The Arkansas banner., 1849-05-08
No B.

elusive control and management ef She government; and Nhen anisised, open to all HAstoRs os the footing of cixena, with ol charges barely sWihcient to keep Inc read in repniE Aud instead of sending forth, has bee0 proposed, large mti' taFy IoFee-wiih garrisons oa the rcaa---sre weala respectfully suggest that the public deaaia, each side af the road. be aoBNsed to sctters Thus would eaase tho entire route to be settlel with hardy race ef of pioneers, who. at all times and under af circamstaBees, would prove an sdeetaal barrier against the ine1rsons Of hostile iHcianN.
 Various routes have bsea sngweested as most suitable for the location of the rOsd and each have their Friends and admirers High credit Is due eo thosa citizens who have stepped forth ss the champions and friends of great enterprise eosa. mence and terminate where il may; aud il Is with much dithdence we venture to ask as expression of public opinion in behalf of one of the preposed reates, over others; and do anty hee@uae og the hsgh intcvspt isvuwud.
 The most prominent Foutes for this road which have been proposed aud pressed upon the couaidera- ton of the public with much earnestaess and in behalf of which the aid of tue government has been asked, in the opinion of the committee, are badly located. One of them k too fur south almost under the equator, in foreign government. The ineiden- tai aud collateral advantages following tho consirnc- ton of the roads would be theirs not ours The others too far north, The great latitude of the country from which it is proposed to commence the construction of the Pacific railroad--the immense praries 10 be passed, destitute of wood aud water, over which the nofthcrs from the Rocky mountains sweep with great yioience-the vast quantities of snow and ice 10 be encountered, are very serious obstacles, annually recurring aud beyoud remedy. The Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers, aud all tributaries 10 them, from the moeth of the Ohio river to the northwestern lakes are anaualiy in winter, liable to be blocked up with ice frOm sixty to ninety days; and in summer and autumn for about the same period, the navigation is interrupted for the larger class of syeamboats, if not for all boats, by low stages of water
 The objections urged to those Northern routes have lately been impressed upon the public mind most painfully by the published accounts of the disasters which have befaslen enierprisiag and uneritorious feow-citizen, Col. Fremont, on his late expedition to California.
 By reference to the map of Ele United States, and statistical tables Il will be pereeiVed that three foarths of the people of the valley of the Missis- sippi. reside upon the thousand small streams which make up and constitute Inc Hatche, Forked Deer, Tennessee. Cumberland, Ohio, Wabash. Green Salt, Kentucky, Licking the Msmis, Maskingum, kanawa, Monongahela and Alieghany rivers. These rivers empty into the M ssissipp through the mouth of the Ohio or below il. Much the larger portion Of the productions of the people residing upon the small tributaries which form ths rivers mentioned are sent off to southern sesports by the aid f spring and winter hoods in fat boiton,ed boats. The bulk of the productions of the country can thus hnd their outlet 10 market, in flat botfomed
 
 nat they cannot be moved against it.
 To locate the proposed road above the mouth of the Ohio river, would shut olt overwhelming majority of the people of the Mississippi from an equal participation in the benefits of this let and subject them to double charge of transship- aeut-besides the general causes for delay which have been alluded to. and which would operate preudicially to them well as all others. If this new arm of the sea--as it is sometimes termsd--is destined to become the worlds highway; r oar ships to whiten the surface of the two seas it becomes question Of h'gh Import to dshnd ffe world, that the road be located that this migisty nierDa and foreign commerce, sayal sBd military supplies, men and munitiois of war; the mail, %c. &e. Nc. &c. shall pass over he same safely, easily, certainty, at all tres and under all circumstances
 The citizens of the State ot Arkansas Tn q con ventioB, nanerously aitcnded r-gardiug the pro- posed road measure worthy the spirit ofthe age, have urged it's importance Gpon the people of in. United Stetes by weighty Considerations of public policy, in resolutions unanimously adopted, and asked for a convention Of tie people al Memphis on the 4th day of Juiy next The convention held in Arkansas recDrnme nded alat the proposed road should be commenced the wes: bank of the Mis- sissppi river, opposite Memphis; thence westwardly to the Pacific ocean. By selecting the west bank Of the Mississippi river. opposite Memphis, the beginning point they believed the causes of delay mentioned will be ohviatsd. He.e the navigation of the rive, is unnierrupteo. The course to be pursued westward the greater part of the way, will be through level country, tbonaGing with wood and water the climate mid, exempt from snow and ice above the yellow fever region of the south. be- iow most of the great trlbaiaifs which empty iuto the Mississippi river, midway between the gulf of Mexico and the Northwest Lakes, md central to tue great valley of the Mississippi and the | uion " A line drawn diagonally across the States from the northeast yf Mexco to Inc southwest corner of Texas, uter,ects another from soathcru Florida 10 the northwest e@ner of Iowa, a few miles (rom Memphis"
 In tho construction of te proposed national high way the greatest good of the greatest numher, al home and abroad. shoud be considered If the eastern terminus of the road te located SO far north ss 10 render the same liable Co be impeded by rosts ii Is respectfully urged that this leading comsiera tian will be overlooked By ectng the west bank of she Mississippi, opposite Memphis the eastern terminus the interests Of the whole coaptry north south. east and west foreign and domestic, will be consulted.
 The great chain of Improvements --rak ing and made--conheclibg the northern Atlantic cities with the lakes, and ile lakes with the NJ iSsis- sippi and Ohio rivers, will open up one ayenue when not iTnpeded by hosts low water, to the northern and western States of this Union to Can ada. and to thai portion of foreign commerce which shall pass thresgh the northern Atlantic cities When the route last mentioned Is clored hy ice or other causes, the ineonvepi~nces o which they are subjected, should not be visited upot others. The chain of railroads s.d canals, already construeted f and projected, running through Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, and connecting with th. Ohio river, is anotber svenas, lying south of the ons first mentioned, which will accommodate d large portion Of the people of this eonfederscy. Again: the Chsreston and Augusta railroad. al- ready completed to the Tennessee line, and which witi, DO doubt. under the influences BOw st work 1 be shortly completed 10 Memphis. either by a Itne passing through Nashville, in progress. CT by brsuch through north labans, or by both. wil open up. in connection with the lower Nississlppg (which from the Balizs to Memphis IS alwavs uavi. gsbls1 another channel Of communication for for | eign commerce flor the northern and southern AL isptc eties-for the ehiire south aud for tine rich and varied productions of the West iadia isand~. 1 The propositioa made by Arkansas to held | convention at Memphis, lhe Ith day of Jul, next, has beea secoBde1 wiib saFnestBe@s and nj entire aaanimiiy bs the ciiz.DS Of Memphis. B, virtue of their public resolves, il has bsen made oa duty to confer with the citizens oi the United Staie i upoa this interesting topic. In the dt.eharge o