Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-05-29
SPEECH OF COLONEL BENTON
AZ pirrsRnRGH.

Tho oaa anrn ;, nromo,e The construction oil Inc
Ohm and pennsylvania Rail Road, to connee' a
phsbnrg with The Great West. Aver sOu'e III,
marks BY Mr.. Roberts, Mr. Benton 0''As WIZ
ed upon, spoke as follows: ,,v. M,
Mr.. Chairman and fellow citizens, l nave ~,
arrived al that age Of life in when h,s sh .,
,,.s roo feeble 10 speak, nor can plead 'ne "a
a,se nj being TOD tired tonight 10 aoaIess you.
I arrived here This evening, am PaSs'ns oh ~
,,a morning. and have had The honoi-.o u's
sn nnexpecl.d one-of being walled upon a"o
inui,eo 10 attend This meeting. II u hao oeeu a
nol,rica, meeting. should have mace my U.s.
mary excuse, and that is that never 81 +, III.
on political subjects outside Oh my Wv" snh.
wick, (near, hear and applauseJ ou' 90 noli.
ice, of this meeting is one fa'S" .""" - no
Iics-as il is an object chafdc'el,s;n u,;l;,a.
age in which we live-asii Is an ooles' :" ,h;s
rian in The highest degree cdm' !" ,eas,
meeline-it for no other Puipo' MAS in
Tor The purpose OF showing lnal Z ma'
favor of all such great sucn magniheen. ,ii,
nrovemen,s as thai, the Accomplishment. VI
which Won have met 10 consider to-h'gnl zap
n,ausel The President of The company mas
we'll observed. that, as a local question: couiu
m, he exnec,ed 10 enter into details; ana u Is
nuss,;on with myself whether | shall be able so
Gu ANYTHING on the immediate subject OIL ihe
.noa,;,o. hn, he also touched a point winch
,ourhed me. inasmuch as one END OF TINS foae
poin,s 10 S, Louis; and 81. Louis is on 'ne h'sl
road in a straight line 10 the Paclhc ocean an1
10 Canon. (Applause') ,;,h nj.
NV name has been connected win .n,S
great Improvement, Gas we'll ii misht-lol wn,ls
1 should consider all discussions as 70 WIN nds
The first to propose railroad 70 Ine "a.
cifc Ocean, as being on an equaniy WIN .,s
onestion as 10 who would be The hrst man 0 rue
On horseback instead of going afooD yet Ihirty
wears ago taking up the great ideas oil men anc
The progression OF things phal same progression
which brought Columbus to these shores )-lhiIy
wears ago / not only said but wrote it-lhirly
wears ago not only said and wrote IL ou' gave !
10 those who constitute the monuments Whicl
never die 1.-THE printing press, ana oy 'he pilhuns
nress il was then written down)-thlTly years age
/ said and wrote that, sooner or later ereal I'D
tional high road would be made from Inc WILSON,
ri 10 The Pacific Ocean-that that roaa Woula oe
made either Immediately, by the help OF tne : 6
deral Government, or eventually, and Wilnou
that helm by the tctce OF circumstances ana INT
progress OF events.
thirty yeays ago wrote this down, and was
as confident OF it then, as am al lhis day
(Gr.at appause.) Every road then when point'
towards 81. Louis connects itself with THIS eigan
tic idea OF the age in which we llve-lne mgr
way OF nations, Of Africa, Of Asia, of Europe
OF generations yet nnboen-a high way l1ou
ocean TO ocean, under one law, under one nag
under one language, uuder one government anl
thai republican government TOOL from one efs
10 The Other (Great applause
That great idea is now abroad Stalking owe
IN. land. and com mends itself with such force Il
hot nnuersal annTn6allOQ hal
risen in It's favor (applause) and there can be III
lie doub, that in short lime we shall witness IL
completion, (renewed applause) have broush
forward a scheme have proposed per centuu
of the sales OF the public lands, per eentuHa
II merely said that by way OF feeler, (cheers,
10 see how il would take, and il takes well, muci
better than either or any one else anticipated)-
proposed per ccntum Of The public lands, ny
pu,heca,ion ut them, 10 raise The means 10 go oil
with this great work. and to 60 on with II 10 IL
final completion. (Applause.l
GO ahead with The work, (cheers:) 90 ahead !
