The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
- APPENDIX
TO MR. BENToN's SPEECH ON OREGON
I.-NoRTH AMERICAN ROAD TO INDIA.
APPENDIX
Extracts from essays written and published al 81 Louis,
Ia 1919, by Ihomas H. Benton
oREGoE.-AsIAric COMMERCE.

New route proposed by the people Of the United sste
by the Columbia and Missouri MISUNDERSTANDING o
this rOutePreerence due to IT, In shorness Of distance
in safety; In eheapness OF transportation In substutu
an exchange Of commodities for trade In gold and 81
yeroher advantages In rendering the eommsres q te
republic independent OF Euope in giving the ePuDc
the command Of the North Packc ocean giving to t
republic the monopoly Of the East India trads-Eneat q
this monopoly on the wealth power Of the republic
on the wealth and power Of England on ine nod,,i
power Of Russia; the religious. and Poh,cai
ofthe people Of Asis-Eaect the military expedition 2
the Upper Missouri in laying open me paew NJ Ia5
o. an american Fur Company o9s TaS somnSny with
view 10 obec-Ides Of the value and present con
d.on Of the fqr trade nssisnss by he Americans
tain establishment Of the new route Immediately Wild
the aid Of the american g9ysrnmsn ey %
|. Commerce soih .1sia.-Spices, aromalics, pre-
cious stones porcelains, cottons, silks, and teas,
are the articles of Asatic commerce Silver and
gold are the articles with which they purchased.
From the earliest ages Of the world, the precious
metals have flowed into ASIA and this draln which
has been ncessant for several thousand years, ha7
become still more enormous in later times. The
Americans alone have carried twelve millions L.
eastern Asia within the last year, eight millions OF
which were carried to Canton, and exchanged fol
tea, silk, porcelain, and cottons This course Of
trade has oceasioned prodgious accumulation OF
the precious metals in eastern ASIA Tor what rs car
ried there remains there there being nothing in the
commercial or political relations OF the countries Ia
create counter current and bring IL back into
Europe or America. To stop this drain, and sub
sttute for il trade in barter would be an object OF
the first interest with any country, especially with
the United States, which have no mines TO supply q
drain so ncessant and so enormous To go FUR
Their, to create a change which would draw back .
part Of the gold and silver which has accumulated
in Asia, would be commercial operation which no
nation has yet accomplished, and which would open
u vein of unrivaed richness. Both Of these oper
atoms are practicable, not by the Europeans, who
have nothing which they could substitute for silver
or by the Americans while they follow the track Of
the people Of Europe. Yet there are articles for
which the Asiatcs would not only give the rich pro-
ductions Of their country, but freely exchange their
gold and silver If brought into their market by any
nation. These articles are FURs and BREAD. the
former, Europe has none TO send, Of the latter but
lttle and if she had any TO spare, her geographical
position the vast distance which interyenes would
prevent its expectation. America, on the contrary,
abounds in both these articles-the hrst has been
blindy abandoned TO our enemies; the second has
not been carried to Asia, because the Americans
vilely follow the track OF the Europeans, and are
su more reniUte than they from the seat of COM
merce. The American navigator sails to the east,
ira verses 80 900 miles Of sea, doubles stormy and
tempesuous cape, in order TO arrive IN what is called
the East Indies. In the meantime whatwas the East
Indies to the ancients, are the West Indies to the
Americans; for they lie TO the west Of US, and but
few days sail from our own coast. The western
shore Of North America and the eastern shore OF
Asia front each other-the mild and tranquil waves
Of the Pacific ocean alone intervene-in the broad
est part as narrow the Atlantic, and in the mar,
rowest, at Behring's straits, only thirty miles
apart. Instead of going to the east, Americans
should therefore go TO the west, TO arrive In ASIA
and taking that route, they would Immediately be
able to carry furs and bread into the markets OF
Asia, the first of which is now piaged from them
by Englishmen and Russians, the latter would have
to be raised from the fertile banks Of the Columbus
river ..
ii. Sought atier By all nafions-During thirty cen
turtles the nations of the earth have hocked to Asn
in search of its rich commerce. Sacred and profane
history exhibit the PICTURE Of merchants load
ed with gold and silver, traversing the deserts
camels or the trackless sea in ships in search Of
the rich productions Of the east. From the time oil
the Phenicans to the English Of the present day
the countries of eastern Asia have been the chief the
aires Of commercial enterprise; and the nation which
shared this in the highest degree, has &C
qured in all ages the first rank in the arts, the sci
ences, in national power and individual wealth
And such will probably be the case to the end o
the world. Nature has made but one Asia, but on,
country Astounding with the rich productions which
are found in the East Indies; and while mankind
continue to love spices and aromatics, precious
stones, porcelains, fine cottons, silks and teas TIL
trade with Asia must continue to be sought AT
ter as the brightest jewel in the diadem of com
merce.
ILL., .4ncient channels fthis connerce-'rhese ma,
DC UdCeu runs VI inc great winch grew
up with the possession of this trade, and persisted
with its loss.
Tyre, "Qlsen Of Cities" was its first emporium
The commerce Of 1.-THE centered there before tn
captivity of the Jews in Babylon, upwards Of 81,
hundred years before the coming Of Christ (Rollin
She traded to Arabia Persia, and India Her rout
by the Mediterranean sea to the coast of Egypt
over land to the Red sea by the isthmus OF Seuz
down the Red sea, and thence east by coasting voy
ages to the countries about the Gulf Of Persia and
mouths Of the river Indus. The possession of thi
commerce made Tyre the richest and the proudes
city in the universe; gave her the command of thu
sens; "mode her ira6ickes the honorabies Of the earth
Isaiah) and enabled her merchants to dispute witt
kings in the splendor Of their living and the vastnes
of their expenses. acknowledgements, king of Baby
lon, conquered Tyre, and RACED it to its foundations
but he did not found a rival city, and the continu
ance of the India trade Immediately restored thu
Queen Of Cities" to all her former degrees of powe
and pre- eminence. Alexander conquered her no ain
founded rival city on the coast of Egypt, an,
Tyre became ga place for fishermen to dry thei
The Jews, in the time of David and Solomon
succeeded to the India trade. Their route was tn
same which the Phenicians followed from Tyre
and their country became the theatre of wealth. an
their kings the arbiters Of surrounding nations
In the reign of Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia
new route was opened with India 1t lay iron
the borders of Persia through the Caspian sea, vi
the river Oxus to the mountains which divide
from the river Indus, across those mountains will
the aid of the Bactrian camel, and thence down tn
river Indus to the countries about its mouth, the
the chief seat of the India trade and the limit Of tn
ancients in their trade to the east. This rout
covered distance of three thousand miles: six hun
dred on the Caspian sea, nine hundred on the Oxus
two or three hundred overland crossing the noun
tains, and about twelve hundred on the river Indus
The foundation of Alexandria created a new EN-
porium, and opened new route for the commerc
Of the east, chosen with so much judgment, that j
continued to be followed from the time Of Alexande
the Great, upwards Of 300 years before Christ, til
the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope IN tn,
fifteenth century. This channel was along the ca
nal of Alexandria to the Nile, up the Nile to Cop
tus, thence across the desert with camels to III
Red Sea, and thence coasung voyage to III,
mouths of the Indus. The Romans, in the flour
ishng times Of the republic and of the empire, de
rived their supplies Of India goods through thi
channel.
In the same age another channel was opene
with India. 1t lay overland, across the DESERT ror
the bottom of the Mediterranean sea to the rive
Euphraes down that river to the Gulf of Persia