Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1903-10-24
Great Britain in 17ss. ths territory Of

Great Britain in 1883, ths territory Of
the new nationality extended east ald
west from the Atlantic ocean to the
Mississippi river, and from the great
lakes on The north to the Spanish and
French iOminions on Tile south. The
people of the United States owned only
one-half Of the Mississippi river from
its source, in what is now Minnesota
to where it entered the French prov
ince of Louisiana, but while they pos
sessed the right to navigate this vast
interior waterway through the greatest
part of its length, they could not reach
its outlet into the Gulf of Mexico ex.
ceDt by passing through foreign terri
tory.
1T was at once seen that the people
Of the western portion of United States
territory were placed at a most griey'
GUS disadvantage in having their com
merce on the river at the mercy OF a
foreign country. President Jefferson
must have been extremely anxious to
secure for his countrymen a right to
the free use of the Mississippi river
from its source to the sea.
"Of all national questions besetting
the statesmen of that day the control
Of the mouth of the Mississippi was the
most pressing. At first 1t was sought
to secure by treaty the right to nayi,
gate the mouth of the river, but finally
it was seen that the desired result
could only be consummated by the
purchase of territory, and it was first
proposed to secure only limited area
around the mouth Of the river.
"The negotiations, however, which
were started on that basis were en-.
larged until when the treaty Of cessioh
was concluded it embraced the whole
of the French possessions in North
1 America This accession to the do
main of the United States was in i'm
portance beyond all computation, am
as factor in the development Of thl
great republic, it is beyond all limita
ton, and it passes the bounds of The
conception of the most brilliant an
! far-reaching imagination.
"But if the Mississippi river forced
the American people to seek and Sc
cure control of it throughout its entir'
extent, it also enabled the United
States in the civil war to prevent thu
secession of the Southern States an
thereby save the Union. If the grea
river had flowed from west to east, fol
lowing the course of the Missouri, tn
Ohio and the Potomac, it is easily see
that it would furnish a most formi1
able obstacle to the Northern invaders
while it would have left the Souther
people united country from tn
Rocky mountains to the Atlantic ocear
But unfortunately for the Confederate'
it cut their country in half and er
abled the Federal gunboats to com
down from the North, and the Feder5
naval 1eets to come up from the SCI
and so sever the Confederacy into tw
sections that we're so completely di
connected that communication betWee
the two was rendered extremely diff
cult
"The Mississippi river is an inlan
sea that perpetually guarantees IN
solidarity of the Union as far as II
northern and southern sections Of II
country are concerned, although
would facilitate a division into ca
: and west sections,
Enough has been said to show thi
from every point of view, whether pra
tical or sentimental, the Mtssissip
river is a great national interest, fro
} which no part of the country can sep
, rate itself. Its floods, as well as /
! navigabilty as a great highway
. commerce, profoundly concern the e
i tire population of the United State
b and therefore the New Orleans conye
e tion merits the fullest considerable
:, from the people Of every State in Il
e Union"