Evansville Journal, Volume 10, Number 18, Evansville, Vanderburgh County, 28 March 1844 — Page 1

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"ff H 4 id BY TV. H. CHANDLER. THE UNION OF THE WHIGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE UNION. WATER STREET. FOUR DOORS FROM MAIN. VOL. X. EVANS VILLE, INDIANA, THURSDAY, MARCH 2S, 1S44. NO. 18.

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Hot Caesar's weal, bat that tfRome. -Advertisers, yearly and all others, are referred to our first page for terms, &c from which no deviation will be made in any case. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1844 . - , FOR PRESIDENT, HENRY CLAY, ; OF KENTUCKY. STATE; ELECTORS. Henry S. ane, of Montgomery; .Joseph C. Marshall, of Jefferson. DISTRICT t LECTORS. - 1. John A. Brackenridge, of Warrick; V. James Collias, of Floyd: 3. John A. Matson, of Franklin; v. Samuel W. Parker, of Fayette; , s S. Hugh O'Neal, of Marion; 8. George G. Dunn, of Lawrence; 7. R. W.' Thompson, of Vigo; S. AVilllaji Homes, of Carroll; 0. John F. Biddle, of Cass: " tO. Lewis 8. Thompson, of Allen. . - ; OHIO AND ERIE CANAL. "., The extension of the Wabash and Erie Opal from Terre Haute to Evansville, commends itself to the favorable regard of the people of Indiana, in proportion as it is considered in all its relations and bearings. r Several publications have been made i showing its importance to other sections of the Union, and yet these have not exhausted the subject- It may be well to further preeent it in th? several points of view in which it may be considered, in order that the truth, which, by being often repeated", rarely fails to command public attention, may in this instance make its legitimate impression on the public mind. . It is to be regretted that certain pa pera in our region, should seek, by efforts to excite the public prejudice against this work, to divert public attention from its claims to a fa- . vorable .consideration. These attempts, how ever, will fail of their intended effect, aud truth will, sooner or later, show where the true interest of the country lies. That the opening of the canal to the Ohio y.s the only practicable means, of having a uniform and permanent outlet from Lake Erie to the Ohio river, is a proposition that will appear the more manifest, the more it is investigated. All agree that it would be a permananf channel of inter-communication; between the North-East and South-West por tions of the Uaion. TTic Wabash river we already have, with all its benefits, afforded during the Spring floods, and those occasionel swells which enables our farmers andothera by means of flat-boats, to export such an jmmense amount of the produce of the coun try. These benefits, we admit, might be increased by an improvement of the Rapids, 'and the Grand Chain. To such an improve' ment no citizen of the valley of the Wabash objects; but that such an improvement would give a constant and permanent navigation as high as the present terminus of the Canal during the months of July, August, Septem ber, October and November we deny, and rest for the correctness of what we say, on the reports of our Engineer, and on the facts as they are, and must continue to be, inde pendent of all public documents. .. The Green and Kentucky rivers, have been cited as examples of successful slack water navigation. It may do for persons who do not understand the difference be tween these rivers and the Wabash, to hold this doctrine ; but to all who know the char acter of each, it must be manifest that the argument drawn from the Kentucky- rivers, loses its force when applied to the Wabash Yie general character of the regionof Kentucky through which the above named riv ers flow, is wholly different from our valley. Generally the streams have narrow beds, of rock, the whole of the middle region of the Stale having a substratum of limestone. This limestone and other rock appears suffi ciently to furnish the foundation for perma- ' pent dams, and the banks are generally of a character to resist the effect of these currents that form the sudden swells of the rivers; would in loose allivial deposite of fine sand ; and vegitable matter, force their way thro' new channels, and leave dams for slack-wa ter navigation to be actually obstructions - instead of an improvement of the river. This is shown in the report of the, "Board of the public works" in the State of Ohio, respecting the Muskingum improvement .were one of the reasons given for the insta- . bility of some of the dams is, that they were built on gravel foundations. Report of 1844 page 14. On page'15 of the same report it wil appear that the Muskingum improve, has cost 1,602,018 cents (one million six nun

