The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-10-10
MONROE, LOUISIANA, FRIDAY. OCTOBER 10, 1879

MONROE, LOUlSlANA
mates as will correct, permanently To-
cate, and deepen the channel and pro-
tect the banks OF the Mississippi river;
improve aud give safety and ease to
the navigation thereof; prevent destruc-
tive floods; promote and facilitate COM
merce, trade, and the postal service;
and when so prepared and matured, to
submit to the Secretary of War a full
and detailed report of your proceedings
! and actions. and of such plans, with
estimates of the cost thereof, for the
purposes aforesaid, to be by him trans
mitted to Congress"
need not remind you, Mr.. Presi-
dent, and gentlemen of the commits
sion, that the work outlined in these
bare legislative phrases, that I have
quoted, is one of the most stupendous
tasks ever allotted to human genius to
perform. For my part contemplate
| this whole subject, from the concep-
grasp of its colossal objects, in the
mind of my learned colleague, Mr..
Gibson, who framed the biI1-and,
from its progress through, the vigor
and skill of my distinguished colleague,
Mr.. Robertson-Who contributed large.
ly to its formation, and, as Chairman
of the Committee on the Mississippi
river, pressed 1t to its final passage
to the picture of what is before you in
the way of ofinvestigation and execution,
with feelings most profound. We have
for encouragement and assurance, how
ever, the examples in Europe, where
similar work upon the great streams of
that continent has resulted in more
than the anticipated success.
The history of mankind is full of
great undertakings and vast accom-
plishments. The treasures of Time
are crowded with monuments of hu-
man skill and industry, art and genius.
The ruined wonders of the old world
and the living wonders of the new con-
front us in the pyramids of Egypt and
the speaking stones of Mesopotamia on
the one hand, and the cables of the
Atlantic, the Suez Canal and the Pa
cific Railroad on the other. But never
before in history has man, either indi-
vidually, in the person of a monarch,
or collectively, in the corporation of
self-government, grappled with so
mighty, so broad, so deep or so diff
cult task as that entailed upon you,
as the agents of the United States,
when placed in charge of the mightiest
and most intractablc flood that courses
on this planet.
1t is truly the work of lifetime, nay,
it is the work of centuries; for though
you may, and trust you will, all live
to see the task mastered and the labor
performed, the work itself will endure
for ages-will become ninth wonder
of the world, and will teach the gener-
ations of the future what enterprise,
what courage, and what skill were in
the hearts and brains of the men of the
nineteenth century. I would, for all
the needs of Immortality, rather have
been a member of the Commission that
subdued the Mississippi river than
chief of the armed power that conquered
British India; rather have conceived
the design embodied in the law under
which you act, than to have planned
the victory of Waterloo.
Let me again assure you that my
object in indulging in these reflections
is not that of impressing you with a
sense of your responsibilities, for that
feel to be unnecessary; already you
realize it. My sole design is that of
testifying my own appreciation, and,
representatively, to that of my peoples,
the Importance of your services, the
difficulties Of your task and the full
AAAOoouAS VI AO"NAu Wh1SA "AA VIC youl
due in the event of success.
Your duties as enumerated by the
law are three-fold
First. To deepen the channel, and
protect the banks of the river.
Second. To prevent destructive floods.
Third. To promote and facilitate
trade and the postal service.
The first of these duties relates to the
and use of the river as
highway, and thus touches equally the
interests of every State, county, town
and citizen in the valley, or within
reach Of the river or its
The second relates primarily to the
defense or reclamation of the lands |
now waste, in the particular section
which have the honor to represent.
While the third refers to commerce
and industry at large, and affects more |
or less the entire civilized world.
By the successful discharge of the
first duty you will largely enhance the
facilities of a traffic which directly en-
cages the industry of more than twenty !
millions of people who inhabit the
Valley proper-a traffic in |
all the necessities and most of the lux