The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-23

the attention of some of enterprising mcr-
chants A settled conviction seems to have been
formed in the proper quarter, that wide and glo-
rious field for enterprise is here to be found and
in connection with this object, the Isefmus Of Pa
mama, has always been regarded as happy pro-
vision of nature by Of which the interests Of
the Atlantic and the Pacific might be united and
identified The late Mexican war, and the re-
Gently discovered mineral wealth of California, have
had a powerful tendency in bringing matters to a
crisis What was before matter of speculation is
now rendered certain. The excitement through
out the world on the subject of emigration to the
Pacific, is still great. The old spirit of adventure
has been thoroughly aroused the latent energy and
ndomitabe courage Of the people developed, and
it may now be said with truth,
westward the star of empire takes its way"
In the course of the present year, thousands
of hardy, enterprising, chivalrous pioneers Of
civilization will have been poured into the coun-
try bordering on the Pacific. Millions of dol
lars worth of merchandise will have been trans
ported, and the sails of hundreds of Ameri-
can ships will whiten the coast Not only Ca
lifornia and Oregon, but the islands Of the Pa !,
cifc-the entire coast, from the mouth of the
Columbia to Cape Horn, and the remote shores Of
India and China, seem destined to become the
field Of enterprise of these emigrants.
Under these circumstances, the Isthmus having
been selected as the favorite route to the Pa
cifc the city Of Panama and its vicinity must
become the grand storehouse of bullion and mer
chandise, and the point at which travellers to and
from Asia, Europe, and both continents of America
will concentrate. That the railroad will be COM
peted, there is no doubt This magnificent under
taking, so pregnant with consequences to all
mankind, has been commenced by men of large
capital and of untiring industry, and there can
be no possibility of failure, should matters
move as favoraby as they have opened. Panama
in this event becomes at once the entrepot OF the
whole world, and the gate through which the i'm
mense commerce of the Atlantic and the Pacific
must pass. The South Sea whalcrs, and mer-
chant vessels of all descriptions, instead of
being subjected to the long and tedious voyage
round Cape Horn, will make the Bay of
Panama the depot for shipments to the United
States and Europe. The immense interests
which the governments and people of the United
States and Europe now have in Asia, will aug
ment in value to degree at present not easy
to estimate, by speedy and direct access to them.
One line of steamships Is already in operation
from Panama to California and Oregon others are
in contemplation; and line from San Francisco
to China and India, touching at the Sandwich
Islands, is talked of.
On the Atlantic side, Messrs Howard and Son
have the splendid steamer Crescent City running to
Chagres, to which, in few weeks, if sufficient en-
coura cement be offered will be added the new
steamer Empire City. Two other steamships of
larger capacities, under government patronage, will
be added to this line in the of the year Our
readers can easily Judge, from these ggantis eff
forts, whether there is anything chimerical in the
idea of unitng by steam, all the ports in the Pa
cifc with those on the Atlantic. The few miles
forming the Ishmus of Panama are all that stand
in the way; and when this is overcome, and the
transit rendered little convenient, the riches
of the Pacific coast, of India and China, must
move towards the United States, crossing the great
highway. The manufactures and produce of Eu-
rope and America would also move over the same
route to Asia.
These remarks however, do not apply to the
Panama route exclusively, for there are other
points which offer equal inducements for under
taking a connection between the Atlantic and Pa
cfc oceans-the Isthmus of Tehuantepec among
them All those must be secured to the United
States, if possible and, in addition, we must have
a railroad, connecting our inland waters with the
Pacific, across our own territory. In the mean
time, however, we hope the railroad across the
Isthmus of Panama will be vigorously prosecuted
to completion.
LATER PROM MARACAIBo.-By the brig Potomac
Capt. Smith, from Maracabo, with advices to the
18th of April we have accounts of the state of af
fairs in that section of the pepublic.
| The accounts from Caracas are, of course no,
so late as those received from Laguayra, conse.
quently we have nothing more definite about the
acceptance, by Congress, of the designations OF
President Monagas and Vice President Guzman.
Maracaibo being the province that has from the
first been most bitterly opposed to the present adj
mnistration, the probability is that if any further
revolutionary movements take place, they will
commence here We have received no papers by
the Potomac.
INTERESTING FROM CUBA.-The Redactor, Of st.
Jago de Cuba of 9th March last, contains a royal
order respecting the establishment of mercantile
deposit entrepet, at that place, precisely on the
cl,