The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-10-10
The Mississippi River in Early Times

The Mississippi River in Early Times
Mississippi river a permanent and
open waterway from the Lakes TO the
navigation by Americans was a sub
ject of much diplomatic correspond
ence and recognized as good cause
of war. This was when the mouth
and lower part of the great river
were controlled by France or Spain
1t is plain that river which, with
its branches, drains the entire west
ern slope of the Appalachian and
nearly the whole eastern slope of
the Rocky mountain system within
the United States and which forms
portion OF the boundaries of ten
states and which is navigable for
more than 1000 miles, could never
| be held in peaceful copartnership by
two rival nations. From the earliest
times its exclusive control and free
navigation by Americans was recog-
nized by our statesmen as an end TO
| be gained at all risks by diplomacy
or war. More than once it came per-
ilously near involving us in war. In
the latter part of the eighteenth and
early part of the nineteenth centuries
there was nothing for which the
| American pioneers in the entire Mis-
sissippi valley would have taken up
arms with more alacrity than the
free navigation of the Mississippi.
One of the broils growing out Of
the subject involved some Indiana
men, In 1880 news came TO the West
that Congress had, by a secret treaty
with Spain, agreed to relinquish the
free navigation of the river. The
news raised storm OF Indignation
throughout the sparsely settled west
At Vincennes, Gen. George Rogers
Clark, more patriotic than discreet,
| fastened to raise a force OF volun-
teers designated as 1.-The Wabash
Regiment" and by his orders the
| Spanish traders at VincenneS and IN
Illinois were despoiled of their prop
| erty in retaliation for alleged out
RACES by the Spanish along the low
err Mississippi. John Rice Jones, at
terward Attorney-General of Indiana
Territory, appointed by Gen. William
Henry Harrison, took an active part
in the proceeding. He was commits
sary-general of the Wabash Regi-
| ment. and sold such goods seized
from the Spanish as the regiment
could not use The proceeding came
near bringing on war with Spain and
had to be repudiated by the Govern
ment. OF all our early statesmen,
none perceived the immense value OF
the Mississippi river more clearly or
was more deeply interested in secur-
ing it's free navigation than Thomas
Jefferson. At different times before
the acquisition of Louisiana he
wrote:
1.-The navigation of the Mississippi
we must have. *Our right to the
free navigation of the river Is bur-
on the law Of nature and of nations.
= = The difficulty on which the ne
gotiations with Spain hangs (the
free navigation Of the Mississippi
is a sine qua non with us. Il would
be TO deceive them and ourselves 70
suppose that friendship can be pre-
sexved while this right is withheld
50 *It is impossible to answer for
the forbearance of our Western citi-
zens. *The navigation of the
Mississippi is necessary to us"
These quotations from Jefferson's
writings might be greatly extended
The free navigation of the MIssis-
sippi was one of the inspiring mo-
tives OF his purchase of Louis an.
ons the consummation OF which he
sent a congratulatory message to
Congress For fifty years past the I'M
provement of the river has demanded
more or less attention. Now, at last
with vastly increased and still in
creasing production and inadequate
transportation facilities, the time ha:
come when the national Government
should make of the river the great
national waterway which the necessi-
ties of the case require.