Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-06-03
A CONNECTION WITH THE PACIFIC

" Wv .''i''iPPi Win prcs,oh, n the govern
ment viii give him all the Ian lyip, within
thirty miles OF tn, road on each sid, throu IN
ont Its enurc length SOM, of the public
prints seem to regard this sch,m, with favor.
II Is probable that il it cOlld ever b, accom-.
rhshed by lutiNi lItl cnterprizc. il might b,
done IN this or The next century, provided the
government would furnish stanIin, arm TO
guard TIL road. until the settlements should
become sufficient for that purpose. B fore
It's completion tn, people would have ample
time to rue their bargain, ani to Apr .ciatc
the holly OF such grant of territory, enough
Tor state to private proprietary. Tn, Lo.
co-tocos too, with their accu stom 4 facility
Tor spsn'n5 money, without regard to the
practical advantages, have had pet schem, for
establishing chain of forts between the Mis-.
souri, and the Columbia rivers, and tlling them
with girriaonS. These two schemes are alike
contrary TO sound policy.
Our true policy is to nlintain our p9sges
sion OF Oregon, and, for tn present, to make
II subservient To the protection and aid of the
commerce. ON the Pacific, ami ,he supply of
our ships OF war on the sum ocean. But 10
imimtain possession of it, ther, is no need of
either an army stationed there, or a cnmn,n;-
cation by land between oar States an | that ter
ntory' Other powers can have NJ armies i'm
,ighborhooi, nm against any attack from
all the forces thy are likely to have there. a
| small force, with tn Ship, which W, ought to
keep in the Pacific, are anil will b, quite sui
hcient. onr wars for the possession of that
territory will not b. fought there. For the
defence ot Oregon, the battle Fl iii lies b,ty,en
New York and Liverpool Why then should
we desire forts between the Missouri AMI ca.
umolaf HIVE we such a surplus of popula-
lon that W. are anxious to facilitate its drain
age from the fertile valley of the Mis,issippi.
70 the regions bsyonl the Rocky Mountains?
Oar population cxpnis rapidly enough when
II has to NOW down the forests as il goes. Il
would b. inconccivably rash policy to aid il
IN overlapping wilderness of two thousand
miles and thus leaving the parts of our single
nation to b, separated By such barrier. We
want only enough of our people in Oregon TO |
maintain our possession of it and TO aid our
navigation, until the natural progress of our
population shall carry il over the Rocky Noun |
tains. For this purpose we need neither !
chain of forts nor railroad, either of which
would involve an enormous expense. For
tins purpose, that very navigation which we
desire TO accommodate, finds sufficient con-
nection between the Atlantic and Pacific over
the great highway of nations. 1t can bear to
that rem )tc region al very small expense, for
ces enough for defence, men enough for com
merce, citizens enough to plant AMI rear the
institutions of Am ,rican freedom. Let orr
whitc-wing,d ships, which are already famil-
lar to every sea, visit these distant bounds of
our territory and carry with them like those
birds which carry in their plunge the seeds
OF plants an | trees TO the rem Dtest elm s. the l.
principles of republican liberty. AMI when
ever or people shall feel too narrowly com
binct IN here within the valley of the Missis-
sipPi, they will find paths enough across the
Rocky Mountlins, after subluin5 the wilder
ness on this side of them
The proposed railroad, regarded as a short
eT route for the commerce between our cities
and the shores OF China, is magnificent con
ception. Bat before it is undertaken, it will !
BE- well to consider whether it is possible to
make 1t and keep ii up through thousands of
miles of ln(ians If it is, thea it woull b,
we'll to consider how loag it would BE- before
indiviluals could plete it-what would be
the consequences of grantin5so mIny millions
oi acres OF lanl to a single " Prince (lor
a prince he would be,) whether before thu road
could b. made W. may not have more south
crn AMI better connection with the Pacific, and
many other equally pregnant queauons.
! We are satisfied that if this project ought
now to be attempted, it should BE- done with
the money of the government, directly applied,
and not by grant of the public domain nor
by the intervention Of private contractors.
The following extract from the Frenchohi
cial journal, the "Dsbats," describes with
force and truth tn present position into
which our Lpcoioco administration is placed
by former party movements, which were
o'ea'd 10 operate against the wings not against
England som: Of the wing papers appear anx
ious to relieve Them of their just responsible
liiy, By assuming upon the wing party the od-
ium OF the backing out For our party s
sake we protest against this unjust and gratu-
itous assumption, and for our country's sake
we protest against any backing out from ener-
gctic measures. The Dcbats saws:
People are excited against England. as. If
T; By maintaining under her domination Canada
and the adjacent provinces, the British gov
ieTumpnt Is SDDliatinp the initpI Stotog