Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1849-04-21

tive wisdom ever conceived, although il has been
a,temp,inr Tor centuries 10 modify and improve
the laws OF trade aud OF commercial intercourse,
AMI TO establish artificial foundations Tor national
prosperity Our institutions leave each indvd'
ua fee to choose his employment, aud each State
free To regulate its own domestic concerns; anu
our whole country is monument OF their success.
That success is atested by many works which
would do honor to any age, but It IS attesIed by
no,hing more fully than by the rapidly with
which avenues have been opened Tor trade, and
facilities have been furnished for commercial m
terccurse. But II is our present purpose to speak
ri only one species OF public Improvement; and
We have selected that because II Is a combination
OF two great Inventions which the present cen
tiny ma, claim as its own. The force OF steam
was known before the commencement OF the
nineleenlh century; hut il had not been success
hlly applied as locomotive power Railroads
were utterly unknown. Now, the railroad, with
It's locomotive, may he found in every portion OF
our country. They have become SO familiar %
every eye, that but tew persons think OF estina.
ting the great benefits they have conferred, aud
the great change which they have conferred and
the great change which they have produced IN
trade and travel. The following extract from the
London Quarterly Review IL AS applicable to The
United States as to England and we present 1t
as simple but orcble Illustration OF the pro-
gresS OF the age:
4 good many years ago, one OF the toughest
and hardest riders thhal ever crossed Leicester
shire, undertook 10 perform a feat which, Just for
the moment, attracted the general attention not
only OF the country, but of the sporting world
HIS bet was that if he might choose his own
turt and if he might select as many thorough
bred horses as he liked, he would undertake to
ride two hundred mics in ten hours.
The newspapers OF the day describe exactly
how "thc squire" was dressed; what he had boon
living on; how be looked; how at the word "dway''
he started like an arrow from bow; how gal.
lantly Tranby, his layoflte racer, stretched him
self IN his gallop, how, on arriving at his second
horse, he vaulted from one saddle to another;
how he then few over the surface Of the earth,
il possible, faster than before; and how, TO the
astonishmcnt, aud amid the acclamations Of thou.
sands of spectators, he at last came in a winner!
Now, ii at this moment OF his victory, while
with dlst and porspiraton on his brow-hls cx
hausted arms dangling just above the painting
Hanks OF his horse, which his friends at each
side Of the bride were slowly leading in triumph
IA decrept old woman had hobbled toward aud
IN the name of science, had told the assembled
mulutud' that before she became skeleton, she
and her husband would undertake, instead Of 200
miles in ten hours to 90 500--that is to say, tina
for every mile 'Hhc squire" had Just ridden, she
and her ola man would 90 two miles and half;
that she wonld moreover knit all the way, aud that
he should take his medicine every hour, and
read to her Jnst ai il they were at home; lastly,
that they would undertake to psrorm their feat
either in darkness or in daylight, in sunshine or
in storm, "in thunder, lightning, or rain" who,
we ask, would have listened TO the poor manaci
and yet how wonderfully would her prediction
have been fulfilled Nay, wagons of Goals and
heavy luggage w-adays fly across Leicester.
shire faster and farther than Mr.. Gladstone could
90, notwithstanding his condition and that Of all
bis horses.
Yes, the prophecy would have been more than
fulfilled, not only in England, but in the United
States. In ls27--lust twenty-five years ago
mon; one from Quincy to Boston, made to car
~ granite iorthe public buildings in that city the
other from Mauch Chunk TO convey coal from
he mines 10 the place OF Transportation. Neither
was more than few miles in length, and steam
was not used as locomotive power. AT the
close OF the year lsl7 there was actually com.
,letcd in our country $40 miles OF rail road, at
\ cost Of Sl22,J25 937. Since that time other
roads have been completed, many are III progress,
and many more in contemplation There can
scarcely be less than 90gO miles Of railroad now
completed in the United States, These roads are
principally between the Mississippi and the Ale.
ghany mountains, and between the Allegheny
mountains and the seaboard. Many Of them are
made for local purposes, aud shed their benefits
On particular districts alone On the other hand,
many Of them, although they are situated in diff,
eren States, and are owned by different com.
Danies FORM together, continuous lines Of great
national Importance.
With reference to this subject, our country is
naturally divided into three sorts. The first slopes
from the Allegheny mountains 10 the Atlantic o.
cean. This portion Of the Union, comprising the
greater part OF the original thirteen States, IS
Literally supplied by nature with facilities tor 60
ing eastwardy to the sea. But the Atlantic is
the only natural highway which connects the
whole from its northern to its southern limit
This is used for the transportation ofproduce from
the South to the North and of heavy merchan.
die from the North to the South. Bat it does
not satisfy the necessities of our active aud enter
prising people, 1t might answer the purposes Of
trade but it is not sufficiently expeditions for
travel. And we find that individual exerlons,
aided alone by the State governments, have con
sructed an inland communication, which is al
most continuous by rail road from New England
in the northeast to the cities on the Gulf in the
southwest. The speed OF the locomotive is rapid
enough for travel, but not for information. And
accordingly we find the telegraph established "a
long this whole line from Maine to New Orleans,
transmitting thoughts with the speed Of thought.