Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-24

damages to the existing levee system by the
present food, but for the greater work Of q
national levee system that shall prove equal
to any pressure of flood in the future.
letter from Colonel Green clay.
To the Editor Of the st. Louis Globe-DemocraE
BOLIVAR, Miss, March l6.-In your ed
itOrials in regard to the levees Of the Missis-
| sippi river you seem to assume that the in
habitants OF the bottom country are folding
their arms and quietly expecting the gov
ernment to protect their lands. What justi-
| hcation has the government in feeding the
| people OF the overlooked districts? Simply,
that the misfortune which has overcome a
| very large section OF the country is so ap-
pslling in it, magnitude and exten, as to
| rise to the proportions Of a national ca
lamity-exceeding the scope or means OF re-
| lief Of mere private charity. 1t strikes at
| the very existence OF the prosperity not of
| towns or counties, but OF vast portions, and
! the richest OF several States. The calamity
is not of passing or temporary nature, but
| a sweeping disaster threatening to leave the
| population Impoverished and the country I'M
| Inhabitabe for years to come and conse-
| guenty foreb0ding an exodus entailing
| new and difficult problems and bur
| deDs upon the government. Now the
| question arises, shall the government
| reap the legitimate results of its present
/ dlu anu GAp6 DultuTe Dy Il SUN luIlilSI, COul-
| paratively small, outlay in assisting this
| people to remain in their homes, and regain
even a living prosperity? The accumula-
tons OF years-of litetime-are swept away
in single night. The loss bv the h1ed of
1874 was estimated in a congressional report
al S13000,000. Many millions more will
have to be added to cover losses by the pres
ent unprecedented flood. Now, Mr.. Editor,
your journal supports the liberal hand ex-
tended TO feed the people, and even with
commendable and generous enterprise has
equipped corps OF reporters to place before
the nation the true condition OF the over
flowed districts, yet when small appropria-
ton for mending our levees by way OF pre-
venton of a continuous disaster is spoken OF,
your editorial columns are turned against
US. While at the same time admitting sit is
az legitimate for Congress to spend the pub
lie money to prevent oyerilows, as TO feed
those whom the OveItlows drive to the verge
of starvation" Globe Democrat, March 17th),
in the same editorial You say, the States who
are interested want TO have an end put to IN
undation Of their bottom lands they will have
to attend to il themselves" There can be no
interstate compact for building the levees.
Ii is prohibited by the constitution. The
proposition in its only Ineligible sense is
suggestive enough. Let the States inter
ested-those of the Mississippi valley and OF
the West-7-demand of the government the
DTONeluenl Oh lIlc ndNlpdllOu anu security
to the wealth tributary 10 the navigation of
this great river, in accordance with the ma
tured plan of the river commission, not cost
ing but a fraction of the immense damage by
the present overflow. Your Pacific States
get national aid for their railroads. The
Atlantic cities obtain 1t for the preservation
and Improvement OF their quays, harbors
and coasts to safeguard their commercial in
terests. Fisheries and other interests are
protected at whatever cost. Now why stay
the same strong when it comes 10 this
great inland sea upon which reposes for veal
or woe the wealth OF a continent? The reason
ing which justified and impelled the general
government to the purchase of the Missis-
sippi territory and sustained, as a bench
rock, the Union sentiment Of the West
in the late war, is still a part of the
polity of the American people, and should
come to the front in the public
press in the discussion of the Mississippi
river-now, more especially, when the nation !
is supremacy at peace and prosperous, while !
its creditors are protesting against the too
rapid payment of the national debt, and its
statesmen are revolving the question what to
do with our surplus revenue. Yet here we
find leading journal of the West, and even
Of st. Louis, the city of ali others most in
terested in the wealth and prosperity of the
Mississippi valley, protesting against the |
fostering hand Of the government being in
Justice extended to her Western domain. |
The law organizing the river commission
recognized the levees as of national concern |
and within the field of their operations !
Captain Eads, one of the commission, now |
before the House committee at Washington, |
on the improvement of the Mississippi river, |
says: at would be the sheerest folly not to |
utilize the 2l00 miles of levee, stop the gaps |
and have the benefit of these levees on the |
general improvement of the river. | do not |
fbinl n rpsSihlp IN do Donph for 1iNyor |
Improvement with the same amount OF |
money as by spending 100000 in closing |
these gaps, thus increasing the volume |
of water flowing through the works con-
structed by the commission. The result ar
rived at by the latter would be more readily |
attained. Levees deepen the channel. Only |
five per cent. of the length of these levees |
in need of repairs, and it is manifestly to
the advantage of navigation that the gaps
be closed. There is not R crevasse not fol-
lowed by deposits below and consequent in
jury to navigation. urge with all the force
and energy have the closing OF the gaps"
And | know of no engineer of reputation
or scientist, who has examined the subject,
who does not advocate the practicability OF
leveeipg the Mississippi river and the levees
an important element in any successful
improvement OF the navigation.
In line with this recognized national policy,
and of the prese mt relief extended, the con-
tributors to the wealth of your city ask that
a small portion OF the national aid she'll be
devoted to the assistance of those who have
been and are willing to aid themselves
There are portions of the submerged country
whose people at almost ruinOus leyee taxa
ton have devised and constructed lines OF :
evees-local, Of course, and confined TO areas 7
of interdependent territory. OF course these
works are greatly damaged, and will require |
an immediate outlay to restore their efficiency |
for. oh nf
There are some 2100 miles of levees which
have cost these districts over So, 900, 900.
with the constant waste and repair. Take, |
for Instance, the counties of Bolivar Wash |
ington, 1ssaquena and Sharkey in the State
OF Mississippi. They constitute a levee dis
trict of some 240 miles of river front. Since |
the war they have paid their portion OF an
dnie-bell,,n debt of over 81 600 900, contracted
for levees that We're destroyed in a great
part by the military operations; and,
besides, oyersteppiDg the wasteful and |
extravagant period of taxation from
1868 to 1878, of which l have no
accurate statistics at hand for the moment
take this district from the year 1876 to 1881
inclusive: In the year 1876 the debt of t ne
district for levees-a mere legacy from the
extravaganza alluded to-over and abov p the
taxes alluded to aud consumed durin > that
period, was S44S, 265 OF, and from I oat wear
to 1881 leyee work was done to the. extent of
1919 900, thus making, with other Incidental
expenses, pay of engineers, etc. NOT given
over Sl,OO0,0OO collected and expended en-
levees alone. OF course, thu. local IA xation
was very heavy, besides the, State and ordi-
nary county taxes, as mu en- as 81 per hale on
cotton was paid, being from eight to ten per
cent. on the value on the product OF the soil.
with ususal taxes on the re.ity and person.
atty used in its production and here in con-
necti9n win d IeSee appropriation | merely
millions levied on cotton collected and
tSF4ed into the Golfers of the national treas
ury). As '.esult of this expenditure we had
a conlnu", JUS line of levees OF some go miles
erecteo 10 resist the highest water OF record
III Tat district-the water OF 1862. In fact,
tbs line of levees was held against waters
exceeding those of 1862, until the 2Sth of
February, when the storms of that day
and succeeding ones dashed the waves
over the temporary earthwork that
had been hurriedly placed on top the
levees to raise them, and they had to be
abandoned, not from any inherent weak