
sufficient compensation will be allowed
by the Levee Company to keep up said
organizations. Mr.. Anderson thinks
they could be made very serviceable even
in case the general government should
determ inc to take the levees in hand, for
as they would be composed of citizens
directly interested they would always be
on the alert and labor hard to prevent
overfows.
While We are pleased to note the efforts
Of our own citizens to give protection
against repetition Of our present alarm
ing disasters, resulting from inundation,
we are glad also to be able to say that in
every section Of the country a growing |
feeling is perceptible as to the importance
aid actual necessity of having the national
government take the levees Of the Missis- |
sippi in hand. 1t is conceded that this |
course is necessary in order that the rich |
lands of the Mississippi valley may be
successfully cultivated and made a great
source Of wealth, not only to individuals
and the State of Louisiana, but to the |
nation at large With our homes protected
against periodical avalanche Of water, !
drained from section Of our country |
of miles in the interior, great |
obstacle in the way of the settlement of
the Mississippi valley-a valley that
is susceptible of being made the garden
spot of the world-would be removed.
And from the date of this protec-
ton will commence in earnest the
growth of that portion of our country
which, it has been predicted, will be at
20 very remote period the seat of its
greatest wealth and civilization. But it
requires the fostering hand Of the ma
tional government to rescue the prolific
lands of this broad valley from inunda-
ton. Let this be extended, and the time
is certainly not far distant when every
acre of it will be made to bloom with the
seed of the sugar cane, cotton, rice and
other productions that can be grown with
profit. Then the noble river that is now
so much source of dread at times, will
only be source Of pride, profit and con-
venience to our people, and they will not
be compelled to ask, as now, the as
sistance of their fellow-citizens in other
States to save them from starvation. And
while, under the circumstances, We con-
slider it no disgrace to ask and receive
succor for those who have been driven
from their homes by the present overflow
Of the Mississippi, it is consoling in the
midst of this dire affiiction to know that
the present condition Of Louisianas
calamity is not moderated abroad, and
that our fellow-citizens, North, East and
West, are contributing bounteously for
the relief of the sufferers. The New York
Erening Mail of recent date thus speaks
of the desolations and dangers that are
upon portion of our people at this time,
and makes suggestions commensurate
with the Affections that are upon them:
The situation of the people in the vast,
overtowed regions Of Louisiana and Ar
kansas ought by this time to be well under
stood all over the country-but those who
have never witnessed one of these destruc-
tive inundations can not conceive the DESC
latiOns, dangers and sutferings caused by |
such a calarnitous flood. For hundreds of
miles along the lower Mississippi. and over
tracts large enough to make several of our
smaller States. there is now a waste of
which have not only ruined thou
sands of plantations, but have deprived
from SC, 600 to 10000 people of homes and
the means of subsistence.
Such calamity as this should arouse |