New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-27
NO LEVEE NO RAILROAD, no JETTv
DREDGE Or CANAL.

Oh1OOb Vh VAN al
| The rabid hostility of the Southern De-
mocracy to the constitutional amendment
has committed them to the support Of mel
and doctrines perfectly fatal to tae f1tur
commerce and agriculture Of louisiana
Senator Salisbury has just made
speech IN which he throws the whole re
spoas:bi!ty for the expenditures OF 'ea
past fifteen years upon the Republlca,
party. Among other Questionable act
be charges that party with a system 0
national improvements, and demands tina
the party shall be cas-. ous OF power TO-
that cause among others
The Senator represents, il part, tx
little principally of Delaware. Hs ha'
Just constituents enough for couple o
electoral votes. The area of his State is no
halt that OF either one of several parishes il
! Louisiana. Yet, with a little more than one
! three-hun 1redth part OF the numerical
power of the nation, himself and CO..
league cast vote equallng Que thirty
eighth Of the Senatorial power. This Sen
| ator is Democrat of the Old school III
| takes a ground which would efec-uaily
cut Of tle principal appropriation asked
for By the Louisiana Democrats. II the
| debate upon the Senate amendment;
upon the river and harbor bill, Mr.. SANS
bury lays down this principle, The
bill
Proposes to appropriate money TO the I'M
provemeat of rivers and har5ars Of national
importance. appropriations necessary and
proper for the protection and benefit Of the
general commerce of the whole county
aud. II 60 far as thu bill proposes 70 make
appropriations to objects OF that character
it is in harmony with the usages OF tia gov
eminent, l believe, from the foundation Of
the republic, and l have no objection to
make therefore. to that portion OF the bill.
He is clearly Of opinion
That the appropriation OF moneys out of
the treasury for the purpose Of originating
na 7lgarion where none existed is unauthoc.
lied by the provision OF the constitution
giving to Congress the power to regulate
commerce, or by any other provision o. olat
instrument, Il We go into that kind Of i'm
provement by the general government,
where will by your limit
And he gives the example Of an uncon-
stitutional improvement.
If. for instance, Congress may take a
stream. whether in North Carolina or Wes-
Virginia, or Mlssou or Delaware or any,
where else. upon which the g is no com
meroe. which is not naVi gabie. which con
tains Instructions that have up to the pres
ent time detied the ingenuity OF man TO
overcome, and attempt to make it nav;-a-
ole AMI set cOnmarce upon IL, where is the
limit to IFS power
But he makes the proposition even
more ultra:
II, say, the Federal government may,
out OF the public TREASURY, 60 into any Of
these States and clean out rivers. dig out
channels. in other words, make mere
branches and streams which are not naviy-
able highways for commerce where is the
limit to the power of the general govern
men' N that behalf l. you can make an
artificial highway in the bad Of rivu.et
merely because there is water passing down
Il, may you not cut a canal across any e.s-
waited portion of your country, Nav you
not connect the waters Of the Pacific and
the Atlantic by canal, and make higa-
way for commerce where none exists
We beg Hon Mr.. Gibson and his col.
leagues to consider this doctrine in al It's
The government can not
lawfully improve a stream which "con-
tains distractions that have, up to the
present time, deied the ingenuity OF man
% overcome This vii. be very bad
news for the Mississippi. That stream
contains Ell obstructive bar, which has not
been removed up to the present time. TIE
government has oonditIoua!iy given Nr.
1ads large SUN il he viii dig out
,haunsl il mere branch, wh;cu Is not
| navigabie highway for commerce. 4
ill passed the lower house two sessions
go granting an appropriation Of eight !
million dollars for the construction Of a
hip canal. Captain Cowdon, OF Mem
'his, has just presented memoir in favor |
# ship canal from the Mississippi to |
>arataria. Now, as these works would |
ave the effect of "originating navigation
There Eone existed, they would incur
he opposition of Mr. Salisbury. If that
be called on to vote the jetty
money, or to continue the dredging he
ould not with any regard fo- his own
principles, givs dollar
The Mississippi river, never having had
daquate natural navigation, aust remain
losed to commerce. Indeed this doc.
rine amounts to Just this: If highway
e fit for commerce it needs no aid. If
be not the Federal government has no
1thority to remove the natural obstacles
The Democrats o. Louisiana will find
lat this doctrine will arres. all further
improvements to navigation. II it had
cen inforcsd within the past twenty
ears there would have been no Pacific
lilroad, nor would many important lake
I'd river Improvements have been made.