Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-07-19
From Hunts Magazine.
Railroad 10 the Pacific.
(CoNcLUDED,)


tween the Atlantic, Western, and Pacific
States, SO mutually beneficial to all, would
bind these different and remote sections Of
our vast Union together by the strongest
oil all bonds, those Of interest and inter.
course. We should then be one people
in the transactions Of life, as well as by
political organizations. The Rocky Noun.
tains seem 10 be natural barrier which
separates Thu. countries that are 10 arise on
the Pacific coast OF this continent, from
those OH the Atlantic, and in The great
Mississippi valley. This barrier mus,
be overcome, or it is doubtful whether,
for any great length Of time, States so re-
mote and thus separated, can remain unit
ed in the same political system.
But it may be deemed superfluous 10
enlarge on the Importance Of this great
project. II is impossible TO over estimate
them. When we consider the creatire
power Of a railroad of limited extent, OF
fifty or one hundred miles, which expert
ence has everywhere demonstrated, what
imagination can conceive Of the influence
of a railroad across this continent, which
is to become the thoroughfare of the COM
merce Of the world, and carry the surplus
population Of Europe, if not Of Asia, into
the heart Of this great continent.
The day this great work is completed,
the United States will be the greatest and
most powerful nation on earth. And this
might almost be said the day it is COM
menced, with the certainty of its being
completed. What is twenty years in the
history Of nation?
In view of the great results Of this en-
terprise, SO important to the advancing
prosperity and greatness Of our country,
and so favorable to the highest interests
of humanity, why is it that the intelligent
portion o: our people are not more interest
ed in it? Are there doubts as to the vast
influence it would exert on our national
prosperity? We have seen no evidence
OF this. Are there doubts as to the prac-
ticability Of the enterprise? When the
project was first brought to light by Mr.
Whitney, such doubts existed. 1t was
regarded, even by intelligent men, only as
a .splendid but impracticable scheme. But
the examination Of the subject, and the ex-
plorations Of the country, which have
since taken place, have removed those has
ty conclusions, and inspired confidence
where doubts only existed. In u geograph-
ical or physical view of il, the word i'm
practieabili,y has no application TO this en-
terprise. Has it in any other? Is there
want of means or ability TO accomplish
the work? Are there doubts that the
business would be sufficient to sustain the
road if constructed? As to means, Mr.
Whitney proposes to build the road with
out one dollar charge upon the Treasury;
and it might almost be said without any
means from the government, as he propo-
ses TO pay ten cents the acre for the land
he asks to have set apart for the purpose,
which every ore must admit, is all and
probably more than the land is worth, if
the road is not opened 1t is only the first
two or three hundred miles, that the land
could be worth anything without the road.
If this road can be built as proposed by
Mr. Whitney, by breadth of thirty miles
of land on each side of the road, and ten
cents per acre paid for the land, then
it may be said that the road costs nothing
that the road builds itself, for the value
ofthe land by which It is to be constructed,
mus, ea,ed by the read. The coun-
try tn Should Mr. Whitney's project be
adopted will get the road without charge
or sacrifice in any way. The road is to
be made TO build itself This is Mr. Whit
ne,'s scheme, ana the idea is almost as
great as the project lSex.
But there may bel +, and this IS the
objection with some whether Mr. Whit
ney could accomplish the objrci-whether
he could build the road with the land
Well, it cannot be denied that he may tail.
Human schemes are all liable to failure.
But his perseverance for seven years, de-
voting his whole time TO it, with heavy
pecuniary expenditure, is sufficient evil
dence that he thinks he can accomplish the
object. His faith is strong, and he has
investigated the subject more fully than
any body else, in all its aspects and bear
ings. He has looked at all the difficulties
which human sagaci,y could foresee. He
may deceive himself; he may fail. But
surprising he does, the United States los
es nothing. The bill reported by the Sc.
lect committee of the Senate, at the first
session Of the last Congress, guarded the
interests Of the United States fully. 1t
provided that Mr. Whitney was to build
ten miles of the road before he was enti-
tied to any of the land set apart. And
when ten miles was built and accepted,
he would be entitled TO FIVE miles only of
the land, and SO on for every succeeding
ten miles of the road. For the first 500
miles of the route, only one-half Of the
land set apart was to be transferred TO him
as the road progressed, the other half be-
ing reserved as security to the U. States,
and as fund to aiG in constructing the
road OH that portion Of the route where
the lands are poor, and the whole not
deemed Of sufficient value to build the
road.
If there is, therefore, reasonable ground
to believe that Mr. Whitney would succeed
the possibility Of his failure should be no
objection, as in that Case the United States
would sustain no loss, and could continue
the road in some other way.
In regard TO the road being able to sus-
tain itself after it is built, those who have
doubts on this point seem TO regard it as a
| road passing |, 500 miles through an un-