Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-05-29
The mississippi River.


At last the transcendent import
ance of the Mississippi river as a
national highway is beginning to
receive due recognition. The per-
feet success of the jetties has, doubt
less, had much to do with this most
salutary change in public opinion.
The Mississippi had always been an
unsurpassed highway for the trans
portation of goods from the interior
TO this port; but the bar excluded
the great merchant fleets of the
world from our harbOr as effectualiy
as the most formidable forts and
iron-clads could have done. Now
all that has been changed, and the
largest ships afloat can cross the bar
without a moments detention.
We believe, however, that the
more favorable hearing now accord
ed to the interests of the Mississippi
Valley is, in a large measure, due
to the fact that partinanship is less
rampant in American politics than
it has hitherto been. The American
people are now attentively cOnsid-
ering the development of their ma
terial interests, and all plans tending
to accomplish that supreme end
will hencefOrth receive the careful
study which they have always de-
served.
The Mississippi is, in every sense,
national stream; the federal gov
evernment acquired the greater part
of the territory along its banks by
direct purchase, and fought the
greatest civil war in history in or
der that the father of waters might
90 unveXed to the sea. Millions OF
dollars have been spent, and we'll
spent, in the improvement of north
ern and eastern harbors; and moth
ing but the triumph of sectional
partisans can prevent the extension
of this wise policy to the Mississip-
pi Valley, which is rapidly becom
ing the center of population and in
dustry. 1t is evident that in the
improvement of the Mississippi,
two all-impOrtant ends are to be at
tanned: The improvement of navi-
cation and the protection of the
alluvial lands from overflow. Even
if these ends were antagonistic,t they
would be worthy of study; but the
best engineers now hold that both
problems may be solved at once.
The importance of the Mississippi
as a highway of commerce will be
understood from the simple fact
that its trade annually exceeds the
entire foreign trade of the United
States. AS Mr.. Gibson, the bril-
liant and persistent advocate of the
claims of the great river, has well
said: "The river itself furnishes the
propelling power to every keel
launched upon it. Not a single
man-Of-war, not a sailor or soldier,
is required to protect the flag as
upon the ocean, from the head
waters to its mouth. The vast trade
and commerce of the Mississippi
Valley would be our reliance in war
as in peace, beyond the reach OF
any enemy, and taxing the people
of the country not dollar to pro
tect it,"
Whoever is acquainted with the
delta, which is now annually inn
perilled by floods, know that it con-
tains vast mines of wealth as yet
untouched by man. On this point,
General Abbot, of the United States
Engineers, says with conclusive
force: '"The total area of the bot
tom lands is about thirty-twO
thousand square miles, of which a
mere narrow strip along the main
stream, and its principal tributaries
and bayous, has been heretofore
open to cultivation. Protected
against the river and properly
drained, this would render availa-
BILE at least 2,500,00 acres of sugar
land, or more than double the
amount heretofore planted about
7,000,000 acres of the best cotton
land in the world, capable of yield
ing a bale to the acre and not less
than l 900 acres of corn land of I'M
surpassed and ineXhaustible fertili-
ty."
Several years ago the leading en-
gineers of the army reported that a
perfect system of levees would at
once deepen the channel and pro-
tect the alluvial lands. The COM
mission appointed by virtue of an
act of congress has arrived at the
same conclusion. 1t is now high
time that this thorough and patient
investigation should bear its fruit
in the shape of legislative action.
The states have neither the means
nor the power to maintain an eff
ticient system of levees. The all
powerful aid of the general govern
nent is required. The apprOpria-
ton of $1,000, 900 recommended by
the Mississippi River Commission
would accomplish incalculable
good. The nation at large would
derive many millions of revenue
for every million expended. True
economy looks to the possibilities
of the future. A broad and liberal
policy is alone worthy of this great
nation.
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