The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-18

sippi would protect interests and industries
equally amounting to hundreds of millions Of
| capital Invested Industries and interests
| which cannot protect themselves, but which.
without the intervention pf this government
will ba forever exposed to ruin and oven ami
| hiation 7 have already given Mr. Presi-
| dent a general statement II the extent and
value Of the improved lands and the amount
and value Of the products Of those lands in
the regions subject to overflow below the
mouth IF the Arkansas I shall supplement-
this by general view Of the vast results
which would spring from the adoption end
completion OF uniform system If efficient
lpynoa from the mouth Of the Ohio to the
nnighbnrhond " The sea For this purpose
shall adopt the language Of the report Of
Humphreys and Abbott
u may be we'll tn exhibit, In connection with
this auproximnte estimate of tbs cost 81 evee-
ing the alluyial region, the extent aud probable
value 81 the lands which, thus protected from
overflow viii hA rendered availahla FIR auiva
ton. The area of those landa from Caps Grar
leHu 10 Red river Is 10 $50 square nilos Il may
be assumed that half Of this area viii be
rendered onltiyable. aud rs ts value per mere
tn7y be set down ai t25, tho total win amount
- tlGlm",g@ The area ~ the aluvial land
under cultivation hapw the mouth of Red river
is not lpeE than Ur0 900 acres which nj 500 per
givgs 500 900 900 FOR the value Of The plantations
~ fbat sactton making total ot $3.50 nab HGp ftI
tho land thnt VIII ha rendered perpafually nul
tiygbln hy the expenditure If sl7 100 900 There
Il another aspect under which this part Of the
subject mny he presented. The number of arres
thus protected IL 600 0oo, Each acre If alluva
land will produce Que bale of cotton, worth on
tho average st5. We thus have for the value If
tho annual product ~ the alluviai lands slt5-
o7o0oo The loss In the Teusas bottom from the
Hood pf 1850 furnishes nm Instance of the in
lurl"s resulting from inHnda'i ion. II was psti
mated that the loss thus oe3 lsioned exceeded
s. 0ot.G00.
The eminent authors Of the report have IN
derstated the results inra,Isp they have nrni IT.
tod from their palglIlntiDn the yvnctn lunIc
which. by an efficient levee system. would be
reclaimed below Red river These would
exceed IN area the lands actually improved
Leaving this out IF view, however. 10 will be
soon that the effect IF this great national
work will be to protect an American industry
which would very soon amount to an annual
product Of s3t5, 900 OOn and which would sus-
tain itsnlf without bounties, without ~ cor
slant drain on other interests. and Mt tho cost
only Of the small annual expense Of Keeping
tho levees in repair by it's peculiar, ma y
say Its marvellous adaptation To the soil and
tho climate Of that region When we
shall have protected this vast industry by
fulfilling our national obligations and as
Stunning our national responsibilities
when We shall have fulfilled the Just eypecta-
lions 50 long disappointed and the reasonable
hopes so long delayed, when we shall have
done what justice and reason and morality
md law alike require that we should do t.
develop the Immense resources Of that region
too long forgotten and neglected when we
sball have converted this wilderness IF waters
into arabic and cultivated fields and assured
prosperity and happiness to tho people who
inhahit them then and not till then shall wa
have discharged or duty; then. and not iii
then, shall we have completed our task and
fulfilled the prophecy Of Jefferson by ex
tending tho blessings 1T equal laws t. all
portions of our common country; then and
not I'll then, shall we have surpassed 'the
glory that was Greece, the grandeur that was
Rome