ntous
considerations, appealing, with irresistible force, to the heart and
judgment of every true American statesman, and patriot.

Great, however, as are the advantages in war to be derived from the
construction of these works, it is still more in peace, and as arteries
of trade, that the benefit would be greatest. If iron steamers are to
control the commerce of the world, the cheap construction and running of
such vessels may decide this great question in our favor. Now, whether
these steamers are to be built on the seaboard or interior, the coal,
and iron, and timber, with which to make them, and the coal and supplies
with which to run them, could be furnished much more cheaply by these
enlarged canals. And even if the vessels be of timber, the engines,
boilers, anchors, &c., must be of iron, and they must be run with coal,
all which would be furnished cheaper at our lakes and seaboard, by these
enlarged canals. Nor is it only for the construction of engines and
boilers for steamers, or coal to run them, that these works would be
important, but the cheapening of transportation of coal, iron, timber,
and supplies would be greatly beneficial in all industrial pursuits. It
is, however, in cheapening the transportation of our immense
agricultural products to the East, South, seaboard, and the return
cargoes, that these works would confer the greatest benefits. The value
of the freight transported on these canals, last year, was over
$500,000,000; but, when all should be enlarged, as herein proposed, the
value of their freight, in a few years, would exceed SEVERAL BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. They would draw from a vastly extended area, from augmented
population and products, and with greater celerity and economy of
movements, from the increased distances that freight could be carried,
and additional articles. With these improvements, millions of bales of
cotton would be carried annually on these enlarged canals. All of
Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Kansas, and the Northwestern
Territories, up the Missouri and its tributaries, with large portions of
Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and even of Texas, on the Red
river, would be added to the region from which supplies would be sent,
and return cargoes proceed by these works. Our exports abroad would
soon reach a BILLION of dollars, of which at least one third would
consist of breadstuffs and provisions. Corn was consumed, last year, in
some of the Western States, as