The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-03-02
LANCASTER, OHIO:
Rn.l,I 60 dino f,ncific.


plan of Mr. Benton the best The billin-
troduced into the Senate by him, pro.
vides for the construction of railroad
from the Mississippi tn the Pacific, com,
mencing at St. Louis and ending at San
Francisco.
1t contempialcs most magnifcen; en-
terprise, which can be accomplished
A breadth Of one mile, from the border
of Missouri to the Pacific, is to be reserv.
ed. First upon this, a single railroad
track is to be constructed-t0 be follow.
ed afterwards by other tracks and other
kiuds of roads. The whole enterprise
is to be conducted, under the patronage
of the General Government, without the
cooperation Of individual stockholders
The former is to build the road aud own
il. A branch road is TO run to Oregon
and to connect with the Columbia river.
In submitting the bill Mr.. Benton made
one ofhi best speeches, aud it is said
that the effort was able eloquent, aud ear
nest. 1t is favorite project with him,
and though he commences SOLITARY and
alone no will continue to press il upon
the attention of Congress and the people.
But already it has many friends and ad
vocates. We give the concluding portion
Of Mr.. Ben:on'G speech:
"The road propose is necessary to
us. and now. We want it now. The
state of our possessions On the Pacific de.
mands it. The time to begin has arrived.
All the necessary information is on hand.
The means are ready. The title to Ore.
gon is settled, and government is estab.
Iished there, and population is growing
up, California is acquired; people are
there, and government must follow
We have feet on the coast-troops
there and going. Streams ofpopuation
are concentrating there. Since the dis
covery of the New World by Columbus,
there has not been such an unsetting Of
the foundations of society. Not merely
individuals and companies, but commu-
mites and nations are in commotion. all
bound to the setting sun-to the gilded
horizon Of western America. For want
Of an American road, they seek foreign
routes, for round by sea aud land, to
reach, by an immense circuit. what is part
Of their own land. Until @e can get a
road Of our own, we must use and sup.
port foreign route; but that is a tempo.
rary resource, demanded by the exigen.
| cy of the times, and until we can get our
own ready. Never did so great an object
present itself to the acceptance of ma
tioH. Weow the country from sea to
sea-from the Atlantic to the Pacific
; and upon breadth equal to the length
ofthe Missssi ppi-and embracing the
whole temperate zone. Three thousand
miles across and half that breadth, is the
magnificent parallellogram ofour domain,
We can run national central road
through and through the whole distance
under our flag and under our laws. Mill.
tary reasons require US to make it; fol
troops and munitions must 60 there
Political reasons require US to make it;
it will be u chain of lnion between the
Atlantic and Mississippi stotes.-C Com
mercial reasons demand it from us; and
here touch boundlsss field, dazzline
and bewildering the Imagination from its
vastness and importance. The trade OF
the Pacific ocean, ofthe western coast OF
North America. and ofeastern Asia, will
all take its track; and not only for our.
selves, but for posterity That trade OF
India which has been shifting its channels
from the time Of the Phen;cians to the
present. is destined TO shift once more
and to realize the grand idea of Colum
bus. The American road to India will
also become the European track to that
E region.
The European merchant, as we'll al
. the American, will fly across our cont
y nent ON straight line to China. The
3 rich commerce Of Asia will flow through
v our centre. And where has that com
f. merce ever flowed without carrying
wealth and dominion with itl Look q
{ ts ancient channels, and the cities which
o il raised into kingdoms, aud the popula
!, tons which upon its treasures became re
J splendent in science. learning and tn,
!. arts. Tyre, Sidon, Balbec, Palmyra
u Alexandria, among it's ancient emporiums
= attest the power of,his commerce to en-
d rich. to aggrandize, and to enlighten ma
e tions. Constan;inople, in the mddl,
Q ages, and in the time Of the crusades
;. was the wonder of western Europe; an,
0 all because she was then thorough
Il fare Of Asiatc commerce. Genoa ant
!, Venice. mere cities, in later times, be
8 came the match Of Kingdoms, and the on
$ Wy of the kings, from the mere divided
s streams Of this trade Of which they be
n came the thoroughfare. Lisbon had he
great day,and Portugal her pre-eminenc
during the little while that the discover
J ofthe Cape Of Good Hope put her in CON
o munication with the East. Amsterdam
=" the city ola little territory rescued fror
Y the sea, aud the Seven United Provinces
l. nm equal in extent to one of our lesse
- Suites, became great in arms, in letters
- " in wealth, and in power and all upon tn
20 East India trade.-And London whs
y makes her the commercial mistress ofth
, world what makes an Island no large