The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-07-21
WASHINGTON, d. c., June lS, 1876
The Railroad to the Pacific.

| notice in your paper of yesterday, your COM
ments upon the report of the Committee on
Roads and Canals of the House Of Representa-
tives, on the subject of railroad to the Pacific,
and you are pleased to mention my project with
favor.
My project has not been before that committee
at all not having explained my views or plans !;
so the report is not connected with my project in
any way. The same committee, composed of
different members of the last session, gave me a
favora BILE report.
The necessity or object of this report do not
understand, as there was proposition before
the m except few indefinite petitions from diff
terent parts of the country, with no definite pro-
position Tor even route or plan OF or means for
instruction
The report was made by Mr.. Smith, the chair
man, who resides at Alton, Illinois.
| have devoted 6much time and attention to
this subject, taken much pains to obtain all the
information possible, and passed myself over
more than 800 miles of the route which propose
from Lake Michigan, and am compelled to say,
have found no information or experiences to
correspond with the report. On the contrary,
from Lake Michigan, where propose to start Qor
reasons fully explained in my memorial to Con-
gress, and which now send you) for distanc
road can be built with greater facility, than any
route have ever passed over, with grade not
exceeding % feet to the mile, and after this to
the pass IN the mountains. 1t appears from Capt.
l had with him particularly relating to the route
for railroad the route is more favorable STILL
Captain Fremont is high authority, and his OPT
mons and statements have been fully corroborat-
ed by many intelligent men, who have been to
and from Oregon, and they all agree that there is
favorable route from the pass to the Pacific
and 1t is well known that the emigrants are al
most constantly on the route with loaded wagons
That the road can be built as have proposed,
have the fullest confidence and my project is
the only one which is. or has been before Con-
gress tor action: My memorial Gas you will sse2
committee have had the subject under conside-
ration-are unanimous in its favor, decided to
report and bring in a bill. The report, under the
charge OF Judge Breese, has been in preparation,
but the different important and exciting subj ects
before the Senate has delayed it. / am promised
IT will be brought forward in few days
This project, / may say, is the object of my
life. lhave investigated It, / think thoroughly.
III can get the grant of land there will be no in
surmountable difficulty in the way ofits success,
and ind no serious objection TO the grant. Many
OF the members have told me firmly and freely
that they will vote for, and arc anxious to act
upon ii at once.
The only objections are local. Some may be
dissatisfied because it cannot pass through their
1arm or place. or because it iniereres with some
darling project, but such are limited.
have full confidence it can be carried the next,
II not this Congress, if the people want il, and
sustain me. lfthis project fails, the road can ne
Yer be built, Tor there can be other means than
the lands, and they fast being taken up. 1t is
on the lands from lake Michigan to the Missouri
that all depends when they are taken up or
when taken mp from the lake to the Mississippi,
the work cannot be done, and will not be done for
ages and Oregon and California become a sepa-
rate, distinct independent nation, controlling the
entire commerce of Asia, and our most powerful
rivals. This result is inevitable; so soon as there
are fifty to one hundred thousand people settled in
Oregon and Upper California, their commerce will
peSln to be important, they will be in position
xrr,le
strictons or taxation, and it will cost us no small
sum 10 pIeventit, till finally, with the aid they can
gei rom Europe, they will be able to resist and
E Err oe Hee' with all the capital and influence OF
Europe NJ their command But with this road
their interests and ours are ,n;tcd tbev ira but
nve days from New York-together we hold the
destnies OF all mankind, the old and new world
proHgh h ogeaner.he grand thoroughfare for ALL
tary to and dependent upon u.s.
iours, uuy, A. WHITNEY
AFFAIRS OF THE CHERoKEEs.-Several meetings
OF the citizens of Arkansas have been held ,,;,I,,
Two or ,nree weeks to take into the exist
ing relations between the Cherokee Indians and tho
hsbtans of Arkansas residing Immediately on tho i'm;
The proceedings represent that the citizens on the from
TIER are greatly annoyed by the incursions of arm.d
bands of Cherokees into the country and the MANY sc
Of murder and robbery which have been Committed.
that their condition and demand Immediate mi,.
ry protection, and that they have right 10 receive ali
needul protection from tho State authorities AT least
that 10 the absence of such protection they feel com
PEELED take the matter in their own hands and in sbc
dence to the law Of selfdefence protect themseyes
They ask therefore, that the general does
not station troops them for protection that the Co
Of Arkansas shall afford that protection by plac
ing portion of the volunteer force Of the State near
them for that purpose They also resolve that one of
the most efectual ways remove the evils Of which
they complain is for the Govepor collect such Che
into neighborhsod in the vicinity Of military post
where they receive protection and that, II the 20.
ysInment will not remove these refugees they viii
the protectonto which they entitled under the laws