The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-17
The Mississippi River.


Our esteemed contemporary the Cincin.
natl Commercial has surely gone clear
daft on the subject Of the EADs ietties and
the proper method Of improving the navi.
CATION Of the Mississippi river. We know
not what to think Of the ieveEhcaded
Field Marphal MuRAr HAIsrEAD, who edits
that paper. Il he, like General LOGAN, a
direct descendant Of the woman who went
down under the water for the last time
crossing her fingers because she was
unable to say "Scissors"f Is he bent
upon running his own reputation not
only ~ q public-spiritcd citizen but
as man Of good iudgments How
can he find IL in his heart to persecute
tho poor jewellers upon the banks Of the
Mississippi, and represent them as having
designs upon the public treasury Or
does he mean his denunciations for Captain
EAps and the rest Of the engineering
"ring"i II sov he pays poor compli-
ment to the intelligence Of the citizens OF
New Orleans and other towns along
the river, but especially those Of the
former place; for II the jctties are
not what the people OF New Or
leans desire, then these constitute unique
community, seeing that they do all they
can 70 convince the Congress OF the United
States and all the world that the work OF
Captain EADs has contributed largely to
the prosperity Of that city and raised 1t up
from condition OF decline to one OF in
crcasing commerce and business OF every
description. Why any community should
be so unselfsh as TO sacrifice its own best
interests to unreasoning admiration Of a
stranger like Captain EADs is more than we
can understand. In word. we don't be-
llcve that New Orleans is made up altogeth-
or OF fools.
We take II for granted that as the peo-
pie Of the South knew best how to man.
age their slaves when they had them, and
the people of San Francisco know best
how TO treat the Chinese living in that city,
so the people Of New Orleans knew better
than those Of st. Louis, Louisville, Gin
cinnati, or any other town, whether or not
the EADs ietties promise to make the Mis-
sissippi nayigable out TO the gulf at all
times from New Orleans. and whether or
mol Captain EADs has done what he pro-
missed Congress he would do. for that city.
Nevertheless. our Cincinnati contem-
porary, Captain CowDEN. and few less
1,,t;,o,,;skoJ or,,lu bod aIuost ipduca1
us to believe that after all the iotties were
humbug. We had begun to sympathize
10 limited extent in the views OF the
Commercial, and TO start towards the con-
clusion that EADs and his ietties ,cere hum
bugs and the citizens Of New Orleans
fools, when there appeared suddenly upon
the scene General WRIGHT, Chief Of En-
ginoers OF the War Department in Wash
ing'on, man whom we may surely pre-
sumo to be both truthful and impartial,
and testified under oath before the special
congressional committee on the improve
ment OF the Mississippi river that the
theory and plan upon which the river
commission is now conducting the work
of protecting the banks and contracting
the width OF the river is The best Of any to
which he has given any attention for the
improyement of the navigation Of the river.
General WRIGHT, so says the Washing
ton Post, testified as follows:
"Ue was certain that an outlet at Lake
Borgne would have no effect whatever
upon the navigation Of the river at points
where il is ever so troublesome: its effect
would not be felt so far rs 100 miles above.
He did not see why the commission should
under the present appropriation extend
levces below the mouth Of Red river. He
thought an outlet only to carry OIL flood
waters at Lake Borgne would not cause
dcposit below which would impede nayi-
CATION.
"IIe said TO Mr.. ButtcrwoTth, rs he did
TO Mr.. Robinson the day before, that he
thought it practicable TO continc the river
its entire length by system OF levee>,
and thought that It would have ten
dency to keep the bottom Of the river
secured out.
SIN reply to questions by Mr.. Holman,
he said that il dredging were resorted TO
~ the only means of removing bars, there
were forty-three places where dredging
would have TO be done. more or less, every
year."
Now, will Mr.. fIALsrEAD please take
notice. This distinguished engineer says
that the scheme OF combining the river its
entire length Is practicable, whereas Mr..
HALsTEAD is constantly declaring II to be
impracticable. Who is TO be credited in
this casei surely the man whose business
and profession II is to pass upon such ques-
tons, and who may be presumed TO have
studied them thoroughly and for many
years. is better entitled to claim orr conf
dencc than one who has no such experience
aud no such special knowledge.
Werepoat, In view of these developments.
or rather tins testimony, that II we were in
Congress we would vote at a single session
twenty millions Of dollars TO the improve
ment OF the Mississippi.
The Discriminating Veto.
I.