The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-29

probation In the last sixteen years has reduced
the value oi those lands to less than 500 900,
| showing loss by depreciation OF some S2s5 OOO.-
GOO. with loss OF s29 100000 In three years.
from material losses and decreased production,
and loss in deprecated values Of s255 900 in
fifteen years how insane the policy that will not
prevent the one and regain the other at the cost
man trust his business affairs TO an agent who
displayed so little Of thought. force lst or bus-
In eancing at the probable results Of reclama-
ton. Mr.. Morey's report concudes Should
the reclamation be completed, in ten years we
yated and nncutivated lands and the swamp
lands would be double this estimated value and
within ten years thereafter the real value Of the
money worth the sum of s732. .Oss $40. What.
then. would be the result to the people Of the
lands Of the delta are reclaimed and utilized
The treasure required TO put and k CD in order
the l,eyoes would be returned In territory res
cued by science. courage. and enterprise from
the delta sea, the most valuable Of the globe.
But again. In the reclamation Of these lands
the Federal Government will find the solution Of
her trnde accounts with the world and your
committee believe OF her financial embarrass-
ments.
Lot it be remembered that the delta includes
and embraces the very finest regions Of the cot
ton belt and that cotton is our chief OK port. The
total supply Of this staple produced in 1875 was
near 500. 900 bales, and Of this the United states
produced near 4,OVoOOO bales. Taking advan-
age Of our civil strife. ana the cotton famine it
produced. the English government stimulated
it will grow. But the statistics show that Ameri-
can cotton can he raised cheaper because of the
perfect !. edap,ability OF our soil and climate.
while It's STAPLE IL larger and better for the pur-
poses ot mAg ufacture The crop of cotton since
the war has kept nearly up to the standard OF the
great crop Of lSG0-Gl. which was about as 5000
balos Bot the reason Of this is. in view OF the
fact that so much OF our cotton belt is now idle
that formerly produced the great bulk of the
mt nat rlfs
uplands have turned their attention to the cul-
ture OF cotton who formerly produced none
tho proposed levees, will increase our crop. and
will leave no possible reason for the non produc-
ton OF fOO0oooo bales as easily rs 1000 900 now.
With crops like these tho United States Govern
mont could command the cotton ma ket Of the
world and ENJOY monopoly of its production
ally sum up to hundreds of millions. while her
own Industries would be lnckened and fDstered
by the cheapness and abundance Of supply of
the raw material for manufacture.
with millions OF gold profits on each years
commerce flowing into this country from foreign
trade, there would beno more gold faminos or
gold speculatio or black Fridays. The cur
rency Of tho Government would appreciate to
par with gold, because Of its abundance and be-
cause tlle drain would be toward US rather than
from US. ~ heretofore.
But glance one moment at another great inter-
est. In 1861. Louisia aproducsd AGO. 900 hogs
heads of sugar. Last year tfs75) her crop was
something over 10O. 900 hogsheads. We annually
consume in the United States about 9oO.0O0 tons.
To protect our sugar interests in Louisiana,
duty Is imposed on foreign sugars. which the
consuiners-our own citizens-are obliged at
last to pay. and amounted, in 1878, to about
ss4, 600 ooo o., For the sugar itself imported we
IL uisiaDa produced In 1901, about one
fourth OF tho amount we now consume. But
hen her sugar lands were not developed by
three -fourths: only the lands lying along the
river fronts and upon the bayous were under
cultivation. Developed as tiey eoul Id and would
us from dependence upon foreign sugar. would
save us annually u drain Of from seventy to
eighty millions Of gold. And this sugar inter
est is likely to assume 60 rous shape at no dis
tant day. The island OF Cuba sends US annually
about 100000 tons of the sugar we consume. We
receive small quantity from the Barbados and
Martinique. aud Louisiana supplies the small
remnant Tor our consumption. Sugar is no
longer luxury; it has become necessity
The dissolution Of Spanish power in Cuba
and the emancipation of the slaves are uues-
tons only OF u little time. sugar is raised only
byslaye labor. on that island. The abolition oi
slavery and the slave trade against which the
moral sentiment Of the world is arrayed, would
in short time. in the cour~e Of a few years only
result in the paralysis Of that fertile island as
that unhappy island VIII ch for now more than
six years have convused 1t. the destruction OF
the nost estates, the turning of the attention Of
its planters and laboTors to war and strife have
impaired its production OF sugar already. That
strife will never end except in the Independence
OF the island. and with this Independence will
come emancipation OF the slaves The new re-
lations. then. between the races their difficulty
of adjustment. the lack of Anglo American en-
ergy and wisdom to organize system OF free
labor. the independence Of the ex slave. spring.
ing from his surroundings In a tropic land
washed by the. sea. afrording him a oeaseless
"pp'y the necessity q cohing. all foresbaGow M dow
the total destruction Of the vast sugar
interests Of the island and that she will
cease 10 be its chief exporter. Sucn has been the
history of Hayti San Domingo, and in great
measure with jamaica where there was a
gradual system Of emancipation. whore oil has
been done that British energy, money and civili-
zaton could do 10 inauRurate n good system OF
free labor With Cuban sugar no longer avail
able from whence would come our supply Of
$50 900 tons? Develop the sugar lands Of the
South-2.ooo, 900 acres-in time. and that question
is easily answered.
| subject and report that In their opinion, the
delta OF the Mississ ppi river ought to be re-
claimed They believe that the States Of them
q Ives cannot do this work. and that the Govern
ment can and ought to do it. They submit that
it is national In its character: they submit that
the work can be done legitimately and expressly
under the powers granted TO Congress in the
| Constitution they submit that every eoDBidera-
ton Of . Iitical economy and future power and
| wealth rs nation demand that this great work
be done.
How to accomplish it is the next and only re,
naming question.
| ii will thus be seen that all tho engineers ad-
wise the immediate repairing and rebuilding Of
| the levees OF the Mississippi river. However
widely they may and do differ upon other points
| first and highest importance to rebuild the
| levees. great permanent plan cannot, in tho
| opinion Of your committee. be determined upon
| until after thorough survey OF the Mississippi
river and It's tributaries. and this work Will re-
auire three years for its completion. In tho
| meantime absolute ruin and the loss Of millions
| of dollars threaten the unfortunate dwelers in
| the alluvial region.
The states through their Governors and
! Legislatures, have asked this boon.
The chambers Of commerce and boards Of
| trade ask it.
The threatened and suffering commerce OF the
Mississippi river, amounting annually to untold
/ millions asks it. To free that river you yexed
| its waters with gunboats Jared its banks with
artillery and poured into its breast as ibation
| the blood of thousands OF brave men, Will you
| not now give a few millions to preserve its un-
told usefulness and save its scommerce'
The sufferers Of the overfiowed regions who
we're obliged to eat the bread of charity, from
| their ruined homes and fields ask it.
! YOu gave more than one-thrd the sum we ask
| to be expended in displaying the triumphs Of
| our civilization, and n rejoicing over the one
| hundreth year OF our existence as a govern
| ment Have You treasure to spare To save
the imperled interests and hopes Of tho iairest
| on +, Nnaut norton Of domain and this too.