Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-10-05

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their Slauders, aud the cause Of lawless.
ness existing in some of our counties
traceable to its proper source.
The Mississippi River LeVees.
Those who read the Cincinnati Com
merciSl cannot fail to observe the fire.
Quent and severe editorials against the
South generally, aud the expected Ma
tioual aid to the Mississippi levees in
particular, These articles are not true
when proofs are alluded to, and the
suppression Of faclS 10 as great de.
pArture from truth as the false state
ments. The editor certainly fears
some favorable action BY Congress, or
his attacks would not be 90 constant at
the preSeut time.
The following allusion to q fact may
be taken 90 one Of q great number, and
not the most erroneous at that. He
says in substance that the proposed
levees are to be erected one or two
miles from the river, and leave out a
great part Of the most valuable land
which ought to be protected. Locating
the levees 30 far from the water Is done
to have them out of the reach of caving
banks, to give a wider channel aud
more direct rosie to the river in high
water. That the loss Of land thus left
outside Of the levees bears any equal
proportion to that which will be re.
claimed, Is not true. The impression
10 intended to be produced that the
Mississippi Valley is narrow stI ip oI
land along the river banks, of which
one or two miles would be the greater
part, aud the other not worth the out
lay which Congress iS expected 10 make.
On the contrary, the Mississippi VAL
ley includes from twenty to fifty miles
in breadth Of lands, the most fertile in
the world, with navigable rivers rum
ming through them and having many
lakes aud bAyous, and when pro.
tected may become the homo OF
prosperous millions OF citizens. This
much needed National work was pro.
vided for in a bill which passed one
house OF Congress and was lost in the
other by the momentary absence OIL
two Senators who were In favor Of the
bill. BY that bill five hundred thou
saud dollars we're appropriated TO Mis-
sissippi. This would be about twelve
thousand dollars per township, or sil
miles front on the over. There is al
average six townships at right angles
east from the river back to the Talla
hatchie and Yazoo hills, containing
more than one hundred thousand acres
all protected by the six miles levee Of
front, whilst the loss by leaving outside
OF the levee, Of two miles, would b.
less than four thousand acres. This 1
true Of every other six miles front will
one hundred thousand acres back, OF
both sides of the river for the whole
line OF levee included In the bill be
fore Congress.
The Importance OF the subject ma!
Justify further representations by nj
means irrelevant. The report Of th,
Levee Commission, made q few year
ago, was doubtless exhaustive upon th,
subject, but portion Of 1t has had
damaging effect upon the public mind
that is the enormous estimate made b.
them OF the cost to make such leVeeG
and other works as they supposed
would be commenced. This repor
may not have been intended to defes
the whole measure, but the elfec
has been q heavy weight againn
; any reasonable appropriation. TIL
committee name nearly fifty mlllionr
of dollars as the sum required to carr,
! out the plan suggested by them, willis
: One-tenth Of that cum With local taxa
T ton allowed by the landowners and Il
: be continued ct Q reduced per cent, vii
t accomplish ell that may perhaps be re
\ quired, for Mississippi ct least.
0 The tone Of the Commercial iS bu
the utteranCe Of an unhappy an'
0 unkind feeling among our NOrtherl
9 fellow.cltlzenS which may never b
t ended. The South With them has Iev
. rights to National loans or allowance