dred and two thousand and eighteen dollars twenty-nine , cents,) and the last year's income was twenty three thousand one hundred and sixty seven dollars. But it is unnecessary to pursue this question, as no one is unwilling to see any practicable improvement of the Wabash river. The ground we take is, that in asking for the means of im-

proving the river, the impression ought n by those who regard themselves as its especially friends, to be jnade, either on the mind of Congress, or on the country, that the improvement is one which renders unnecessary the completion of the canal to the Ohio river. It is due to the State of Indiana that such an effort should not be made. Two successive legislatures have asked for lands to aid in prosecuting and completing this great work, and it should not be forgotten by the friends of the river, that at the same time that fifty thousand dollars were appropriated for the improvement of the Rapids by the legisature of Indiana, an appropriation was made for this same canal, and since that time hear. y a million of dollars has been expended upon it. Are we now, after, all this, m the absence of any thing like satisfactory, evidence of the susceptibility of the Wabash ito such improvements as will give permanent and constant navigation, and -in the face of reports to the contrary, made by competent engineers, to ask .Congress for lands, upon the assumption that the river is so susceptible that the canal is a useless thing, and that the million thus expended from Terre Haute to Evansville, is to be thrown away, leaving the debt for the money "expended, hanging over the people of the State? ; ,; Again, it should be borne in mind that the lands in the Vincennes land district, yielded but $16,000 last year a sum not equal to the one half of the interest on the amount which the most extravagant of the friends of the river improvement, would say was necessary to its execution. : If no additional value is to be given to these lands, the sum that would annually arise from their sales, would pay but little if any thing over the supcrintendance of cither work, faring its progress. But the grant of the lands to the canal, by opening a new and constant outlet, through the body of the lands them selves, would give an immediate value that would result in their sale and settlement. The grant in one instance, would bring with it its own guarranty for the success of its ob ject in the other case, whilst it would end iu disappointment to its friends and to the country, it would have, without doubt the effect of defeating the completion of one of the most important works in the UnitedStates, and depriving the State of Indiana of a revenue which should ultimately redeem her from debt, and be a source of income as long as her government should stand. And let meu differ as they may, as to the charac ter of our debts, and the time and manner of their liquidation or final adjustment, yet every prudent man in the State every man who has an interest in her welfare, must see aadfeel that it would be a happy thing for the State if her embarrassments no longer existed ; and it is to be profoundly regretted that any portion of the community, or any ocal interest, should come in conflict with a measure fraught with such beneficial conse quences to the State. That it would be thus beneficial, it shall be our business now to demonstrate. In doing so, we must take notice of the practical operation of some other similar works. There are two classes of canals in the U, States. They may be described by compar ing them to the navigable rivers of the coun try, riaraely, principal and tributary; Or by calling them channels of general and local commerce and inter-communication. The Erie canal in New York the Pennsylvania and Ohio canal, the Erie and Ohio canal; the Illinois and Michigan canal, and the Wabash and Erie ctnal are of the first class The Erie and Champlain, Cayuga and Sene ca, Chemung, Chenango, Black river and Gennessee valley canals in New York ; the Walhonding, Hocking and Miamai canals in Ohio, are of the second class. In estim ating the value and importance of any one of these several works, this distinction ough to be kept in view. Each of these works has its trade, and this trade, owing to the present advanced and rapidly growing internal commerce of the country, may be 'made the subject of certain definite and reliable calculation. Take for example the New York and Erie canal and the great Ohio canal, and the extent of their trade may be definitely shown, and by a comparison of these works with our own Wabash and Erie canal, much may be learn

ed hi reference to the probable trade and revenues of the latter. - Let it not be supposed that in citing the two great canals of Ohio and New York as examples,-it is intended to be argued that the trade of either of those canals is so much per annum, ergo ours will be so much. No: We only intend to consider the extent

