The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-01-29

agains- he great foods of the Mississippi
River, and mat the general welfare would
be prom I'd Nv rofecti = and increa-ir =
crops - hich have turned the balance Of
trade IN cur favor. And we can make
the claim all the more confidently beraGse
under this or some other power. or all the
powers granted in the Constitution com :
bined. the General Governine Il has alreaGy
established Il e pTeeet e1t IF or iuting q L.
the building OF levers. IuirfN ears ago 1t
donated lands for this purpose, and II II
had the coH-iitu ionaI power T. give lands
I IL has tie pow eT t. z mon ~. 1t hes
time and gain orlere.l surveys o. tae liver
{ be made, at considerable expose, tor The
express purpose 81 GeieFullaiHg Tie best
meth d aud the cos . protecting the alu-
vial land. Thee REPORTS arr AL now in.
sbnWiu z that fhe l,Yer system j. the best
method aud that the cost OF rep uriug the
leveeS DOW standing i precisely lie sum
whicH his bill asks e. b. appropriate
To hesitate now 10 adopt The recommen-
datiOnS OF the ENGINEER upon tie ground
that there y no authority Tor ma iag the
appropriation j. ceusure aud reputation
al ali the various acts OF leg.sa-i,n which
Or'icrcd these reports. NeIOoh next u tiI'
power hich tire Government has. arising
out OF it, exclusive jurisdiction over fhe
waters Of the VI s,IpPi yer We de- not
assent To the q. ctrihe TIA the Govern mt
Possess ANY peculiar rights over the VI isis
River by reason Of the fact that We acqIir-
I'd portion OF IL by purchase.
The and aUjac, mt were purchased AZ the
same time and iu the same manner "a the
water, AID yet tHe States II p>t quenfk or
gained oUt OF this territory acquired the
same right of eminent domain that belongs
10 any State OF the UniJH. Tho riparian
proprietor> in Arkansas aud Louisiana
have the same fgI-s over tie II>>5ssIPpf
River as those iu Ken 'uchy and Indiana
have over the ONO. But tie Supreme
Court 9th Uuitct States. after "a contest
over the -ubiec- tor MANY years, has deter
mined that The Uuit.d States, through its
district courts. ha- exclusive jur.~d elton
over al tha uaVigable waters 81 Tie l aion.
TIE states OF Mississippi aud Louisiana
Therefore find themselves in tui~ condition
\ tier spending every dollar they could tax
from their people or borr, " from others to
repair their leVeeS, and after hay ng pass /
stringent laws 10 prevent their own peop5-
from riding or driving on them, lest IN
Jiue OF IA gh water the Jar thus pro iuced
might create a crevasse, they have One
times been compelled To see their levees (
broken by the landing OF some steam boat /
against them when The water was nearly (
level with the tip, or by he paddle wheels /
ct some great steam Ia ntd-river, and /
witness the destruc ion OF their property I
AS the waters poured over il. Bat the 1
states have 40 right To project themselves /
against THESE i jJrieS, be-tI> they cannot /
Interfere with tue commerce Of the Union. (
y gain, IT. is the belief OF many hat the /
& tearing up OF the new States oH the head /
waters OF thc Mississippi nave preCiplfatad /
the Hoods Wi II more violence on tie cOun-
try below; and while the states below /
~ oud not desire to prevent this, 1t affords L
them Just ground Tor demanding relief from |
he strong hand OF the Union Again, any I
State may erect perfect ieveeS ai~ng its /
" hole river front aud still be sub
i.cted TO iuunda-ion through another /
State. Arkansas may be oyerh we'd I
through VI sSouri. Mississippi through /
Tennessee, and Louisiana throagh Ar I
kansas; aud. hIie HeIihrr can protect IL /
self, they cannot combine Tor their mutual I
pro- ection, because tuis Is forbidden by the 4
Constitution.
The General Government alone has the
power TO do this; it has the means to give (
protection, and it has eXclus We jurisdiction Il
over the Mississippi and its tributaries and /
gen lemen should rem Der thaC every
power ca ries ~ ith II a cOrGesp Oudiug duty- (
The duty i" this case Is that the United 4
States Govern ment should 20 use lis proper /
~ in this river a. NOT o Injure the property /
Of others. Il has exclusive control over this /
reYer, and should 50 control il rs not 10 4
permit it TO deluge the riparian owners. Il /
has eXciuSIV power 10 re4ultfe the com /
mercr 81 the Mississippi River, and il should /
30 regulate it that lis wheel shall not des-
troy millions of agricultural wealth Ii ina, ,
exclusive power TO establish POSSIBILITIES aud /
poet-routes on the Mis>is -is~ippi River, !
ana II should establish them mat /
the mail can be delivered thr inhabitants /
on it, bank; it not III their doprstcps, wncre /
from the hands Of carriers. At least 10 men I
on dry ground, and no. To ratrSmen floating /
on the water. The Government collects /
revenue auG gives protection 70 iron and /
manu- features; let IL deepen the channel of /
the Mississippi River, by wiug-ddms in /
low water and levres IN high ,ater, and I
thus improve iJS com aerce and navig ttIDn /
aid Al the same tima give Incidental pro /
lection 80 the great su2t dud cotton pro- /
lucing Industries in It's valley.
The Government, by long line of pre-
,edents has built Dreakwaters To protect .
>ea-cOa>t cities from the iuroadS of the /
ocean. Let it build breakwaters 70 protect |
The riparian owners OF the L. vcr Missis- /
,jppi from what Mr. Calhoun called 81 .
great inland sea- whose waters have built /
up an empire which its floods threaten 10 /
destroy.
If gentlemen will look to any one OF /
-hese powers, it ought to b sufficient To /
Sal isfy the conscience of the most obdurate /
politician. Democrat or Republican, whose .
political lite has deD-nded on a war against I
subsidies; aad when we look 10 all com
Diued, it ought 70 De- stuff lent % overcome .
the conscientious scruples aBd soften even /
H. hard-hearEed souls ofthe Committee on /
appropriations.