Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-09-28

.Uu OGtuHek AAta tas@a 80 A-Atmu W
al 81, Panl, Minnesosa, e Convention
Of representative men of the Mlssisdp
hi valley % consider the subject D
river impr0vemeni. The call, issued
! bv ne 81 Paul Chamber Of Commerce
shows that Minnesota, Iowa, Illin0ls
Wisconsin and Missouri produce l60,'
100000 bushels Of wheat, which natnr'
ally seeks Q cheap water outlet 70 tht
world by the Mississippi river, and thai
the poverty OF water in the channel
forces the exporters to submit to the
extortionate demands Of the railroad
men. The entire appropriation for the
Improvement of the upper Mississippi
below 81 Paul does not exceed $4,000,
which iS, OF course, entirely insufficient
10 remove the obstacles TO navigation.
The people Of the upper Mississippi
Valley have reason to complain Of the
situation. Some millions have been
appropriated TO make the insignificant
Fox river In Wisconsin q naVigable
stream for the benefit of q few sharp
individuals, while the main artery Of
commerce has been treated to driblet
Of $4,000. II 10 likely that the st.
Paul Convention will be largely At
tended, and 1t ought to be. The Con-
gresaional Representatives OF the States
named haYe given their attention TOO
much to the Interests of the railroads,
and the disposition now is to bring q
pressure to bear upon them to study
more closely the interests Of their con-
slituents.
The grievances Of the upper Missis'
sippi valley people, however, do not
exceed those Of the people Of the low
or valley. A vast amount Of rich ag-
ricultural territory, from Cape Girar.
deau, No., to the Gulf, on both sides
of the Mississippi river, is dependent
upon general and systematic levseing
to enable the occupants 10 plant and
contribute to the wealth Of the entire
country. According to the reports Of
Generals Humphreys and Abbott, the
rectifcation OF the river banks would
cost S30O0Q000. This would place the
required breast.work between the
planters and the foods. The Wash
ington correspondent Of the New York
Herald says Of Gen. Humphreys es'
| innate:
WThls is q considerable sum OF money;
but Southern men assert that the Govern
ment would recover 1t in q few years IN
the increased value OF Government lands
still held there, while they say, on the
other hand, that II would establish on
firm foundation the prosperity OF very
great and naturally very rich region, and
would enormously increase the produc.
ton OF cotton, sugar and rice, and thus add
70 the general wealth Of the country. They
say that the States along the river banks
can not do the work; that the region has
outgr0wn the old patchwork system; that
II is useless to make small appropriations
to repair creVasses; that whatever is now
done should be under the control OF emil
nent Government engineers, such as Gen.
Federal Government, and on seien'
tihcally correct principles. When Con,
gress meets, Southern men viii
strongly urge the advisability Of such {
great and Comprehensive improveme nj
and the arguments for Il above stated hav'
already been presented 10 the President
: who is understood 10 take the ground tina
while be is totally and earnestly opposed
to such internal Improvement schemes a.
AANEE Auu AAA GWA NAAAAgAll VIEWS
is made up BY giving every member any
Senator q slice, k0 would favor some greai
and needed measure, such as this plan iol
a scientific leveeipg Of the Mississippi Il
repreBented TO be, He has not committed
himself to this plan, but tits believedtron
what he has said that while he would vet
one Of the old.fashi0ned river and harbo
Steals, he would consider iavorably
needed Improvement Ike the one IN ques
|, tlon."
In referring to this national woIl
(for It lei national work), many North
eFn journals characterize II as "a raiI
on the Treasury" etc., while they con
slider the improvement OF the misera
BILE little Fox river, in Wisconsin, ol
: which millions have been squandered
very laudable enterprise. 1t is
, plain proposition, however, thai II II I
essential to the prosperity Of the peopl
on the upper Mississippi to have Q per
: manent five.foot stage of water 10 81
!. Louis, 10 take their wheat to market,
II equally important that the people o
. the lower valley, who furnish million
Of trade to the country at large, shoull
be secured in the possession Of thei
r lands from the Overwhelming floods
4 that they may continue to be factors Q
the general prosperity.
As long as the Mississippi river
called q national highway Il iS the dut
: of the General Government 10 see tbs
!, It is kept such, and part Of that dut
Is, logically, to keep the river With
banks and prevent the vast destruction
Of valuable property which occur
a from time to time through crevaSSeI
r To leave such work to individuals 0
/. to counties, through which medium
cannot be properly or effectively don't
: IL & palpable injustice. tits an amusin
: argument Of the opponents of th
levees that the river needs no sue
I work, because the crevasses carry o.
the surplus water. These gentleme
would not probably care to own Ian
: In the vicinity of crevasss, however
: They should study the nature Of ere
vases 9 little more closely.