fbf the countries supplied through these canals, and compare that with the countries interested in the trade of our canal, and from thence deduce bur conclusions as to the value and importance of ours. This, it seems to us, must appear to every one to be fair and rational. T;. The Erie Canal supplies, in addition to a greater part of the State of New York, either directly or by lateral canals, the greater part of the States of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and through the Ohio canal, a considerable part of the south western trade, with a channel for the export of the varied products of the interior, and the returns consisting of foreign merchandise, or the manufactures of the north. It also affords to Upper Canada some facilities. All those go to swell its reyenu es. The revenue of this canal, was, during the last year one million eight-hundred and eighty thousand dollars. The Ohio Canal affords an outlet to the northern markets and to the Southern, to her own citizens, in part, and also a channel to a considerable trade between the" northeast and the south-western portions of the Union. The income from this work deserves our serious attention. It was completed in 1833, but was used on part of the line before that period. The following table will show its revenue. " EEVESUES OF THE OHIO CANAL. Amounts received for tolls fines Years. and water rents.

1827 . $1,500 00 1828 '. ' 4,000 00 1829 7,000 00 1830 - 30,493 93 ' 1831 ' 64,846 17 1832 79,982 43 1833 ' 136,555 70 1834 . ", 164,488 98 1835 185,684 48 -183G '211,823 32 1837 '"'"'.'. 293,428 79 1838 382,135 96 1839 423,599 84 1840 452,122 03 1841 .416,102 63 1842 387,442 22 1843 322,754 82

In the report of the Board of public works,. the falling off in the two latter years is shown to be a reduction of rates, and not to diminution of the utility of the work. It is said, however, that the closing the Canada market, aud the depression of prices, had induced the farmers to withhold their wheat The commissioners, however, look to an increase of tolls, notwithstanding these ternoprary depressions. :, Now let us turn our attention to the Wa bash and Erie Canal, and suppose it to be finished to the Ohio river, and opened as a channel of export and import to the whole region along the 450 miles of its length, and of commerce to the south-west, and north-east, and who can doubt as to the decision which should be made in the comparison between it and the great and deservedly celebrated Ohio Canal? Ours runs through a much more productive country indeed, one of the most productive valleys on the globe. The immense quantities of Iron Ore and Stone Coal in the region of Vigo, Parke, Vermilion, and Fountain counties, would soon furnish to the South West millious of tons of that useful metal. The valley of the Wabash would in a few years increase its productions; so would the valleyof White river, to a prodigious extent.' To show the description of articles export ed from Ohio, and through the OhiokCanal, as as the source from whence the ' revenues of the Canal arises, the following list i3 given of the principle articles: Flour, pork, beef, fish, whiskey, salt, wheat, barley, oats, corn, clover, timothy, blue grass seeds, peas, beans, flax seed, mineral coal, lime, butter, cheese, tallow, dried fruits, bops, pot and pearl ashes, wool, feathers, hides, skins, furs, leather, furniture, cotton yarn, raw cotton in bales, Irion and nails, machinery, agricultural im plements, potters ware, gypsum, pig iron castings, grind stones, cut stones, dressed stone, lumber, shingles, hoop poles, staves and heading, brooms, live hogs, millstones, hay, and tobacco. , Let the reader look over this list, which is taken from the report on the Ohio Canal of 1844, and see what proportion may be ac tually produced in Indiana? All but about half a dozen articles not in small quantities but in prodigious abundance. But great as our productions will be when

