Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-09-23

| Atlantic and Pacific Canal.-Tbe contract an
tered into by the Barings, of London. with the Re.
public OF New NADIA, for the construction of a
snip canal across the isthmus of Darien, provides
Tor ceding to the Company the line for the pro.
Jected work, with eighty thousand acres of land on
the two banks, and four hundred thousand acres
IN the interior. These princely mercha nts do not
appear in this transaction the agents of the Bri
t'sh Government officially; but they are British
SUBJECTS protected by theGovernment, nd doubtless
many important advantages will be secured to
Great Britain, both political and commercial bv tho
completion of this vast work here projected.
The time has been when the construction of this
Atlantic and Pacific Canal--a work of world
WIDE concernment--was in our own hands if we
had chosen to take up the matter. Other nations
on the other side of the water held back as though
1t were expected that our Government would OK
ecute an enterprise to which it seemed called bv
position as the foremost power on the American
continent, and as power whose commercial spir.
1t land energy would hardly brook the interference
OF European nation in a work 90 peculiarly
american. The occasion, however, has been suf-
Tered to pass. Through our tardy ndiffere nee,
the work which we would not do has fallen into the
hands that will do it-into hands which will hold
It with steady grasp when it is done. The key
OF the whole American continent is to be in the
keeping of England-there being, as i. would seem,
no proper guardian Of it on this side Of the Allan
tIc-ai least none with spirit enough to step forth
and claim the function.
The completion of ship canal between the two
oceans, as projected will mark era in The worlds
age. The event will stand forth to give dis.
tnctve character to the century. 1t is to be a i've
years work-to endure forever. The whole as
Pect OF commerce will be changed by it. 1t will
accelerate the revolution now going on in China
more rapidly and more thoroughly, than ali the
force of British armament-and not there only
will it work changes, but in all Polynesia and Aus
trail asia, and the Western coast Of South America.
which are now reached by doubling Cape Horn.
We observe that a writer in the AIexa nd ria Ga
zette is OF opinion that better route for q canal
between the two oceans is by way of the river
st. Juan and lake Nicaragua-much better than
across the isthmus of Darien. This latter route
Is through mountainous region for some forty
or fifty miles, while by the other the distance re-
qulred to be cut will not exceed fifteen or twenty
miles, and as rivers empty into the Pacific at no
great distance above lake Nicaragua, the infe-
renee is fair that no great distance OF elevation
exists between the Lake and the Ocean.
1t would be worth while unqueslionabIy to send
a special agent to Guatem ala on this business
to make inquiries and examinations at least. The
last amossadSr sisG sen sent b!hes fgSm the y Saes
painful searching he was obliged to give it up
We do not know that the Guatemalas have any
government yet-possibly they have. At all
events an envoy might be sent, and for aught that
any body knows, he might return with knowledge
of The two important facts that practicable ca.
nal route between the Atlantic and Pacific and a
live government both actually exist in Guatamala.
--Bah. american.