Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-07-02

Having cleared away the errors which undervalued
the country and pointed out the advantages peculiar
TO il, now come to another advantage common 10 all
North America, and long since the cherished vision
of my young Imagination. Russian empress said
Of the Crmea Here lies the road to Byzantium."
say TO my fellow-ctiZens Through the valley OF
the Columbia lies the North American road to India
TWenty-cighi years ago | wrote something on this
experience and observation has given me nothing to
deiract from what then wrotc-nothing TO add, ex-
cept derived from the progress of the arts, and
especially omnpotent steam.
The trade of the East has always been the richest
jewel in the diadem of commerce. Al nations, In
all ages have sought and those which obtained IT,
or even share Of it, attained the highest degree of
opulence, refinement and power. The routes through
which it flowed ertzed deserts, and built up cities
and kingdoms amidst the desolation Of rocks and
sands. Phenicia, Egypt, Persia, were among TIE
thoroughfares of this commerce; Constantinope and
Alexandria among its modern channels Sand Venice
and Genoa in the south, and Bruges and Antwerp.ip
the north, the means of its distribution Europe
All grew rich and powerful upon 1t and, with wealth
and power, came civilization and refinement. The
Cape of Good Hope became the recent route with
wealth to its discoveries the Portuguese, and to all
their rivals and folowers-the Dutch, English French
aud others.
The commerce of Asia, always dazzling to the
Oriental nations became the intense object of desire
to the western Europeans, ffem the time that the
crusaders visited Consantlnope and Vasca di Cana
doubled the Cape of Good Hope. The dazzling at
traction of this commerce the cause of the dis
covcry of the New World. Columbus, going west to
Asia, arrested by the Intervention of the two
Americas. From his day to the present, skill and
power have excrted themselves TO get round, or
through this formidable obstacle. All the attempts
discover q northwest passage many attempts
to discover western road to India All the discoveries
of the French among the interior lakes and great
rivers of North America were with the same view.
La Sale, the great French discoverer, parting from
his friends eight miles from Montreal for his last
word, exclaimed, La Chine (China,) the word
which displayed the object and end Of his adventur-
enterprise; and by that name the spot is known
this day. He had all the qualities of great disco
verer but he knew not how TO coneillate the
feelings of his people, and fell sacrifice their
resentment on the Arkansas. The Jesuit fathers,
coura geous and pious missionaries 10 whom the world
was indebted for all its early knowledge of the interi
or of North America, Il am speaking only of this
nerior,) seeing the waters of thousand lakes held
in equbrt Pom a vast plateau in the centre Of the
continent, from which three great rivers went off
north, south and east, TO the Atlantic and hearing
the Indians speak Of a river OF the west in their
language OrcgGn-a spelling which Humboldt follows
naturally supposed that, from the plateau a
fourth great river went off west and actually sketched
Oregan from Lake Winepec to the Pacific, still to
be seen on some old maps. They were right in the
fact of the river though mistaken in Its source and
this is the first knowledge which history has of Ore
gon.
Mr. Jefferson, that man of rare endowments and
common sense-of genius and judgment, philosophy
and practice-whsse fertile mind was always teeming
with enterprises beneficial to his species: this
man, following up the grand idea of Columbus, and
taking up the unfinished enterprise OF La Sale, and
anxious 10 crowd into his administration galaxy of
bfNI ents, early projected the discovery of an
inland1 0dte to the Pacific The Missouri
river to be one long link in this chain of commu
nication: the Columbia, any other that might
the purpose, on the other side of the mountains,
TO be another. Lewis and Clark sent out to
discover commercial route to the Pacific ocean and
SO judicously their enterprise conducted, that
their return route must become, and forever ill.,
the route of commerce. the route further south,
through the South Pass, latitude AZ, will be the
travelling road but commerce will take the water
line of their return, crossing the Rocky mountains in
latitude AT, through the north pass.
With the exception of a small part of the route, the
Hudson Bay Company now follow, and have followed
for thirty years, the route of Lewis and Clark These
eminent diseoverers left the Columbia river near the
mouth of Lewiss fork, went up the Kooskooske,
thence high mountain TO the forks of Clark
river and thence through the north pass the great
falls of the Missouri. The Hudson Fay Company
have discovered better route to Clarks river, fol-
lowing the Columbia higher up, and leaving it the
Upper Falls, in latitude about 4Si, and where they
have established their depot for the mountain trade
miles overland to Cfrks river, whence the river is
navigable to its forks, three hundred miles up, and
within one hundred and fifty miles of the great falls
of the Missouri. Along this route the Hudson Bay
Company have carried their trade for near thirty
years, quite through TO the east side of the
Rocky Mountains; paying duties, using our river
and territories, poisoning the minds of the Indians
against us, and exhaustng the country of its furs.
Their goods arrive Fort Vancouver in ships from
London ascend the Columbia to Fort Coville in
batteaux-make portage of sixty miles to Clarks
river, the lower part of that river being unfit for
navigation; then ascend Clark's river to its forks
three hundred miles, and thence to the head waters of
the Missouri. The only part Of this route with
which have but little acquaintance is the sixty miles
of portage from the upper falls of the Columbia the
point where Clarks river can be navigated. Ii may
be mountainous; but that it is practicable, is proved
by the fact that the Hudson Bay Company have used
1t for thirty years that it is the best route is proved
by the further fact that long acquaintance with the
country has not induced them TO change it. With
this slight deviation the Hudson Bay Company follow
the return route of Lewis and Clark and this will
be the route of commerce TO the end of time.
The Columbia river is decred for its navigation
not by the British who know its value, and struggle
to maintain Its possession, but by those who see the
whole country beyond the Rocky Mountains through
the medium of depreciation. 1t is, even state Of
nature, practicable river for navigation The tide
flows up it hundred and eighty miles and to that
distance there is ship navigation. Batteaux ascend
it TO Fort Coville, at the upper falls, making more,
fewer, portages according to the state of the
ter and beyond that point they still ascend to the
Boat Encampment," opposite the head Of the Atha-
! basca; where pass the mountains leads TO the
waters of the Frozen ocean. Periodically, the river
/ is flooded by the melting Of the SHOWS in the moun-
tains; and then many Of the falls and rapids are
buried in deep water, ami no trace of them seen.
/ 10 I'll