Indiana shall number, (if she does not now,)1

one million of inhabitants, these products will only -be a small part of the wealth that will seek an outlet through 'our canal. Of the commerce that crowds the city of Buffalo, passing East and Westwhat proportion ! will pass through the Wabash and Erie Canal? The bulk of the trade of our own State the tobacco and hemp or one third of Kentucky, the products of half of Tennessee and of the one fourth of Illinois destined for the Noihern markets, will pass through this canal. The trade to New York and Bos ton, and all the manufacturing districts of the Nethera States, will be opened to the South West through this channel. What, then, It may be repealed, will be the propor tion of the imports and exports at Buffalo, that. will pass through our Canal? It is not too much to say that i.t woujd be one half. It is the most direct route. It 'avoids the lake navigation to go by the way of Chicago on the one hand, and on the other, the river nav igation from Portsmouth to Evansville, not to meation the Louisville canal and the falls of the Ohio, as drawbacks on that navigation. During the last season, the income on the Wabash and Erie Canal within the State of Ohio, was $35,922 38; the year before it was $5,866 13. In our own State some sixty-five or seventy thousand dollars. These sums give an earnest of what it will be when ; it shall be finished, and open up an ouilat bolhways for our producls,and a chan nel of trade to the most highly improved, as well as to the new and productive portions of the country. In view of this brief .outline, it may be fairly assumed, that it will surpass in reve nue the Ohio Canal. ' Not that it will super cede that work. This would be a narrow view of the subject. ,The , attentive observer of the internal trade of the United States, must have been struck with the prodigious increase of the Western trade. ' The causes which have produced this increase are still at work-actively at work. The trade will be doubled in 20 years, perhaps sooner. The 3 canals-the Illinois and Michigan, the Wabash pxv Erie, and the Ohio, will all have an in crease of business and of revenues, and in a word will be runuing a concurrent race of prosperity. Will these three canals when they shall be completed, and opened for navigation, not do as much business, embracing their local and general trade, as the New York Canal? There is not a man, well in formed on the subject in the country, that will doubt it. What is the conclusion? If they do equal business tbey will produce equal revenue. This revenue will be at this rate $1,880,000 dollars. Suppose our canal to do the one third? and who doubts it after looking over the map of the country, and considering its commerce? The result would be $629,333. . Yielding, after allowing $129,000 for repairs and strperintendance, half a million of dollars to the two States of Ohio and ; Indiana four hundred thousand of which, would go into our treasury. This would be equal to an investment of six millions and two-thixds of a million of dollars, at six per cent interest. It would ensure our redemption from debt and lead to the certain completion of the Central Canal up through the heart of the Stale. It is time for the public to take hold of this sub ject, as the most practicable means of re deeming the State, and ensuring a prosper! ty corresponding with her resources and her position in the Union. ' ''.' 07 We ' treat our readers to but half a sheet this week. They will loose nothing, however, in the "long run," as we expect to more than make up our present deficiency during the Presidential contest, by the pub lication of extra matter and extra sheets. Complaints. -The laws of the Corporaration, at present in force, empower the Town Marshal to remove all obstructions from the side-walks and streets. It is his duty to do so and we now ask why he does not per form that duty? More than twenty of our citizens have, within the last few days, re quested us to notice the matter, and to sug gest to the Board ot Trustees the propriety of appointing another Marshal, if the present one cannot be induced to perform the duties of his office. TOWNSHIP MEETINGS. Monday next, is the day suggested for holding meetings in the different Townships to select Delegates to the Whig County Con vention. The Whigs of Scott, we are in formed, have decided to meet on that day, and the other Townships, we doubt not, will do so also.' Pigeon will be at her post.

: ; CANAL MEETING. : ; " We publish to-day the proceedings of a meeting held at the Court - louse on the 26th in at. from which it will be perceived, that the importance ot the Canal movement is properly appreciated in all the counties in the south-western section of the State, and that gentlemen of both political parties are uniting in the advocacy of a measure, which if successful, bids fair to relieve the State from her embarassmeots, and be a proud monument of the energy and enterprise pi her citizens. At a large and respectable meeting of Citizens frem the counties of Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Gibson; held at Evansville on the 26th inst., during the Session ol the Circuit Court, to consider the importance of the application to Congress for a grant of Land, to complete the great National Thoroughfare from the Lakes to the Ohio River by means of the Wabash and Ohio Canal. The Hon. Judge Olmstead, of Vanderburgh, was called to the Chair; and J. W. 6 Moore Esq..of Warrick, wa appointed Secretary. The objects of the meeting having been properly explained by Judge Battel), of Vanderburgh; the following resolution was introduced by the Hon. John Pitcher ot Posey, and secondedby John Mitchell Esq., of Evansville. Resolved, That the interest, which has been awakened throughout ibis and other States, of the Union, as to the necessity and importance of speedily completing the Wabash and Ohio 'Canal;" thus opening, a direct communication from the Lakes to the Ohio River, is such, as to afford the friends of the measnre, the highest encouragement, and satisfaction ; and should strengthen them, in their efforts, to obtain from the General Government, a donation of lands, to complete this truly great and National thoroughtare. The resolution having boen ably supported by Messrs. Pitcher and Battel! was unanimously adopted. After which the following resolution introduced by John A. Brackenridge Esq., of Warrick, and seconded by Jas. Lockhart Esq , of Vanderburgh, was also passed unanimously. Resolved, That, while we view the opening of a direct communication by means of the Canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio, as a work strictly.

