The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-08-13
WASHINGTON, July 81, lS47.

WAsurNaroN, July 81 ls47.
The Proposed Continental Commercial Line Of Inter
communication 6efpeen the Pacific and Atlantic, either
BY Ratiroad 10 San Diego, in California, from the
Mississippi, or BY Passage through the Isthmus Of
Tehuantepee-Tne Trade of Asia Reviewed and brief
ty RecaPitulated, in Connection leh some such En-
terprise
BY An OFFICER OF u. s. NAVY.
PAPER NO. ".
Speaking of the Tehuantepec project and of the pro-
ject Of a railroad San Diego in California our cores
pondent continues
view of the resources of the countries so far as
they enter into commerce. whose would have the
opportunity Of passing both Of these routes
and of the considerations which would determine this
trade TO take this course will show that inviting
field for the investment OF a large amount of capital
cannot be found within the limits terra cosnfa The
resources Of Asia and Of Europe would meet by
OF them, particularly by the Isthmus route at de-
ton rich The exchanges these three great regions
which have for many centuries been eagerly sought by
with facility SURPRISING all former improvements
They would be great the structure of the earth
the discoveries and inventions of science, and the
ergies OF active ndustryca permit or ensure Wealth
and art would then have achieved their greatest phys
cal Improvement upon that earth, which has been
commanded to repenish and subdue;n an improve
ment exceng all that has gone before It. except those
only effected by the most important inventions Of
entc genius or the Of the Asiatc trade at
the time when CANA doubled the Cape of Good Hope,
we have vivid portrait in Faria Y. Lausa, Portu-
guese historian We introduce il, because well de-
sorpve Of those now although the channels
OF that commerce were changed by the grand
tionary naval voyage of Cana Weonly remark that
has not deterorated essened at this day. has
lost none Of its splendor Of its interest. Sausa
thus accurately describ tBefore these dscove-
ries the spices and riches of the eastern world were
brought to Europe with great charge and immense
trouble. The merchandise Of the Glove of Malac-
wood of Tenday, the camphor of Borneo the gold
and silver of Lueonia the Spices drugs dyes and per-
fumes and all the various riches Of China, Java SIAM
and the adjacent kingdoms conferred in the city of Ma
lacca in the golden Chersonesus Hther all the traders
OF the countries as far west Ethiopia and the Red Sea
resorted bartered their own commodities for those
they received for silver and gold reckoned the
Calicut, Cambaya Ormuz and Alden enriched, Nor
was Malacca the only source Of their wealth" The
western regions of Asia had full possession of the
merce of the rubies of Pegu the silks of Bengal the
pearls Of Cacane the diamonds Of Narsinga the Gina
and rubies of Ceylon the pepper and every spice
Of Mslabar and wherever in the eastern islands
shores nature has avshed her various riches or the
western commerce. Ormus the great mart for
from thence the eastern commodities conveyed
the Persian Gulf to Bassora, at the mouth OF the
Euphrates and from thence distributed in caravans to
the port of Beyroot, on the Mediterranean suez on
the Red Sea, was also most important mart Here the
thence the Nile conveyed their riches to Alexandria
which city and at Beyroot, some Europeans the Vene
tans IN particular loaded their vessels with the opu
they distributed throughout Europe" While the east
commerce flowed through these channels the east
ern kingdoms received from 1t vast accession o
strength and wealth By the arrival Of the Portuguese
every thing was reversed In this respect and Europ
began to receive the richest outpourngS this
The trade OF Europe, which will connect itself will
these new routes of commerce. whatsoever they shall
have been constructed is the trade of hundred
seventy millions Of people, the richest in equal number
most reaned and scientific the most shif and artis
cal, earth Whether they be this not they are be-
yond dispute; the most wealthy as body SO that
fifteen millions of them Turks who know not how pre-
although they originally conquered, wealth
proximates very nearly to the wealth of ASIA with four
hundred and nifty millions. Two very nearly equal
of wealth meet therefore in this wonderful
meree like the great branches Of the Amazon of the
Mississippi IL is the wealth Of hundred seventy
millions OF Europe and of three hundred millions Of Asia
combining to conduct through an improve ed
channel; a commerce of an amount almost overwhem-
ing for one and in time will be sufficient for both these
highways For America and part OF Africa when popu-
| lation shall have been developed upon them, on the
magnificent and mutitudnous scale which the progress
time to bring, will rival the other continents
the tributes they will throw upon these the two great
continental highways OF nations. Whatever grandeur
may have attained in the past, which
tors have dated and statesmen and nanciers written
and historians enlarged will be ecpsed by this future
and Beshley idea will be riumphanty realised thine
nobest empire Is the as This great physical improve
ment at the sthmus probably the most effective of all
and its appropriate companion the railroad to San Diego
in combination with the. inventions of scientific genius
will be the greatest material fundamentally that ha
been evised can be- for the complete sub
jugaton of the earth to according to tho origins
design and law of the Infinitely wise Creator And al
though material improvements by sufficient
of themselves to produce state OF general happiness
they may be rendered abundantly conducive
by the rightly directed moral powers the intellect
discover truth the benevolent will steadily and disin
teresedy pursue it Nor is there any to
pose great will direct
when they shall have been madeas To be rendered
subseryient TO the general veal they will be auxiliary
to the general wealth. The very fact indeed OF their
will be strong proof OF general progress
IL win be- very striking evidence, in monuments
more durable than brass of the continual advances
that Anglo Saxon race of which II has been well said,
nothing earthly can be compared to this Gothic and
| But we will leave general considerations, to enter
upon something more specific; in other words, we
| will travel a little the territory of the hnan-
cier However dry his themes, they are fountains OF
necessary instruction in any well considered view OF
this great subject. Fortunately, the age in which ",
live furnishes precise data which may pro
coed with safety-avoidng the bcwldering conecture
of magination-than any that has preceded It, TIT
of the rates of taxation the quantity
raw and manufactured material, the products of tht
vine the forest the Of the earth which feeds
the river on which we glide in pinnace, canoe ship
| have been caicuatedehave been brought under tn,
operation Of and compass subjected to the expo
ration of common aritbmetca or even Of aIgebrsica
and geometrical analysis; and we'll situated Il
take every step with due caution and due knowledge
and by this to avoid difficulties that might impede
| The considerations which would determine European
with Asia TO this route are very obvioussav
ing of and distence, md greater safety
| comfort in the voyage. The abridgement Of distanc
would be immense from nine thousand to sixteen thou
sand miles The duty now levied on tea In Great Bri
tain Is Ia Cd, just eighth Of pound sterling
brings Of revenues $23 900 per annum
or in year than would be sufficient to make
ship canal the sthmus according to some esti
mates None make the cost forty millions and
disposed to think that 1t would not exceed thirt,
millions for either Of the routes This tax tea Is OF
| the amount consumed in the United Kingdom 1t doe
not include considerable amount which is bonded ano
exported to the continent paying warehouse charges
The vast interest which England has In whatever hay
perpetuae and this trade Is very evident The
it within Coos 500 ofthe revenue from
her greatest source Of revenue the income tax me
tax Of 2s and 3D. Is very nearly GO cents per TO- et
MS suppose the amount consumed in the united S.a'ss
and in all the of Europe except the British isles 20
| equal the amount consumed In Great britain men
| the number of pounds would be 76s0OoOO For
| the transportation of this across the sthmus or
railroad, let the amount assessed per Po9, 600
from this article alone. There must go back art-
Giles Of equivalent value TO the consumers IN onna or
this vast amount of teas Suppose that the invoice va
lue Of the teas cents per pound the aggregate va
ue of the 10 500 600 pounds would then be s2I