The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-05
THE ARTERY OF THE mississippi
VALLEY.
st. Louis and View Orleans ~. Chicago
and New York Gathering of the
People OF tse Great valley.

from the Dubuque Iowa. Telegraph
The success of the jetty system for
deepening the Mississippi river has been
so sufficiently demonstrated as to leave
no doubt that by this means the Missis-
sippi river can be used as nature de-
signed it should be, as the great com
mercial artery of the interior OF this
continent. 1t is needless now to specu-
late on the possibility Of utilizing this
great natural artery for commerce, that
point is settled by the practical demon
stration afforded by Capt. Eads' jetties.
But the question in which the people
Of this great valley are now directly in
terested is, what will be the effect on the
prosperity of the Mississippi valley OF
this demonstrated improvement OF the
navigation Of the great river on which
80 much Of man s welfare depends. AS
suming that a clear, free, unObstructed
way is opened TO the great ocean for the
productions Of this valley to find a mar
ket where they may, and the question IS
answered what will the effect be on the
material interests of the people of .his
great valley of the improvement known
as the ietties. The use OF the Mississippi
river secured to commerce by these
ietties ernancipates the people OF the
Mississippi valley from the subsection
they have been in to the artificial means
Of TRANSPORTATION between this valley
and the Atlantic seaboard. There are
no tolls on the Mississippi river, nothing
to pay for the use Of the water on whose
bosom any one may float his craft with
her burden to the ocean. The charges
for the transportation Of products, and
for bringing back the productions Of
other countries can be reduced to a
nominal sum, for invention and enter
prise will now go to work to take the
best advantage Of the open and deep
mouth of the Mississippi secured by the
ietty system The differe nee between
what is paid to railroads for trans
porting the productions OF this valley to
eastern markets, and what these pro-
dqetions can be transported for to the
same markets or others as good, would
make good profit to the producer or
purchaser Of these productions. South
ward, we may say, the course OF com
nerce takes its way. The cities OF st,
Louis and New Orleans will soon hold
the relations to this valley that Chicago
and New York have held for years. This
is as it should be. We have been bound,
iron bound to Chicago and New YORK
and other eastern cities by force OF CIR
cunstances. The opening OF the mouth
Of the Mississippi frees us from this
bondage. and enables US TO put our
selves in commercial relations with our
more naCuraI friends, and to profit once
more by cultivating this natural rela-
tion5hip.
When the jetty system is perfected
and when commerce becomes adapted
to the advantages afforded by this I'M
provement, we venture to predict that
| but little Of the productions Of this
great valley will find their way to a
/ foreign market, or even to an Eastern
| CITY market, except by way Of the open
mouth of the Mississippi river.
/ Rejoice, then, ye sons OF toll IN the
great States bordering on or traverseo
/ by the mighty river. Rejoice, for the
day Of your disenthralEment from cor
porate transportation nonopolies is a
/ hand; and this rejoicing should be made
/ formal, expressive, significant ant
memorable We suggest that it b
made so, and that there be such a gath
ering Of the people Of this valley from
st. Paul to New Orleans to celebrate
this deliverance and to rejoice over th'
prospective good in store for the peopl'
Of this valley, as have never before aa
sembIed in this country, to praise Go'
for the boon Of the great river, and t.
honor those who, enlightened by HI
wisdom, have assisted nature in rlaklni
this river what it IS capable OF belni
for mans prosperity and happiness
and to consult as to how best the I'M
provement Of the river can be utilized