Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-09-26
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED,
DAILY,
From the National Journal.
ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC CANAL


tract which has been recently formed with the
Government of Central America by Company
of Citizens of the United States, for uniting the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, by means OF ca
nal 10 be opened across the Isthmus, through
Lake Nicaragua. AS an opportunity mas been
afforded to us. by the politeness OF A. ii Palm
err Esq. the general agent OF the Central fine
yiican and United States Atlantic and Pacific Canal
Company, of reading the Contract itself, as we'll
as some of the discussions concerning it, which
took place in the Legislature of that Republic,
we have thought it would not be uninteresling
10 our readers, TO lay before them brief ab-
stract of the terms and conditions of the Con-
tract. We understand that it has been submit
ted to the inspection ofthe SECRETARY OF STATE
and SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY; & that they
have both expressed their decided appreciation
of the great object OF uniting the two oceans by
means Of a canal for ship navigation, and their
great satisfaction that, if work Of such tran
scendant importance TO the commerce OF the
world would be executed by any company, that
company should be composed OF citizens OF the
United States. For ourselves, we entertain no
doubt of the practicablity OF the enterprise, and
at an expense that may be considered insignih-
cant, when compared with the incalculable adj
yantages which must be derived to commerce
in general, and particularly to that OF the Unit
ed States, from a ship channel across the 18TH
mus. Itwas probably to such direct commu-
nicaton as this between the Atlantic and Pacl-
fic, that the Secretary of the Treasury alluded
in his very interesting and able Report of the
18th February last, in which he discusses the
interests of our foreign commerce, with the
principles that should govern It. AS our read
ers may not have that Report at hand, we ex-
tract the following passage, which may be re-
garded as almost prophetic, and which super
sedes the necessity of our adding another word
on the subject:
"Whilst repudiating for ourselves all claim
to special fayors, we must not be insensible to,
by failing 10 improve, the transcendant advan
tages which nature and Providence have placed
before US. Amongst these, most especially to
be ranked at the present juncture, is that of the
physical position assigned 10 us upon the globe
Besides the ascendency which this, in conjunc-
ton with the existing amount and perfection of
our mercantile marine, is calculated to give US
over the chief commercial operations Of this
continent, vista is opened by the recent eman-
cipation of the latter from European thraldom,
10 a new era in Oriental trade. Amongst the
of increasing to the United States the CONNER
cial, if not the geographical facilities of inter-
course with China and the East Indies, may
safely be looked to as Ole: Placed at middle
point between Asia and Europe, with some of
their ports stretching almost 10 the southern
Atlantic, others opening on The Gulf of Next
CO, whilst new ones may be expected to rise up
even upon their maritime border, at the remote
West--the coast Of the Pacific, it may reason
ably be believed, that'they will become largely
the connecting link Of trade between the new
Republics and the East, besides greatly extend
ing, through these increased facilities, the trade
with the East, more properly their own, and
that also which consists in carrying the produc-
tiQns of the East TO Europe The.enterprising
and experienced navigators of the UnitedSIates,
already familiar with all the coasts and islands
of the Asiatic seas, viii not be slow 10 avail
ofeyery new opening, traffic with
regions SO neutrality-suspicious. exhaustless from
their fertility, and the population with which
they TEEN; that have swelled the tide of wealth
to ancient kingdoms and empires, as to modern
Venice, Portugal, and England their own
wealth seeming to be perpetual, the foundations
OF II Still continuing TO exist, as they were orr
ginaly laid, as well in the costly and exquisite
fabrications of art, ever distinguished those re-
gions, as in their immense natural riches lfI
the channels of intercourse with the Oriental
" orld were once through the interior seas and
CULTS OF Asia, and afterwards round the South
erh promontory of Africa, there is nothing UNI
reasonable In the belief that the next great
change, change springing out of the force of
no less than political causes, will be
through this continent; at all events, that new
and inviting channels to this intercourse are
destined to run in this direction Every pros
pectiye and future view, therefore, Of the resolu-
ton submitted to the House; under every anti
cipation of its effect, whether immediate and
certain, or probable, though more remote, it is
believed that that effect upon the commerce and
navigation of the United States, will be propi-
tious; and that the present moment is thar at
which wise forecast recommends 1t to the
highest degree Of favor and attention. There
are epochs in nations that form great and fun
damental divisions in their history, moral, po-
hicai, commercial. The discovery of this con
unent itself was scarcely followed by greater
results upon the condition of nations, than may
Dc expected 10 flow, in due time, from It's eman-
cipauon from Europe; rejection, with at least