National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-29
THE INTERocEANIc CANAL.
Reflections Upon 4Iae Importance Of q Coz
meeting Link Between the Two Oceans.

| As the newspapers of nearly all civilized nations
are at present agitating the question of an inter
oceanic canal on the American continent, in which
undertaking Mr.. de LessepS wants to DE at the
head, it may not appear strange if we, American
citizens, communicate our views concerning this
important undertaking while Congress is in ses
! sion. We viii commence our Introduction of this
subject with the Suez Canal.
The Count de LesSepS, although not the precise
originator or founder of the Suez Canal idea, was
nevertheless the soul of the practical execution OF
This canal.
| Napoleon III, who for long time firmly
chung TO this idea, found in Lesseps not only a
companion of his sentiments to carry into effect
his extensive designs, but also the ingenious inan-
cial operator and, at the same time, the bold man
for the beginning of work which TO glorious
/ France of that period should open the doors to
the commercial market of the world and furnish
at the same time the key for the political domino
ton of the same.
| That this move was particularly intended against
/ the Interests of England is pretty well known to
everybody; and also the contra-mOye by English
capitalists in purchasing the most Of the stock on
the French Suez Canal has elevated them TO be
| the rulers of the aforementioned canal No one
can 1oresee the consequences which might arise
TO America in case the interoceanic canal. through
an equally sly financial operation, should happen
20 come into the hands and control of European
nations or capitalists whether the canal should be
built through the Isthmus of Panama or through
! Nicaragua.
To prevent that is the problem for our Congress,
and we, on our part who have personally visited
Panama and Nicaragua will content ourselves first
4
| and disadvantages of the routes
That part of the Isthmus of Panama whose shore
| borders on the Caribbean Sea consists mostly of
| aLuYiated sand and swamp land, which can
neither be cultivated nor inhabiated, because the
miasmatic or infinite poisonous particles contained
! i'll evaporation impregnateS the tropical atmos
! phere of that region in such manner that the
respiration of il is not only pernicious, but in gen.
! eral insupportable for human nature.
| An evidence of this is furnished by the thou
sands of dead who have been buried there during
J the construction ofthe railroad.
Almost the same proportion, only with the diff
ference ofleSS swamp land, do we find also on the
! west coast, which borders on the Pacific Ocean.
In the centre of the Isthmus extends chain of
mountains called the Cordillera. which suddenly
descends toward both sea shores
The frequent showers which discharge them
selves sometimes like rain-SpOutS over the Cordll-
lera flow nearly as quickly from the same toward
toward the earth. Thence it comes that those
regions quickly dry up, having only that advantage
10 De m0lStened during the nights BY dense dew.
and smaller rivers likewise empty themselves
! quickly of their mass of waters in such manner
that they only by appearance may be called river
/ beds
| Now, whoever possesses the least conception of
! the system Of canalizatiOn Will conceive that
! under such circumstances the connection of the
Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean cannot be
established otherwise than through an entire in
terSectOn of the Isthmus six eight metres below
the average level of the sea- that this arcially
constructed canal obtains about the appearance
of the Straits of Magellan, with this distinction
however that they were produced by the forces of
nature and relieved humanity of the trouble and
| expense.
Now, consider that in the making of this Panama
Canal they will be forced, not only to excavate
loose material under the surface of the water but
| also TO blast enormous masses of rock under the
same, so TO be transported to the proper places
and you will have some idea what an exceedingly
! large expenditure such an immense work must
necessarily demand, which neither De Iesseps nor
any other engineer is able to compute as it is i'm
! possible TO fOresee the many difficulties which,
! construction
occur.
The level of the sea is equal all over the earth,
| and must be an equal one in consequence of the
grayitaton. For that reason 1t is fable TO state
that the Pacific Ocean is situated higher than the
Atlantic. and contradieted also by the fact that
the oceans as well as the seas with exception of
the inland seas or lakes, are all in connection
! with each other.
Level differences or sYellings are to be found
only in straits, per example at Gibraltar and
this fact is comfortable to the nature of the mo-
| tion as the immense mass of water becomes sud
| denly compressed. that flows backward and for
ward III consequence Of the revolution of the earth
on its axis.
All this maturely considered we cannot easily
conceive in what other manner than in that above
described the Panama Canal could be built. There
fore the following questions press themselves orci
| bly, upon us From whence shall the money come
1 for such an expensive construction? What guar
anteeS will be given for 1t, and who furnishes the
same? Then, when the first eighty or one hundred
millions of dollars are consumed, from whence
shall the next millions come? Further, what in
! tereSt has Europe altogether in the execution of
! this canal project. Or shall France as a republic
perhaps be destined to bring the unsuccessful
| ideas of the fallen empire TO perfection?
These or similar questions thoroughly discussed
by Congress would lead TO sundry logical results,
as 1t is hardly to be the patriotic states
men would desire TO see a second attempt made at
European intervention, which perchance might be
similar to that of 1861, and which, although indi-
Tectiy aimed at Mexico was directly intended for
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of our Union.
Our Government has already discussed consider
able sums for the studies of different canal projects.
&c fhn rnT1tn Inh
which is not only acknowledged the best, but
also a. the least expensive.
We are likewise of the positive opinion that the
Nicaragua Canal is easily 10 be built and that the
construction of 1.-THE main Point-will not re-
quire the half of the cost which the construction
of the Panama Canal would absolutely demand.
The principal advantage however, which speaks
for thei Nicaragua Canal-with exception of the
conjunction cuttings with the oceans, which also
have to be made under the surface of the water
IS that the greater part Of the construction may be
executed in dry earth, because the same does not,
| like the Panama Canal, directly connect both
oceans but LET'S them only stream into the land at
the entrance and at the outlet, till their waters, de-
tanned by the locks, will be leYeled with the waters
which successfully flow downward from the in
1t is not the object of these lines to furnish sci
enfc treatise, but only TO remind the reader that
the Nicaragua Canal shall become a sluice-canal,
in which the vessels will be partly lifted by action
OF filling up the locks sand lowered again by let
ting off the water inside the same, only in a con-
The inland lakes of Nicaragua, situated on the
high plateau and standing in close connection
with each other are so abundant through the effu-
sion of various important rivers and mountain
waters that there is not the least danger of making
the canal ineffective for one moment in conse-
quenCe of non-deliveTy of water into the locks
Upon this point every one may be assured that
those inland lakes are able to supply three or four
such canals with water.
The chief consideration for us, however is this:
BY whom shall the canal be built? For this,
sooner or later may raise international contro-
veISy. At present the demand for it is only
speculative one. If the connection of both oceans
through an artifcially established canal lies in
the interest of Europe, as well in that of the
whole world, then We can't see why such an i'm
pOrtant enterprise should be given into the hands
of French any other European company, es
canal project, not only our commercial interests
might suffer considerable alteration but also our
internal affairs, and still more our strategcal sys
TEN of defense, which at present is very faulty.
In opinion, it is not only.a precaution of wis
dom. but the duty of the representatives of the
people of the United States to determine the 9ues
ton of the interOceanic ship canal atoRce by such
means as viii promote this affair to q purely ma
tionaI American one. Otherwise our much
letter. We emphasize this still more as the above
mentioned question is not political party query
but clearly American one, on which hangs our
future veal or woe.
The United States of North America are through
their geographical position and their agricultural
and mineral wealth. not only destined to be the
centre of the commerce, but also of the money mar
ket Of the world JOSEPH RIRTH, c. Z.
Who is this Man:
A singular accident, the effects of which have