The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-12-17


of the first class with all means of building and
repairing vessels Of war, with a portion of our
Navy permanently attached. But that Of itself
will not be sufficient 1t is indispensable to for
tiiy impregnablv To the Tortugases, which lie
midway between Florida Point and Cuba and
command the passes between the Gulf of Mexico
and the Atlantic coast. And to this must be
added Naval force of steamers or other vessels
which will habitually command our own coast
against any foe. IL will also be necessary that
tie bar at the Balize shall be kept at all times
open, so far as it can be effected, cost what il
NAV.
Bat other measures will be Indispensable ne
cessary To facilitate the intercourse between this
great valley and the Southern Atlantic Coast
with all the advantages possessed by the coast
ing trade between the Gulf and the Atlantic, be
1t ever so well secured against interruptions there
is one great objection To which it is liable The
Peninsula of Florida projects far To the South
which makes the voyage from New Orleans and
the other ports of the Gulf to the Southern At
lan'ic cities, not only very long and tedious, and
liable to frequent and great accidents in its navi-
Cation. voyage from this place for instance
TO Charleston, would be distance of certainly
not less than two thousand five hundred miles
and is subject 10 great losses as any voyage of
equal extent IN any part OF the world. II MAS
estimated some dozen of years since thai the ac-
Florida, was not less than half million of dol
lars year. and it may now with the great in
crease of oar commerce be put down As not less
than million. While between this and Charles
ton or Savannah, there may be- communication
by railroad not 10 much exceed six hundred Gales
ana which would be free from accidents aud
losses What then is needed TO complete cheap.
speedy and safe intercourse betw eeen the VALLEY
ut the Mississippi and the Southern Atlsntic
Coast, is a good system of railroads. For this
purpose the nature of the intervening country af-
lords extraordinary advantages.
Such is its formation from the course of the
Tennessee, Cumberland and Alabama Rivers and
the termination of the various chains of AlpqhaoS
Mountains, that all the Railroads which have been
projected or commenced, although each has l,poS-
ed only 10 lis local interest necessarily unite al a
point In DE kalk County in The Stale Of Geo,via
called Atlanta, not far from the village Of Deca-
tur 50 as To constitute one entire system of Roads
having mutual interest each in the other, instead
Of isolated rival roads At that point the Char
lesion and Savannah roads. each aiming al con
necilon with this great valley meet, and from that
point the OF State Georgia is engaged in construct
ing railroad 10 terminate at Chattanooga, on the
Tennessee River, above the Suck, which passes
South of the Western termination Of that chain
OF the Allegheny which throws The wafer ON the
one side INTO the Mississippi and on the other
into the Atlantic. With this trunk, the read
from this place to Lagrange will meet with The
Decatur Railroad around iEe Muscle shoals at
luscumbla. and the extension of that road 10 the
Georgia trunk Rome With the same truck
the road projected from Nashville will meet at
Chattanooga, and the Knoxville and Hwassee
already graded, will fall in with il at point not
far from Rome. So, ii we turn South from this
place to the Railroad from Vicksburg TO Jackson.
and the projected loads from Grand Gulf and
NaicbeZ 1t will be seen by reference To the map,
that they must all unite in their Eastern extern
sion al some point on the ridge between the Mis-
sissipp and Jumbigbee, and thence in their eE-
tension towards the Southern Atlantic ports, must
necessarily unite with the RaIlraad now partially
completed between Montgomery on the Alabama
and West Point, on the ApaachicOIa, and unite
at the same place with the Charleston and Sayan-
nah road, and the Georgia trunk So again tho
short railroad from New Orleans to Lake Pom
chartran, to Mobile, and thence by the Alabama
to Montgomery TO the same point the project
ed raliOad from Pensacola leads through the
Montgomery railroad. If we cast our eyes further
to the North East, we shall find that the project
ed Rail Road from Richmond to Kenawhs, on
the Ohio, in its Southwestern branch must ne
ceSsarily pass near Abingdon, down the Valley of
the HOsieln 10 Knoxville, and thence TO The aane
point. The whole thus constituting, FROM the
remarkable formation of the country, one entire
system OF roads, uniting at great central puint,
through which the whole have common interest
each in the completion Of other-each increasing
It's particular prosperity Of the whole. All Of
which will no doubt fully appear from the report
of he Committee on Railroads
! have limited my remarks 10 reference to rail.
roads to the region east of the Mississippi, as [
do not feel myself Sufficiently acquainted with
the subject 10 offer any views 10 reference 10 their
extension through the region lying west Of it
but ! am confident from general knowledge Of
the country that in their extension west, the in
teres Of all the roads will be FOND 10 be in like
manner harmonious When the yaTions roads
alluded to have been completed, the cnas,inp voy-
age between the Gulf and Atlantic coast, secured
against the Interruptions of war. and the navi2a-
ton Of the Mississippi and its great tributaries
sufficiently improved, then there will be between
all parts Of the Southern and Western States a
facility Of intercourse which Tor expedition safety
and cheapBess, will he without equal in any
country OF the same extent on ,he globe 1. Eiil
furnish great internal market within itself
through the exchange Of the great staple e,n-
tnodliies Of the Southern portion, with The bread
siufs and other provisions and products Of north
ern paris.
But. gentlemen. is it not sufficient that the
market Of this vast region shall he open by safe
and ready transmit within itself Dor pro6uc
inns FAR hsenpd pur arS