Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-10

powerful British marine Is brought INTO
connection with her through the great
lakes. The centre Of population Is al
ready nearing the Mississippi river. haN-
ing past westward from CINCINNATI, anu
in few more decades the mighty popula-
ton and wealth Of the valley viii dictate
their own channels of commerce. III
before that day the ports OF the
Atlantic do not secure their posi-
tiOns as distributing points lot the
products Of the valley the OppOrtuni-
ty will be lost forever, and the East set
tied down into subordinate rank, IN
commerce as in politics, to the
great alluVial empire Of the IN
terror. The freedom of the Erie
canal Will not save New York while
grain can be shipped from Chicago, Mil
waukee and Duluth to Europe. without
breaking bulk: nor the ship canal New
Orleans. while, in addition 10 breaking
bulk. heavy canal and jetty fees must be
superadded to time and danger OF Gulf
navigation. That grand mission IS re-
served alone to the steamboat and barge
canal from the mouth Of the Mississippi
river across the peninsula of Florida,
through Okefinoke TO the Atlantic ocean,
where. from the land-lOcked waters OF the
Gulf il enters the capaciOus harbOr OF 81.
Mary's. connecting with another mag
nificent system of inland nayigable water
ways stretching along the entire eastern
shores of the Atlantic.
Let the products Of the Mississippi val
lev be brought into these waters at the
ports of st. Mary's, Fernandina, Bruins
wick. Savannah, Port Royal and Charles
ton as shown heretofore, can be done lar
cheaper than they can be shipped over the
Northern railways. even to Chicago, or
reloaded at New Orleans TO be tOwed
through the jetties and the ship canal and
New York will no longer be mOrtlned at
seeing her ballasted ships enter upon
two thousand mile cruise around dan
gerOus cape to obtain cargoes OF gram;
and Great Britain, with Canada, VIII
no longer have it in their power
to cut her of from the best pay
ing trade of her own territory.
Savannah. too. is vitality interested In
this question. Her citizens seem indif-
ferent TO an enterprise that would do
more to make her the great port of the
South than all her other projects COM
bined. There would be opened up TO
Savannah nearly 200 miles of new country
now almost unknown to her trade. before
touching the North Gulf coast, where she
would be connected with the Gulf cities
BY water. as now by rail. 1t is sheer
nonsense to talk about the canal lnter1er-
ing with the prosperity OF these railroads,
Not One-fifth of the resources OF the
country are vet developed, and the people
are entitled to the cheapest transportation
the nature of the circumstances viii per-
nit. The interest and prosperity Of the
railroads themselves depend upon low
rates of transportation to encourage de-
yelOpment instead of impOyerishing the
industries, and no class Of business men
have been quicker to discover this truth
than the managers of the great systems
consolidated under syndicates to lower
rates and effect this very object. When
rates are finally reduced to the minimum
it will be upon the basis of water trans
pOrtation, where complaint will cease and
where permanent prosperity will estab-
lish itself in the mutual service and har-
mOny Of the two methods Of transporta-
ton.