National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-30

cot vi plunutIs
There is likely to be a change in the tactics
OF the Southern members of Congress who wish !
to have something done to reclaim and protect
the alluvial lands of the Mississippi and its
tributaries.
The plan suggested Is that the Southern men |
shall oppose every appropriation for the benefit |
of Northern and Western States until some
thing is done for the lovees.
There are ninety.two Southern members In |
the House Democratic caucus of 1 Il members. |
If they will stick together they can control the |
caucus and defeat every Western aud North |
crn appropriation rs 1t is made.
New York wants q million or two TO CONF
pctc her harbors; Connecticut Is asking for a |
large amount TO improve the harbor of New |
Haven; Chicago Is yelling for money to make |
some new Improvements in the harbor there
Cleveland, Buffalo, Milwaukee. Sandusly, De.
troit, aud all the rest want appropriations
The Southern plan is therefore, to hlandly
say to the able members who want the appro.
prations mentioned " Certainly, gentlemen
but we want this levee bill first, and we mean
to vote Squarely against anything iora any other
section until we get it. We regret very MUCH
that we have to take such a course to obtain
what wo are entitled to, but there seems to be
no other way, We have tried arguments, but
they do no good. When we ask you to help
us, you and your newspapers call our respect
able eutrcaties for some assistance to keep the
ern job. Therefore, we have determined to
vote steadily against every appropriation you
ask, no matter for what purpose, until you
give MS the very reasonable relief we so much
nped."
There is but little doubt that this plan would
be most ofIectual if put into operation.
1t was originally suggested by General
CHALMERS of Mississippi last session. but
some of the weaker kind Of the Southern
members thought IL looked y little too much
like coercion
81 don't care what it looks like said
CHtLMERs; | am getting out of patience
with this milk and-water policy. |. for one,
have come here to help my constituents, and
will be blessed IL don't intend tn do it in
some way continued the gallant commander
of the first division of FORESTS cavalry corps
in the late war.
General GIBSON iavors somc such PLAN also,
and il is believed that IL can bo made to work,
especially as more than half the Southern
members express themselves in strong ap.
proval in private conversation. II they will
only stand up to it IN caucus It will be easily
carried
This presents Il deep-laid scheme for tax
ing the people of the United States "to re-
claim the alluvial lands of the Mississippi
These lands that lie in anxious waiting to
be reclaimed and made arabic and produc-
| tive to the Southern farmer, or planter"
as they dignity themselves, extend for hum
dreds of miles along the banks Of the Mis-
sissippi River. Much of this territory, if
our recollection is accurate, is gift of the
United States TO the States in which they
lie. and having thus, without cost, procured
possession of the territory, the modest
demand is made that the giver
shall now stand the expense of retaining
them and bringing them into state of pro-
ductiveness. The idea of improving the
tributing to the commercial Importance of
| that great water course seems to have been
entirely abandoned, and for the reason, we
suppose, that the plan OF accomplishing that
end through the leyee system is shown by
eminent and well-balanced minds to be pre-
posterous. The levee system does not ad-
vance the interests Of navigation, while il
will reclaim the lands that skirt the river
banks and mako them valuable to their
owners. The brazcn boldness of such &
proposition is without parallel in all thu
network of plunder that has been invented
to dcprcdate upon the National Treasury
The public money to be devoted to pryat,
purposes and for private benefit! A schem,
that finds its parallel in the deprcdations o
the highwayman.
The bravado put on by the Souhrons n;
, shadowed in the correspondence which ",
, have published, is for purpose. 1t seeks
through the blustCr of such men as CHAI
, MERs aud GIBSON, to intimidate tho NOrtI
q into an acquiescence in their schemes unde
e the menace that no appropriation will h
made in the interests of Northern com
mcrce in the way Of appropriations for han
Dor improvements in New York, Connect
cut Ohio, Pennsylvania. Michigan, Illinois
. or Wisconsin, unless an appropriation
r made for the purpose of reclaiming and pre-
n tecting the alluvial plantations of the Mi,
sissipp Valley. This is the issue presented
and we are gratiiied that it has been mad
q in the Opirt that peryades the case. In tll
traverse of this issue the South will fin
o that il gains nothing by this menace Of It
. venge. Whatever is needed for the prOteC
Il, tiOn and promotion of Northern, Western
n or even Southern commerce will be st
cured by the action of Congress i
d. spite OF the vcngeful hates of tn
plotters for plumber and personal adyan
!, tage. These appropriations will be secure'
. too, without granting Others that merel
:; look to the reclaiming and protection Of til
: alluvial plantations of men who would hav
. destroyed the Government il they coult
!, and who now defy its authority, and rob
>; class of its citizens of their inalienab
i rights Then, again, only the Mississippi
:: States are directly interested in this gran
:; steal. Neither Kentucky, North nor Sout
. Carolina, Georgia, Florida, nor Virginia al
- interested in these alluyial recaiming au
r, conserving schemes of plundeT and share !
Q, part in the incentives which prompt then
- 1t will in no degree advance their interes
to have millions upon millions Of the nj
II tiOnal treasure poured into the laps of Il
:. Mississippi cottOn-grOwers to enable them
. increase the area of their crops The thin
n is so absurd that il brings its own antidot
10 There are plans for improving the col
g. mercial interests Of the Mississippi viii,
d. do not partake 50 widely Of the spirit
plunder as marks the leyee scheme al