Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-11-06
New YonK, ocrouER 20, ls47

New YoRK, OCTOBER 90 lS47.
DEAR Sra have the pleasure acknowledge the receipt
OF your letter. wherein you refer to the general belief that
am opposing your project for railroad from Lake Michigan
to the Pacific. This entirely to have no he
station in giving it direct denial and assuring you that
has not the least foundation whatever and be necessary
to give it public denial, you authorized to do
am at loss to know how such report should have gain
ed currency my views and feelings have been always
pressed in favor of your project of similar kind and
gladly take the present occasion that the examination
oyou project has afforded pleasure, and excited much
interest in your success, and will watch your
progress with degree of enthusiasm knowing you have
many difficulties and mpedments TO One of the
greatest OF these impedments is the disposition in the public
to rdcue the project altogether chmerca and quixotc
both IN its conception and execution but this is be expect
ed and is peculiarly the with great project like that
you PROPOSE which requires thought and reflection before
be properly appreciated. will be long before our
counymen, with their usual discrimination will discover its
merits and pronounce in favor of what many as one
of the great humbugs Of the day.
Since the successful introduction of for navga
ton and railroads. the public mind Of both Europe and
America has been quckened the advantages be derived
from the facility affords for and shorter between
the great commercial of the world Look, for instance
East by the establishment Of the overland India
China, although is limited mails and passengers. See
what efforts being made open canals rail-
roads to connect the of the Mediterranean with the
Red Sea and the Pacific with the Gulf Of Mexico Who that
has read the letter Of late Minister Prussia Hon HEN
WHEAros to the Secretary of State, in ls45 that has
not felt both pride and pleasure at his expanded views and
enlightened policy, and the advantages pointed this
country eectng intercourse with China by ship canal
he Of tho
flow to whole country The information given Of the
explorations the attendant difficulties, both physical and po
ltcal, to be by following either of the
ned by able engineers renders the chances Of eecng
sirable an end almost hopeless.
Having thus become acquainted with the difficulties Of the
route to China by the sthmus of Daen and knowing that
they must be overcome at ALL by proper locking the
prise and energy Of few naturally turn to other projects
to accomplish this end and your project for railroad
this continent is one Of them.
As people, fortunate in having sufficient ex-
perence OF the kind of you propose be
satisfied that almost any kind of impedments and difficulties
that can occur this continent may be readily
We have before eyes, and daily witnessing the
undertakings that fellow citizens with moderate and limit
ed means have completed and in progress and amongst
these works and lines of railroad that but ago
deemed impossible tits well that greater
difficulties are to be found in the route you propose We
therefore, believe a railroad can be constructed.
The next consideration is, whether the object in view is
worth the undertaking mean the construction Of a railroad
to connect the eastern and western shores of continent
secure TO country the benefits that must flow from
partial not total change in the route of the
and nom the East.
The prize great of this there can be no doubt in
the mind of any and the end sought
of great national well individual Importance
worthy nations enterprise and exeons Can there be
doubt that, the shores of the Pacific be reached in Zen
days. of the benefits that flow from Let every one
who feels interest in the advancement Of religion, cviza
ton commerce, agriculture and manufactures, and in the
progress of political and social institutions reflect the
CHI In he brOup Inv In my unl
there is branch of human happiness, employment and
knowledge that such improvement would not promote.
would add to national glory, and be worthy of free
institutions to accomplish SO desirable an end
In comparing the estimates for canal the fsthmus
with railroad such you PROPOSE the cost Of the latter
would undoubtedly be much larger than the The first
aims exclusively 10 obtain the trade of the East while the last
secures to US every thing worth ten times the sum to
country, from the real benefits will heap upon people,
exclusive of the advantages Of The railroad be-
completed who doubts of reaching the shores of the Pac
c within ten days Ii would connect Eastern and West
harbors and mighty rivers (he finest the world and
both with the valleys of the great West Another great
sderaton is that il would be all within limits free
from all political arrangements with foreign Governments have
been constructed by the enterprise and Of
ymen and be carried on by citizens under the regulations
to tolls, to be adopted by Congress What bond Of
union would il be II would bring the vast fields (both
home and foeign) of missionary operations TO our
DOORS thus aorng every opportunity the dissemination OF
the Gospel and the blessings Of Christianity among the hea
then that any would desire. Can any one doubt that
civilization would be advanced by such Accommodation
must with the hordes Of that now nfes
frontiers Would II not be the Of carrying our poti-
cal and social institutions to the farhest limits the earth
Could any thing tend to advance the interest OF
making the great highway for the vast trade OF the
East through extended territory and habors and
storehouses the receptaces Of il When reflect on the
that have ensued and been carried by the nations OF
Europe to endeavor the monopoly OF the commerce
OF the East but be struck by the glory attendant
upon country il such end could be brought about by
the arts Of and the enterprise and energy Of people
What would tend the agricultural interest and pros
pery than the markets that would be thrown open for our
all productions and the field for manufactures and for
every branch of mechanical labor would be widely extended
The very construction of such road would afford work for
hosts OF Iaborers think il may safely be asserted that all
and occupation would receive not only prospective but
immediate benefits.
Every satisfied with the facilities the harbors
Eastern seaboard offer for However great they
be- they do not exceed those offered by the Straits Of
Juan de Fuca Admiralty Inlet and Pugets Sound the
Western These mnutely acquainted with, and
they surpassed by any, and large enough
modate the navies Of the world and fit eceptaces for the
Of the East, which cannot doubt will day,
and that far distant, flow into them
Besides the commerce of the East shall in like
command that of the Poynesian archipelago together
that from the shores Of America and they will
all become subject the influence of institutions The
accessons commercial prosperity that the opening
of this would bring about is scarcely within the
scope of calculation have yet had reference to the
great benefits conferred by il upon extensive whale
fisheries almost exclusively American, and the opportunities
it would afford It's extension and all other distan,