Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-26
LEssEPs, THE GREAT CONSTRUC-
TIVE GENIUS.

LESSEPS, THE GREAT CONSTRUC-
TIVE GENIUS.
What Darwin, whom the world has just
lost, was as generalizer, Lesseps is as
realZer. Like our own Eads he reduces the
most obstinate problems-regarded by the
world generally as mpossihilities-by his
power of discovering basic principles and
making his discoveries the guides of his
treatment of details. The cutting Of the
canal of Suez, project discussed and attempt
ed by the ancients, was an achievement
nothing done during the present century has
exceeded, and as long as human works en-
dure and human history tells the history of
their accomplishment, the name of De Les
seps will survive and his fame stimulate
human effort. That project, nowithstand-
ing, was regarded by the world as a wild,
impracticable scheme. Even the practi-
cal English, with all their expert
ence, skill and inventive power, were
unable to fathom the wisdom that lay in the
brain of Lssseps. They pronounced his great
project ga pack of moonshine," and refused
to have anything TO do with it. The "French
kickshaws," whom the English laugh at as
being fit only for BARRIERS and tailors, showed
in their appreciation Of their gifted country
-@ -1@@ lar Beyond -nafrowness ~
English conceit, and by their steady fidelity
in aiding him the wonderful feat was per-
ormed, and the eastern world became ac-
cessible from the Mediterranean. When
Lasseps came to this country he found too
much Eoglish skepticism here. When he
pronounced the best way OF uniting the
Pacific and the Atlantic, at the Amer
lean isthmus, to be by a level canal
that would allow a vessel to pass
through without the interruption of
locks, everybody was compelled to ac-
knowledge that he was right. When,
however. he undertook TO show where the
should be cut, our people, generally, was as
sure it could not be done as the English
before them was sure that canal could not
be cut through the loose and moving sands of
Sutz. An observation of the manner in
which Lesseps is now spoken of by portions
of the press that were f,remost in exposing
the baselsssness of his projects and the wild
"oos nf MS CAfcutations VIII SnOW Indt, spite
of themselves, they are impressed with the
steady determination with which he goes on
with his work, and find smile and ridicule no
longer applicable. The man who cut the
Suez canal is not above falling into error,
but he is far above where the shafts of ridi-
eule can reach. Vast as accomplished Suez
and projectad Panama are, Lesseps has
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commence, that is fully the peer in its
gigantic nature to the other two. He is
preparing to dedesertize Sahara. glance
at the map will show how this vast
vacuity sire tches out from Tunis and Algeria
with an average width from north to south
of a thousand miles, and length from the |
Atlantic to the western edge of the Niles |
valley of over two thousand miles. The |
surface of the land that knows no rain and |
produces no vegetation is generally firm |
soil with occasional ridges and hills, and is
largely covered by drifting sands dangerous
to the traveller upon his camel. Beyond this
lies the Soudan country, one of the most
productive and plen,eous upon the round
globe, but its riches are cut off from access
by the vast Sahara. This desert Lesseps
engages to annihilate, and to throw open the
Soudan to the commerce of the world.
Within the desert itself there is portion,
called Ell Jul, that is depressed 80 far beyond
The general level as TO be below the surface
of the ocean. 1t extends 500 miles by 10,
md was once an inland sea, as the presence
If salt, shells and other marine remains make
manifest. Lesseps will cut a canal from the
Gulf of Gales on the south coast of the
Mediterrean across Tunis toward Algeria.
Through this canal the waters will flow to
heir old bed, and Ell Juf will be sea again.
This will allow access by steamers TO all
parts of the desert; the evaporation OF the
water will form clouds, the rains of heaven
will fall and the soil will become fruitful,
ike the Soudan itself, and the shifting sands
will swallow up the traveller no more. A
water boundary line against Tripoli, de-
sirable object, will also be secured. Where
Tunis now stands stately Carthage once COM
manded the worlds commerce, and when the
grand scheme Of Lesseps is accomplished a
greatness surprising that OF the grand old city
will crown the Mediterranean shore. With
Egypt restored by the English, with Con-
stantinople rescued from the Turks and man
aged, probably, by the skillful and indus
trious Greeks, and Carthage revived, the
will recover its long lost |
glory and be again the holiday spot of the |
universal globe. Lesseps is now seventy |
seven years old, but he expresses confidence
that he shall see his two tremendous enter
prises terminated as successfully as he did |
the first. The honor isnot only to De Lesseps, |
but also TO the France that produced him,
and the Frenchmen whose confidence and |
material aid sustain him.