the work (renewed cheers:) 90 ahead and turn al
the force and power you Can command upon lh
object YOU have 10 view. Whatever il is, be
peace or he IL war, be il railroadsfor canals, q
ahead roeression-lhat It lhe great, the dis
tinguishing characteristic OF the American PEG
pie. (Coninued applause.) The wonders which
we see in the ancient world-such for examp,
as the Pyramids OF Egypl-slructures employing
myriads upon myriads Of men-how did .lhel
arise Z
Al the command OF soyereigus, who, at once
were political and relig ous tyrants-who had do
mnion over the conscience as well as dominic,
over the purse-who commanded a nation Il
come forward 10 work-and for Wharf.-The wis
dom OF the world TOR three thousand years ha:
not been able 10 tell. But wha, is the case will
us2 Where is the man-be he king or De hi
president-be he high or low-be he rich or poo
be he eloquent or speechless-where is The mar
can do this IN American fCheers.]
Where is the maR in the whole OF This broad
republic can command that which The people dis
approve, (cheers)--,hal which does mol comment
ITSELF to their sound practical common Sense r
(Renewed applause) No; No; Americans have
taken ataiay Tor their guide in every object; anc
they came iorward-not at The bidding OF priest
presidents and kings-but from feeling which
has It's origin in their own bosoms, feeling lha
tells them that what hey are going 10 DO is TO be
nefi, themselves and their posterity applause
and now tel. you that this American FeCera
Government has nothing TO do but TO lay OF TIT
lines OF that great road, and give The people per
mission TO work upon il and Immediately yor
will see il lined with labCrers from the Missour
10 the Pacific; the sound OF the implements o
Improvement and industry will be heard from
one end 10 the other; and in leriod less than
comparatively speaking, will take you 10 delibe-
rate this great, national, unparalleled work IL
The history OF the world will be completed, anC
America will reap The glory; Immense applause.
The Romans whom we so much admire, wouic
not go sneaking round mounIain in making 9
road. They. sco:ned 10 60 round mountain
aoyER il or THROUGH il" was their motto; anc
we, in America, can rivalthem. [Great applause
This great road 1oiu be made; while the govern
ment are deliberaliog about it the people them
selves are now making it; the people aolA MAKE
il; the hoois OF horses, the tread OF mems feet
yes, the tread of chidren's feet, who shall consi
tate the fathers and mothers OF future generations
building up and consolidating this great republic
the tread OF children's fee, and the grinding
of wagons will maze this road [Applause. l.
Tens Of thousands OF people will go on il hi:
very year, making The road as they go. II vii
be made; and il is in that point OF view that j
bears upon all the projects of making roads il
The Stale of Missouri; for while that great lrunl
will run like migny river straight 10 It's termi
mus, there will be branches TO the right and Il
the LEFT; and when it reaches 81. Louis, there j
will be in connection with all the great modes U
communication; and great, then, as may be IN,
advantages in the continuation OF roads from 81
LOUIS, not merely east, out 10 every point vi INT
compass, taking Tor lis circumference the lake.
and the borders OF the Atlantic 10 Mexico-tht
whole OF these will derive an immense addition
al value from coming into communication a
The other end OF the great trunk which will brlne
Asia with all It's riches into the United States
(Applause.) Yes, gentlemen, that road will be
made; and while both in Europe and America
the vast country beyond the Pacific remained SC
LONG sealed book-while the vast regions from
Missouri TO the Pacific were considered deser
where people could never live-now the curtain
has been lifted, and young man has employed
himself seven years in threading twenty thou
sand niles OF wilderness, with telescope in hi
hand, fixing the latiudes aud longitute les. writing
down every thing new and strange in nature, anc
from him we see that what was considered al
impossible barrier is hababe mouniain NOR,
beautiful than any in Switzerland. (Applause.)
And while this wasconsidered the most bar
rem, the most savage part Of this country-tha
place which has been SO commonly spoken OF a.
the great Salt Lake-that country has been lalt
open, not only as couatry susceptible OF u
proyement, but as one ahording many advan