Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-01-22
GEN. GRANT ON THE CANAL.
He Appeals to His Countrymen to
Maintain Control of Trans
continental Commerce.

he Appeals to His Counfrymen 10
Maintain Control of Trans
continental Commerce.
The Monroe Doctrine Enphatically
Affirmed, and the Nicaragua
Route Advocated as the
only Practicable and
Profitable scheme.
The following 10 all article written
far the North American Review by
Gen, u. 3. Grant. upon the proposed
Nicaraguan Canal: i,
The CONSTRUCTION of a s%hip-canal
across the isthmus which connects
North and South, America has at
tracted the atteDtion Of governments,
engineers and capitalists in this
country and in Europe for consider
ably mere than halt q century. The
illusions to the possibility aud i'm
portancs of such work made by .trav-
elsrs and scientists almost frsm tho
time when America was discovered
down to the day when practical inves-
tigations were commenced by tbs
government ofthe United States, had
left . deep impression snthe public
mind, and the rapid growth of the
American republic in population and
wealth, the i%ncreasing commerce be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
the long, tedions and dangerous pas
sage from shore to shere around
Cape Horn, all tended to strengthen
this impression and to establish the
convictisn that the Interest of the
American people In the commerce OF
the world required q water COM
municatiOn from sea to sea across the
isthmus of DarieD. 1t is now more
than fifty yearssince this project first
received serious consideration on
this continents Under the admins
tration Adams in 1926 cores
pondencs and negotiations cem-
menced, whichfhave continued up to
the present time. Turning from u
government to another for aid in
carrying out the scheme, the people
of Central America soon arrived at
the conclusion that they must lock
to the United States fer the compile
ton Of the work, aud that to them
especially, on account of location and
institutions, belonged the right to
unite with that state through whose
territory the canal might run, in its
construction and control. lu 1880. in
1881, in 1885, in 1887, in 1889, in 1874,
in 1916, in 1s49. in 1858, plans were
proposed to the government of the
United States, England and France
for the commencement of the work,
until the breaking out of the civil
war in this country presented q more
important topic for consideration,
and ovsrshsdowed all questions re-
lating solely to industrial develop
ment and international commerce.
and ended in results which have
given new and vast interest and i'm
p0rtancs to every enterprise which
can add power to the republic and
6sspPiug1sH0ngs Int0 the rent rank
among the powerful nations Of the
earth, the United States has entered,
~ it IRE spontaneously, upon y
career of development almost un-
parallsled in the history of the
world. By tine growth Of states
along the Pacific coast, by the cree
ton Of transcentinental lines Of rail
way, by the occupation of new lands,
by the opening Of new mines. by
increasing mechanical and manufac-
turing enterprises, by the introduce
ton of herftproducts on an amazing
scale intS't the commerce of the world,
BY her devotion 10 . system OF
finance which requires lncesssnt in
dustry among all classes of the people
and the cheapest possible means of
intercourse.Aan transportation, the
United States has given now and
deeper importance to every methsd
by which industry can be advanc-
ed and commerce can be promoted.
It 10 during this short period that the
value of even the most expensive
highways has been proved, that
meaAtain-raBgss have been psnetrat-
cd by costly tunnels, and distant seas
have beenfconnected by costly canals,
andSR has been demonstrated that
the melt s~1trsvsgant Investments in
works/ of this description are re-
munerative under the vast CONNER
cial ebb~ and flow which character
ICES tho present age. OF the necessity
for, addl the advantage of. intercsm.
m~untcatJon Of every description,
therefore, there seems to be no longer
a doubt, anditei is with this convle-
ten that the United States govern
msnt Is called on to consider now
once more the value and Importance
Of An interocsanie canal on this con-
tinent.
OF the advancement of this canal
to our industry aud commerce it be-
comes US, therefore, first to speak.
In this connection it should not be
forgotten that the states Or North
and: South America lying along the
Pacf6e furnish i'll large abundance
those commodities which are con
stsntly supplied with markets in
almost every country Of Europe. OF
guano and nitre the trade is immense.
From the ports of Chill nearly 4OO,-
600 tons of freight are shipped east
ward annually. More than a 1,O0O,-
600 tons. OF grain are shipped each
year from the Pacific states and
territories. There is no doubt that
more than 1000, 900 tons of msrchan.
disc find their way from these regions
to the east, and require water com.
m%unication in order that they may
be shipped economically and profit.
ably; and this is merchandise to
which railway transportation across
the continent Is wholly inapplicable.
The great wheat crops Of Cslitornis
and Oregon, for instance, find theil
way to Liverpool around Cape Horn
at the freight rate Of so cents pei
bushsl-a rate which would not carry
it by rail half way to Boston or New
York or Philadelphia, to be there
shipped to its European destination
In addition to the commerce Of the
North aud South American ports re
ferred 1to,t-there may be estimated
also the advantages which would &C
crue to the trade of Australia anc
the remote East Indies bound tt
Great Britain, aud which would IN
doubtsdly add LOCO, 900 tons to III.
freight seeking . passage threugt
the canal. When we consider III,
time sud distance saved BY
the canal for this vast amour
Of merchandise avoiding the pas
sage around Cape Horn, and tn,
Importance in these days Of rapi(
transit, and of a ready approach to
destined market, we can readily un
derstand. the value of the enterprise
to producer and shipper aud csnsum
or alike. Leaving out Of considers
ton the dangers and delays of tn
Cape, we should not forget that b!
the canal new proposed the distanc
from New York to Hong koni
10 shortened $50 miles; iron