The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-03-25
Correspondence of the News,
WASHINGTON LETTER.

!
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, March 13, 1880.
The visit of De Lesseps and his
appearance with Captain Eads before
the Committee of the Senate concern
ing the Isthmian Canal, has made
that the leading topic here this week.
| Since the President transmitted to
Congress the papers prepared by
Secretary Evarts our position relative
TO the Monroe Doctrine is better un-
derstood. There seems to be no
! difference of views on this subject
between the President and Congress.
| The House at least is in full accord
with the Executive on that subject,
and I think the Senate will ultimately
occupy the same position. Ifa canal
is to be constructed it must be under
American control. On Wednesday
both the Frenchman and Captain
Eads were before the Committee,
and each explained, as fully as time
would allow, his peculiar plan.
That Of De Lesseps is pretty well
understood by everybody now. His
theory is that the waters of the Pa
cifc and of the Caribbean Sea are at
the same height, and he proposes to
cut a sea-level canal from ocean to
ocean, boring an immense tunnel
through the mountain range which
forms the backbone of the Isthmus.
He follows the route of the Panama
Railroad, a fact which, of course.
puts all the influence of that power
full corporation against him and his
project. Captain Eads' proposition
is for the construction of a great
ship railway, with lifting dock at
either end, which, he claims, can be
located in any place practicable for a
canal, and in some places where a
canal whuld be.entirely impracticable
and impossible He says he has
thoroughly investigated the subject,
and that he can build a ship railway
for from one-half to one-fourth the
cost of a ship canal, and complete it
in one-half the time it would take to
construct the waterway. He further
claims that his railway would be ca
pable of a much greater service to
commerce than a canal would or
could be, from the fact that it would
save much time, as it would be able
to take a ship across the Isthmus in
one-third the time the water way
would occupy. In the latter the
movement of a large vessel would
necessarily be sloW-not more than
three or four miles an hour, or about
the speed of an ordinary canal boat
while by the railway Captain Eads is
confident of attaining a speed of
twelve miles an hour. He talks like
a man of business, and manifests the
utmost confidence in his theory and
plan, and he was listened to with
respect which grows out of the sue
cess he has had with the Mississippi
river ietties. The Captain and Count
de Lesseps met in the Committee
room, were introduced, and passed
the usual compliments. They treated
each other with the greatest defer
ence and consideration, The route
rights under which De Lesseps is
working are a concession made by
the Colombian government to Lieut..
Wise, of the French navy, some years
ago. which have been by him con
yeved to NJ. de Lesseps. In his re
marks before the Committee, and in
answer to questions, the Count con
ceded the right, justice and good |
policy Of the United States to claim
control of the work; in short, he i
stands confessed a pronounced Mon |
roe doctrine man, and I predict that
unless an association of American
capitalists is at once formed to go to
work on the Eads plan the French
man will build his canal. He has
broken ground already, and there is
little reason to question his ability to
get all the money he wants for it in
the markets of the world.
The frequent attempts of female
schemers to blackmail our public
men has produced a feeling among |
them that more stringent law Is
necessary to punish such crimes
Accordingly, Mr.. Covert, of New
York, the other day introduced a bill
on the subject, which was sent t.
the judiciary committee. 1t provid,
that "any person who shall Orally-ol
by written or printed communication,
threaten to accuse another of any
offense against the laws Of the United
States, or of any State, or of any act
involving moral turpitude, with in
tent to thereby extort money, prop
erty, or other pecuniary benefit
whatever, shall, upon conviction, be
to suffer Imprisonment in
the penitentiary for a term Of not
less than one nor more than ten
years" The law ought to go a step
further and decree adequate punish
ment to the shystering lawyers who
are hand and glove with the scarlet
in getting up these annoy
ing and disgraceful schemes.
The Democrats are getting very
tired of the Fitz John Porter case
and seem to be seeking a pigeon
hole in which to bury it. The dis
has not taken a turn to their
liking, and a motion has been mado
in the Senate to refer to the Judicia-
ry committee for a report upon the
legal questions involved. But if it
we're referred it would not be heard
from again this session. The Repub-
icans in both houses stand in solid
ranks against the bill, because they
believe that the original court
martial was Just, and that to restore
Porter, even if Congress had the
oovvny. yUOuI6 g,estOrn an officer cor