The Arkansas banner., 1849-10-16
From the New York H~sald. NsmphiH and &L Leuis--Tke California Rail. road ConTrniienx of OsIobeT sd and 18th.


 pose of doing what caa be done to promote the speedy opening of a raisond route between the Al. la1ic and Pacific. 4 laTRe attendance of delegates from the various parts Of Inc Union vii pfoisably be present ss both. At Memphis will he reprssen- ted more especially the esnatry interested ia ,he route proposed by the middle aud souftern portion of the Union; and at St. Louis, the rOate sdxces- ted for the nerth; ratbeF, all portions of the try are likely Co be represented by delegates la each l eoBventioH; but St. Louis embraces the northern interest. and Memphis the residue okths UaioR. ] Ii is certainly ;o be desired that n6 eonfict shall ] be eHgenSere5 whca wili, in any manBer delay or leopard the speedy compilation of the grand under taking desigsed- aud indeed. necessary. as the re- cent information from California shows. to unile the Atlantic and Paei6c, and make people Of al the inhabitants of the whole continent Some dif- ference ef opinion may, of course, b. expected Ad verse focal interests involved But care ought 10 be- and probably wili be, exercised 10 ascertain the route for this great thorsoEhfsFe proper with reference 10 the common interest Of the whole try, and prevent pefsoual influences and focal ca- bas from entering toe largely into ihe matter. Mir Senator BsntOa has thrown his great name and powers into t In behalf of the St LoDis project He has troops of friends. and the experience of a veteran politician in the tacticsusefato to accomplish aDy public parposs IL Is not at ali unlikely thai hts recent movements in Missouri have quite 30 much references to the location of this road his Presidential aspirations. and certainly than 10 his newborn sbhorrehce of African slavery. Be this however, 4s t may whatever he puts his hand upon, it is certain to weigh heavily the country, for zeal or wO.
 St. Louis. and lis population, commerce, resosr- ees, present aad prospective condition very fs- miiiariy knowR st the north; not so much is known of Memphis. A few words and little time may well be given to the latter and something also 10 it's claims to bs the crossing psce upon he Mississippi river of the ron band which is 50 hold together the American borders Of the west and the east The present population of Memphis is about l2000. IL sianes the east bank of the Missis sippi river. about $50 miles from it's moath, and 750 miles from New Orleans. and is in the south west corner of Tennessee. about Is miles north of the bou Gdary line dividing the States of Mississippi and Tennessee. The Mississippi river is paSig4ble as high as Memphis, al ai seasons ol tine year. aud in every stage of water for the largest steamers that float upon the western waters. lt is likewise below the poiBt al which the ice ever closes the river. Not st. Louis. In the customary low waters Of the river 10 the summer and fall months, the larger steam craft cannot ascend 10 descend from St Louts and unfreq ntiy, il the winter months, the Fver-s closed with ice. al and below St. Louis, and, indeed, below the moath of the Ohio river.
 The growth of Memphis has been scarcely sur- passed by any of the cities of the west, winch 90 suddenly spring from tho un,rodden forests ilto busy and thrifty emPoriums of commerce. It's present condition Is for the part, the of three-fourths, the progress of ten years steam packets of the largest coss regularly ply in the ba siaess season. between t and New Orleans, and the other important towns of the west above
 The trade of the place depends chiefly upon the staple of the surrounding country of Mississippi and TenneSsee-cotion. The annual export is from l25 to 90 900 baies averaging each 500 pounds. and worth from s4900 000 to S, ,0oo 900, accord ing to the fuiness Of the crop of the year. and the .Es s |. la krt g.Ex.. from Memphis Another large portion finds il way 10 New Orleans down the snall rivers which flow into the Mississippi. without passing throngh Mem phis, bot the commerce of which is transferred mainly ai that place.
 No person can reasonably expect the route of the road be located otherwise cIan with reference to the common interest of the whole county. The conditions implied in this are that the route shall be sufficiently central io the entire ERion shall pursue the shortest distance the easiest levels the climate which will be the most available at all of the year In ali these particulars, the ad- yoeates of the Memphis route claim the advantage. l. Toe Memphis route is more central ? It passes through temperate climate, without obstruc,cn from the ice and suows of winter. Ben- ton route proposes 10 crcss ihe Rocky Mountains at the Three Parks, elevation Of about 5000 feet above the ocean level, and. of course, for large part of the year, practically impossible railroad carriages IL is elevation largely above the heght U, sissppi river Besides, his route, proposed for the Si Louis scheme, takes no notice of the great range i the Sierra Nevada mountains, which near aud i parallel to the Pacific coast No practicable pass ! through that raugs has yet been discovered, or al l least made public The unhtuess of the Three Parks for the pass of the rai reute at all of the year is manifested from the fact that Fre- monts disastrous expedition undertaken, it is generally understood for the express purpose of dis covering, if possible, better and more southern route through the rocky range. In that attempt he got above the everiastlog snows. into the region where the eternal tempests ceaselessly howl. and living thing can remain
 } In point of distance, the Memphis route has the advantage Of several hundred miles, if the direct line b. followed. and still more if the practica be track of road b. considered. The Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Neya5a will have to be turned, not overcome. They mus; be turned by their southern eItremIies This lin- w carry the track still more largely south of St. Louis, and of any line it can propose
 |. The reports Of those who have gone over the Memphis route, aad practically know the ground. of whom there several in the western country. eonear in stating that plaa aud easy wagon tract exists from the Mississippi river up the Canadian fork oi fhe Arkansas, through q country of nnsur- pass-d fertility. and thence generally one or two hundred miles soath oi Sau,e Fe, to the head wa ters Of the Gila, and from there down and onward
 
 the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. l. But the present occasion does not allow any ex- tended and minute developments Of the facts which test the two comparative advantages of the two routes.
 l The Whitney route need scarcely be noticed. IL s iSnPraetieabe, withDts penetrating to the polar ! regions, and has scarcely sny advocates in the eouuiry.
 The whole Union ought to be represented in the Memphis Convention. he people al large will have to furaish The means or building the road and are entitled 10 its benefits; and hence, rightfuy and properly. oaght to snare ia the councils which pre- pose to devise the mode asd defas the route l. is the dcsre of those having charge of the prem- nary srran gemenss of the Memphis Convention, which meets on the 25d of October. that the whole coaatry shall be abuDdautly represented by dele gates They do mol propose their route fer any par. tieular portion of inc Uaioa-noi for the south for the aorth for the east, or the west but for every foot of the continent which the Amsgi- can flag its protecting shadow IL Is the route