The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-03-18
VOL IA
MEMORIAL.

Stonel appointed AT tne CltlzenS'
Meeting March 10th, 1882:
TO the Senate and House of Represent
atives Of the United States Of
/ America:
Your memorialistS, the citizens
of Washington county, in the State
of Mississippi, assembled in public
meeting, respectfully present for
your consideration their memorial,
asking for immediate and efficient
aid in rebuilding the shattered sys-
TEN of levees hitherto protecting
| the Yazoo Delta from mundation.
1t would be unnecessary to set
forth in detail the present pitiable
condition of that section. The
public prints have already spread
through the land the tale of woe,
of privation, destitution, starya-
ton, homes destroyed, hopes bias
ted, commerce and industry pros
trated, and people looking on in
silent agony, as the pitiless flood
sweeps on and over what was but
a few weeks ago one of the fairest
portions of our common country.
And although the ingenuity of able
reporters and correspondents has
been taxed to the utmost in this
respect, they have presented but
faint outline of the condition of
things really existing. The National
Legislature, ever ready to respond
to the call of suffering humanity,
at the first wall of distress gener'
ously appropriated a part of the
National treasure to the purchase
of food for the sufferers. Whilst
this may, and possibly will, be OF
some service, its effect will be
purely temporary. 1t may for 8
few days appeaso the pangs o
hunger, but it will do nothing to
wards restoring the courage ant
energies of a people, now paralyzet
more by the outlook for the future
than by the horrors of the present
Ii is not so much food and clio
thing to tide them over the pres
ent disaster, that our people need
as il is, an assurance, that immedi
ate steps will be taken to proven
its annual rccurrence,and to enabl,
them by their own industry to re
pair the reverses and losses OF tn
hour. Out of the abundant resOuI
ces which we have been enabled
to gather in the past decade o
comparative immunity, we believ
that, unaided, we could pas
through the present season wit
comparatively little of actual stan
vation. But when we turn on
| eyes to the future, and see on
J system of leyees, built at SO grea
i cost, rent into fragments, tn
breaches continually widening an
: deepening, he country unable t
respond i'll taxes for their immed
ate repair, the waters again an
again pouring through the crevs'
ses with each annual rise of th
river, and each time extending ii
!. work of destruction, the stoutes
hearts among us quail our energie
: are paralyzed, confidence is d'
stroyed, credit lost and dumb d'
spair sits in the place of c0ntidel
, and courageous hope. Give to tn
, inundated district the assuanC
! that the National treasury will ;
: once come to its aid in the recol
struction of its levees, and despoI
dency will give place to hope, d
spair to courage and PROSTATE e.
ergy be quickened into renewe
and active vital force.
Briefly, we present to you a re
respect of the Levee system, as
has existed in Mississippi. Orig
nally only the fringes of the YazC
Delta were settled. The banks
the great river and of interi'
e. bayous and lakes, they being Il
highest lands. Not more than 50'
600 of the 100000 acres of cul
/, waited land were occupied in til
= way. The residue was left to
covered by the annual rise in Il
river. Still, for these highest lant
protection of some sort was he
essary against extreme ioot
This was Sought first, by neiglbt
hood combinations among riparii
owners, then by the action of cou
ties, and in 1858, by act of the lie
islature, a scheme was devised
which the property OF the who
g Delta country should be taxed f
the construction and Haintenan
of levees, and a Board of Lev
y. Commissioners was organized, t
the purpose of protecting, with t
revenue thus raised, the emit
of alluvial country.
Y, The passage of this law and t
81 immediate and efficient action