At the present day it is a difficult matter to decide who introduced the subject to public attention. If we are rightly informed, David Rittenhouse, the renowned astronomer and philosopher, and Dr. William Smith, provost of the University of Pennsylvania were the first persons to work in this matter. Afterwards, Robert Morris, the great financier of the Revolution; and still later Robert Fulton, of steamboat fame, lent their assistance. These men, as I said before, brought the idea of building the canal before the eyes of the public at large, and did all in their power to leave the canal constructed. But the idea was not an original one with any of the above named gentlemen. For we find that William Penn, in his project for a second se...