American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-07

shall be completed, will be of vast advantage
in a contest with naval power, if our own ma
val force could keep command of the gulf
But whilst this latter was problematlcal, it
would only have been building Malta, or
erecting a Gibraltar, to add to the superiority
of an enemy, who, if master of the gulf, would
easily starve the most devoted garrison, placed
on a small and barren island, into capitulation.
If our naval force on the gulf should only be
furnished from the seaports on the Atlantic,
(Which, for long time, was admitted to be the
case,) such, in fact, Notwithstanding the ac-
knowledged prowess and devotion of that ma
tional arm of defence, would inevitably have
been the destiny of garrison on the Dry Tor
tugas. report from this department to the
executive, on the 9Th December, 1910, was the
first official announcement that our government
had discovered its possession of other elements
of naval power. Its existence had attracted
your attention, and has since been recognised
by Congress in the establishment of naval de-
pot at Memphis, with the wise forecast to bring
into harmonious action with the permanent for
tifcations for the defence of the gulf coast, the
maritime resources of the great west and south
west. 1t cannot any longer be doubted that we
can, at will, by the union of the engineers
work with this new suCcor from the MISSISSIPPI
pi, become the strongest naval power on the
Gulf of Mexico, which is, emphaticaly, "oUR
OWN SEA-" This beng conceded, a strong for
tification, placed well in advance so as to over
look, not only the vessels navigating the gulf,
but every one doubling Cape San Antonio,
would be the most powerful auxiliary to the
steam force which we would have afloat in the
gulf With the small appropriation of $50 900
for commencing this work, but little could
have been done towards its actual construction.
A million of dollars would be moderate ex-
pendture for such Notifications as we should
have on this Reef The important positions on
the shores of the gulf having been secured, or
nearly so, there no longer exists any cause
which should lead to a further delay in the
commencement of a work of class fully COM
mensurate with the wishes of all those (but lit
tie, indeed, short of the whole people of the
United States,) who are interested in the COM
merce of the Gulf of Mexico.
Depots of coal for armed steamres employed
in the Gulf of Mexico, are recommended; as
is the fertilization of Dauphin Island.
The Secretary recommends the organization
of company of sappers and miners, and the
establishment of a national foundry for the
manufacture of model guns, for testing mate
rials, SC. He mentions that the revolution
airy pensions due in September last were I'M
paid for the want of appropriatons-stat
that sites for Marine Hospitals have been Sc
ected in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky
| 900 being required for the erection of
buildings at each place. He deems modifca-
ton of the existing law creating the Commits
sary General of Subsistence, necessary so rs
to auth@ize purchases in open market, or by
contract, as may be considered most expedient,
&c.--recommends the sale of the mineral lands
Of the United States as other public lands; and
thinks that such an arrangement would be
highly advantageous. The improvements of
the western rivers and harbors have been vigo-
rously prosecuted during the present year, by
which the perils of navigation have been great
ly diminished. The difficulty of removing the
Red River Raft, is noticed, and he recon-
mends the placing in the hands of the proper
bureau reasonable sums to be annually expend-
ed OH that object. The transfer of the light
house system to the bureau of Typographical
engineers is recommended. He notices the ex-
ploration of our territory west of the Rocky
Mountains, by Lieut. Fremont hopes to be
able to lay the report of that officer before
Congress during the present session; and de-
clares himself favorable to the occupation of
that territory. We make the following quota
tons from the report:
The immediate valleys of the head streams
of the Arkansas, the Platte, and the Yellow
Stone rivers, have much rich and valuable land.
The Platte, or Nebraska, being the central
stream leading into, or from, the great South
Pass, would very properly furnish name to
the territory, which propose suggesting to be
erected into territorial government in connec-
ton with, and preliminary to, the extension in
that direction of our military posts. | would
confne the Nebraska Territory TO our undispu-
ted possessions on this side of the Rocky Noun
tains Its boundary line would commence at
the mouth of the kanzas, and run up the Mis-
souri, river to the mouth of the Runnng-wate
river, and would pursue that stream to the
head of its northern branch, and thence due
West to the Wind-river chain. From this
point, turning southwark, the line would con-
tinue along the Wind-river range, and the
main chain of the Rocky Mountains, to the
head of the Arkansas; and following that
stream to the mouth of the Pawnee Fork,
would pass by the heads of the Neosho and Os-
age rivers again to the mouth of the Kanzas.
The eastern section of the region embraced
by these boundaries from the Missouri river
westward for two hundred and fifty miles, is of
great agricultural beauty and facilities, thickly
timbered on the numerous tributaries of the
kanzas, Usage and Neosha rivers and in fer
tility equal to the best land in Missouri. From
tlle iitlt ol ths ieftiie PoItioi, WestWdIu ioT Il
space of four hundred miles, the country is en-
tirely covered with rich grasses, which improve
in quantity and quality up to the snow Of the
mountains
The limits of this territory include the ex-
treme head of navigation of the Arkansas, all
the good lines of communication with Califor-
mia, the road from our frontier to the Mexican
boundary and Santa Fe, and also an excellent
and more direct pass to Oregon, discovered by
recent exploration, about one hundred and fifty
miles southwark Of the great South Pass.
Although the number of inhabitants engaged
in agricultural and other pursuits within those
| limits do not afford an amount of population at