still truely national in its character and one, In which a large portion of the Union, isdeeply interested, weatthe same time, believe, that in its completion the State of Indiana has a deeper and more direct interest, in as much as. thej, Revenue derived from the work, when entirely finished, will enable her to lessen the burdens of taxation on her citizens, and do much, towards elevating her to that proud and enviable position, which she occupied among her sister States, before be; credit was dishonered, and her giant progress arrested. - . The following resolution introduced by Judge Battell and seconded by E. D. Edaon Ejq., of Posey, watnext adopted without dissent: -' Resolved, That our Senators and members of Congress Irom this Staio, who have exerted themselves to obtain a grant ot land to complete the chain of communication, connecting the Lakes with the Valley of the Mississippi, by means of the Wabash and Oiii 3 Canal, demand and should receive our highest - approbation; and the recent favorable report, of the Commit. lee on Public Lands, in the Senate of the United States, is evidence of their real efforts, in ad vocattng and urging forward this great and im portant measure. E. D. Edson Esq., of Posey, then offered with avcry eloquent spirited and preface.the subjoined resolution which being ably seconded by John J. Chandler Esq., of Vanderburgh and warmly supported by Messrs. Lockhart of Vanderburgh, Brackenridge and Moore, of Warrick was car ried with entire unanimity: Resolved, That the Hon. Tilohmah A. How ard, who, at much personal sacrifice, and inconvenieuce, was induced, after repeated solicitations of the Municipal authorities, ajid citizens of this place, to visit Washington, and urge on the individual members ol Congress, the importnnce of completing this great National Thoroughfare, is entitled to, and should receive our warmest thanks; and we are fully, and entirely satisfied, that in leaving his Professional avocations, to attend to this "Nationai." object, he was actuated by enlarged, and liberal views, and influenced solely by a desire to benefit the State at large, by lending his personal efforts, to aid in the completion ot a work, which would advance and promote her interest and welfare; and it is with extreme regret, and surprise, that in an anonymous communication in the Louisville Journal, of the Ilth inst. We have seen his motives misrepresented, and an imputation attempted to be cast on the same, wholly false, and without the shadow of foundation, imputations, alike at variance with the character of the man; and with the circumstances, under which he was induced to lend his aid, in opening to the rich and fertile valley ol his owu State, this great National thoroughlare. On motion of Mr. Lockhart seconded by Jas. Jones, Esq., of Vanderburgh it was iurther Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the President and Secretary, and published by all of the papers in this Congressional District ; aud in the Indiana Stale Sentinel, and the Indiana State Journal. After which the meeting adjourned. WM. OLMSTEAD, Chair. t J. W. B. Moore, Sec. 07-When the Locofocos first began to receive intelligence of the results of the late town elections in New York, they ascribed the unexpected .Whig triumphs to "local causes." They now see that those "local causes," whatever they are, have prevailed all over the State. No doubt the same "local causes" have done their work throughout tHte Republic. "Local causes" are tremendous things sometimes. Lou. Jour. Indignation Meeting. The Cincinnati Atlas, of yesterday, says that the news of the secre negotiation, which John Tyler has been carrying on tor the annexation of Texas, has created at strong sensation, and that it has been suggested that a public meeting should be called in that city to express their sentiments concerning tnis extraordinary movement. Qjp-Mr. Calhoun. There is a rumor, says the Baltimore Clipper of last Monday, that Mr. Calhoun has accepted the omce ot secretary ot State, with the 'permission to retire as soon as he has disposed of the Oregon question.

