...against the commerce offered him, and hoped that things might stand so until there should have been " a little time allowed to open and make easy the ways...the Atlantic States and the western territory." The opening of the upper reaches of the Potomac to navigation had long been a favorite object with Washingtoa;now...

...there was no haste, and the wisest of them all said frankly, more than once, that until there was time to open and make easy the ways between the Atlantic states and the western country the obstruction of the Mississippi would not be harmful. "There is nothing," wrote Washington...