The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-16
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE
From our regular correspondent

From regular correspondent
New YoRK, Oct IA, l845.
II is likely the time will come when there will be
several routes across the continent, connecting the
Atlantic with the Pacific ocean by railroads and
nails. One of the shortest and quickest will be
across the isthmus Of Daren. This route, from all
we can learn of the nature of the country, will not
admit of continuous ship-cana but must unite
the plan Of railroad with canal.
Another favorable place for route will be to fol-
low the valley of the Rio Grande del Norte, from
near its mouth till opposite Chihuahua, or the
mouth of the river Conchas, which flows into the
Rio del Norte from the southwest A branch Of
the Conchas, called the Rio San Pablo, enters it.,
high up, from the west. This latter stream almost
interlocks with the Rio Fuere, which falls into the
Gulf of California at a small town called Tequeco.
See Arrowsmiths superior map of Mexico: Lon
don, l840.)
This route would have the advantage of suitable
grades for railroad being afforded by the channels
of the water-courses named The Fuerte heads
within few miles Of the Pablo, which flows into
the Conchas, and the latter into the Rio del Norte
at place called Preside del Nore or De los Junos
little north of the Goth degree Of north latitude
The length of railroad leading from the Gulf of
Mexico to the Gulf of California, along the valleys
of the rivers indicated, would not exceed 900 miles.
One great advantage of a road at this point would
arise from the absence of severe grades, as would
NC uct Will iuiticf HoIul, anu TIC uuocICV VI
snow and frost, always severe and formidable OBJ
saces to railroads crossing mountains in high lat-
tudes. Why should not road, connecting the At
lantc and Pacific by the California and Texas route,
be equally as available and as profitable as any 9TH
err 1t would, at all seasons, be easy to reach its At
lsntc terminus from New York, by sea- or by way
of the Mississippi This road would also pass
through the richest mining country in New Mex-
co, if not in the world.
! am induced TO believe that this communication
will not only be found the most practicable, but will
be sooner accomplished than any othcr-if, perhaps,
we except that across the sthmus of Darien.
The rapid settlement of Texas and California that
is taking place by the Anglo-Saxon race, will open
the way; at early period, for the construction Of
this great highway By this road, emigrants can,
at all seasons, proceed to the Pacific, to Santa Fe
to California, and to Oregon.
Another road may be in future time constructed
from St. Louis to the Pacific, through the Rocky
mountains, as kind Of continuation of road that
will probably be made from New York to St. Louis.
But the distance railroad from St. Louis would
have to traverse to reach Oregon would amount TO
about 1900 miles, The difficulties in the way
would also be Of fearful character. Shows and
frosts of great severity would have to be encoun-
tered, in the winter months, for nearly the whole
distance. The country passed would be in
the possession of hostile and powerful bands of In
dams, affording no trade to the line of railroad.
Taking all these things into view, a person from
Texas and California road than by the 81, Louis
and Oregon, and with deal more comfort and
safety in time Of peace. For instances he could
reach New Orleans by steamboat down the Mis-.
sssppi in four days. To the Mexican Gulf end Of
the road, by steamboat, might take two days and a
half more by railroad to the Gulf of California, at
200 miles a day, would consume four days and a
half more making the travelling time from ST.
Louis (even in the dead of winter to California,
and with perfect comfort, only ii days
To reach Oregon from St. Louis by railroad
would, at the same rate Of travelling, consume
days. And, as California is hereafter to be the
promised land to the emigrant seeking home on
the Pacific, when reaching Oregon he would still
be long distance from the place of his future resi-
dence Besides as the largest portion of China lies
between the parallels of 300 and $50 of north ati-
tude, Canton being in about 900 it becomes APP
parent that the route to China from the Gulf of Cal
ifornia, will be nearer, and through calmer sea,
than from the mouth Of the Columbia river in 45o
north latitude. The mouth Of the Fuerte river,
east shore of the Gulf of California, is in about
26o 49, and the cape of the gulf at its opening into
the Pacific, Clearing southwest of the mouth of this
river called Cape S. Incas, is in $50 north latitude
So that ships course from this cape to Canton in
go, would be nearly due west across the Pacific.
This road between Texas and California would
open rich and valuable country to trade, already
ssttled, and producing wealth from rich mining ope-
rations, which the road would vastly assist in de-
veoping. 1t woud pass through Chihuahua, the up
per part of the province of Durango, and terminate
little south ofGuaymas, in Sonora, on the Gulf of
California
How much better it would be for Mexico to es.
tablsh tranquility at home, to cultivate peace and
commerce with the United States and the rest of
the world and to encourage enterprise by wise and
prudent laws; to invite capital into the country;
to open up these great lines Of communication be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, by means Of
which, provinces now isolated would be thrown
open TO the trade of China on the one hand, to
Europe on the other and to the United States north
Of her. BY such policy, her people would grow
in wealth and intelligence, and the government
strengthen itself by augmented revenues How
different would such prove from that she is
now pursuing! Torn to pieces by discussions at
home, and at loggerheads with foreign nations, ex-
hausted in revenues, yet full of vain and Boosting
threats, she is fast reaching position where she
will stand object of mingled pity and contempt
in the eyes of the civilized world.
One Of the worst concomiants Of high protec-
tive tariff is that of smuggling. Whenever the
duties exceed certain amount, generally about 80
per cent, smuggling never fails to be extensively
carried ON. Before the reduction of the British
tariff, the smuggler's duty for introducing goods
across the English channel into England was 30 per
cent This continues to be the smuggler's duty, or
guarantee for transporting goods the channel
into France and Germany, &c.
Thousands of articles, such as cotton laces, &c,
troduced by the smugglers. do not know what
premiums are paid for smuggling into the United
States yet have every reason to believe il is very
extensively practised.
An American gentleman who resides in London,
engaged as a commission merchant in making pur-
chsses Of goods for American houses, and whom
recently met in this city, assured me that cotton,
woollen, and other goods chargeable with high
dutes continually sold here auction for less
than he could buy the same goods from the best
houses in Europe. He gave il his opinion, that
the quantity of Struggled goods sold in this country
at auction, and by other means, was immense.
High tariffs, therefore, while they fail to protect
the manufacturer against smuggling fail also to
produce revenue, while corruption ard fraud are
sown broadcast the land.
Il seems the man who embezzled SO largely
from the banking house In Wall street, in years
gone by, proves to be Of the name Of Isaacs We
understand the embezzlement has been known in
Wall street for some months past. The miserable
man, who fell victim to his passion for gaming,