WABASH AND OHIO CANAU " From the Boston Atlas. STATE DEBTS. Discredited and humbled as we are,by the failure of some of the States to provide for the interest on their debts, any man who un- ;

derstands the value of national character is ! prompted to enquire, occasionally, whether . nothing can yet be done to hasten their re- ' turn to solvency. If the- objections to Mr. Cost Johnson's plan, of creating a national debt to cover the whole, are insurmountable, s there no other way ia which the national . government can lend a helping . hand, in a cause of such deep interest to us all? A memorial lately presented to Congress, from Indiana, sacms to show that the govern- , 4 can do so, in one important case," at least, without exercising any power but such as has been admitted to be constitutional and acted upon as such. The Wabash and Erie -Canal is intended to open a communication through that Sta'e, between the great lakes and the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi. It is an immense undertaking, and a large portion of the work is already done. In a 1 grant of land that was made by Congress to . the State, in 1827, to aid in the project, it was provided that the canal should be "a . public highway, for the use of the Government of the United States, free from any; toll." If completed, it would probably be a very useful highway to the nation. At the same time, its completion would give the State an important revenue, and so much encouragement to provide by taxes, for w'jat would remain due from her, annually, for Interest, that we might perhaps see the name of Indiana struck from the dark list of de linquents who are bringing disgrace upon us all. ; ' ' To effect this object, a further grant is now as-ed for from Congress, of about a million and a half of acres of land, which is not likely to be of much "value, it is staled, uuless the Canal should be made through it. It is earnestly to be desired that the petition may have due consideration; and that, if the fact3 are found to be as they are stated the grant may be made. While the structure of our Government "compels M3 to reject the plans which foreigners might expect us to adopt, for paying the debts of any portion of the Union, let us in the name of all that is honorable and honest let us take care that nothing is left undone, which we have the right and power to do, towards effacing the stain that rests upon our character. '. ; From the New York Express. The East and the West. Every year . discloses some new facility for diminishing mthe distance, by reducing the time of transit from one of these sections to the other. . The most recent is the project of the State 1 of Indiana, to obtain a gram of land from Congress to complete the Wabash and Erie Ca- -nal to the Ohio . river. If this succeeds, it will complete the most practicable route for -trade and intercouse between the northern , and southwestern portions of the Union. The channels ot trade between the upper part of Kentucky, Eastern Indian a and Ohio, through the great Ohio and Erie Canal the lower part of Kentucky, Western Tennessee, - . Northern Alabama, and the lower Mississippi, through the Wabash and Erie Canal and t the upper Mississippi,and Illinois, through the Illinois Canal, with the northern markets and manufacturing districts, will theft be per-, ; feet and complete. These great works will be -bonds 'of Union, and channels of a trade that will rival all Europe. The Wabash and Erie canal will be a direct channel for the whole of the Tennessee Valley below the Muscle Shoals, with New York and Boston. The interest of the Northern districts of tha , Union, therefore, is, that the proposed measure should succeed, so that the whole Union might derive the benefit, and by an increas- " ed commerce, increase the wealth of both regions and by increasing the capacity for consumption, increase the revenue of the,' General Government far. beyond the trifling sums aunually derived from the sales of tbd lands asked for, which, it is said, have been . in market thirty or forty years, and which' J can only be sold in any considerable quaiitity, by exciting the hope that the canal shall j be completed. . . f The Slate of Iudiana, has already sus pended large sums on the work, and but for the disasters of the revulsion of 1838, 39, and '40, would long ere this time have had the Canal completed. The United States have granted land heretofore to the CanaLr " and reserved the right of using it as a free . , throughfare of the government forever and the present grant would extend the right, and make it of immense value to the Gener- T al Government.

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