New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-21

| on the ground that ship canal at Fort
st. Philip would cost eleven and q half
millions. We presume the gentlemen
who composed the board believe in their
own figures. We certainly do not. The
weight of testimony is fearfully against
them. In the first place, the highest esti-
mate of the cost Of the proposed canal is
just about the figure set down for the jet
ties. Once completed, the canal would be
permanent, while the jetties would have
to be taken up and moved further out to
sea after every rise in the river.
Meetings in the interest OF the ''cause
of the people" have been held in public
In nearly all the railroad cities of the
Union, and at the same time railroad men
were connecting schemes to take away
from US the limited commerce that re-
mains and send it across the continent by
the lateral lines of railroad. Not the
least whisper of this ''voice O" the people
of the North" has been sent South by the
Associated Press, nor a warning given by
our local papers. While the Northern
Democracy are coquetting with the South
ern White Leaguers, and amusing them
by calling Grant and Kellogg all the bad
names they can think OF, this undermining
work has been going on. We venture to
say, too, that there is not Democratic
aspirant for Office in Louisiana that would
not bow as low as the dust to any
Northern statesman who is likely to be
able to give him an Office, even though he
voted to close the port of New Orleans
forever.
Merchants of New Orleans reflect
upon the kind Of a party you have been
sustaining by your contributions for the
past two years. What have they done,
or offered guarantees to do, to repay you
for the hundreds of thousands of dollars
you have showered with lavish band upon
disreputable ward bummers. What ma
tional measure for your benefit have they
urged upon Congress. What local re-
forms have they effected or promised to
effect? What has been done by anybody
but Republicans to counteract the in
sidious adverse influence of the under
mining Eads? How much time has been
given to the subject by any one in all
the various associations whose sole affirm
alive political principle is their opposi-
ton to Republicanism? The board Of en-
gineers have been let severely alone, and
have been captured in a body by the
marauding railroad agent, and be has Sc
cured just such report from them as he
would have written himself, if, indeed, he
did not write it. A ship canal from any
point on the river to deep sea water
would be worth hundred thousand con-
gressional reports, millions of White
Leaguers, yet We find no one who can
spare the time from the "cause of the
people" to devote to this grave interest.
We seriously fear that the day has been
carried against New Orleans, permanent
ly. While few copperhead green grocers
in various places, and Messrs. Bryant,
Dodge, Evarts, Belmont & Co. in New
York city, have been amusing our people |!
with fine words, which ''butter no pars-
nips, the railroad men, under the lead |
Of Captain Eads, have been active, and |
we regret to say successful in their scheme
to flank New Orleans in the great COM
mercial warfare which is now being
waged between the different citi.s, Sec
lions and interests Of the country