The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-11-21
CAMDEN SOUTH CAROLINA. NOVEMBER 2 1849.
THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE At
,ANr1c AND PACrFIc OCEANs.-At the two

Memphis, the dscort1ance OF views was SO
great that it forces on the mind the coDvic'
ton tlla, nothing definite is to be obtained
by congregations of this character. a sort OF
triangular warfare took place between the
fayorers respectively Of the 81. Louis, the
Memphis and the Tehuan,cpec routes. Not
only was this discordance manifested on the
comparative advantages OF these routes, but
in relation to the constitutional! powers OF
Congress 10 all, in any manner, in construct
lno Railroad from the Atlantic 10 the Pa
ciGc. Sectional prlics found entrance into
the ,!ehaics a; the ST. Lonis Conven,ion.-
Local icaIouscs appeared at the Memphis
! Conversion. Both Conventions afforded
fed for turning discussions OF genera! lm-
porisncc to political account, perhaps to Ia
vor ambitious aspirations, and even the ner-
ccnary spirit Of jobbang. All this shows
that Congress should take the matter out OF
the hands of politicians, TO whom this subject
is good stock for political trading. Let it
come before tat body dIvested OF all lis bias
ait! pTe,r,sscssion which it might receive, in
! !a2.r ~ csc rn;E,r over another, from the
weight of distinguished names in tine po ircal
world. 1t is. IN is character national con.
ccrn, to BE- determined on broad principles,
and after scientific examination.
In lI:s view, Lieut.. Maury, the presiding
officer a, the Memphis Convention. threw
out; some valuable suggestions, which in de-
cidmg the question should have due weight.
/ lie stated tial such railroad could not be
blnl,, 10 any great extent, to serve the Pur-'
poses of commcrce,-that it would be VAIN
to hope that the bulky articles of produce
can ever be transported Prohtabiy over
Railroad Of this length. Estimate the dis
lance a, two thousand miles, and putting
the cos, at one third less than the tTanspor-
tation over any of The Railroads of this colIn-
try, we shall have an amount OF sixty dollars
per ton, which is burden moi 10 be borne
By our produce.
If these conclusions be correct the best
point of communication between the Allan.
nc and Pacifc Oceans, will be Tchuanlepec
with this disadvantage, that the canal or rail-
road, as the case may be, will pass through
Mexican torri,ory. A route here wolld be
nearer to the Pacific than Nicaragua by one
thousand miles, and than Panama by four.
teen hundred miles, the distance beng across
the lslhmus of Tehuantepec 200 miles, one
hundred and fiiy-fve miles by land and
forty-fve miles by waller. II the question
were as to preference Of the routes through
foreign territory. railroad or canal at Ie-
huantcpec would receive the pubic assent.
But the real question is. which IS the most
central, shortest, and most convenient route
through our o,uu territory? The several
routes which are more or less central, nave
not been thoroughly surveyed, and uni'
there is complete exploration, It woaid DC
rash 30 docrle affirmativeIy with rs2a'G to
the St. Louis or the Memphis route. iAa
choice will be, we imagine, between these,
as that By Lake Michigan Is quite 'nadmIs'
sibIe. There can be nc denial that ''ne
from Memphis to Francisco IS nc: only the
shortest by some hundred miles but the ele-
valinns to be surnountcd are much less
considerable, than any of the other routes.
Lieut.. Maurv estimates the !lst lncs between
Memphis aud the Pacific al fifteen hundred
miles, while this is about the distance be-
-. ,J tho psrsc s,-;kiry at
s"" san,n =, ~ i ~
''",r" n.r '' ~ ,be cona,rucfion Of a
D., na,,i ,.,n, N,,rtrz +, Maza,!an holds
here with the same !orcs that It applies 70
M 'I,, "''''' w, 10 40, think that congress-
'"' :, '',, 1'.; ,.n1 it, ,;d 10 auy surh Toad.
~" ,,,,., ho.:d,s ;,s ueoo,sDhic.
~ t,., ,n,;r; yhers in The
Z" - ,.,''aS' "';I ,.',- ,- -. ,r2,w ",hs Ijss,s.
"'!,''''-7' u ''''~. .''' o., c,- N,,,.b
''r' Is "'"YS '''''''!''''., ~, ;cs nmr r,, so
a. =, 10 '''" s., ,,, ,.,,n ,Ic REGIONS CT sui.
'.' 'o"''''.' @ as I:,|ss :" ~ T pn, no GsI opinion
" 3 S',''' w. ' ,a,,',,,rnI ur, n, dificrsn, sur
vn yn%. ., ''rc ',,,n.J, when the choiae Of
'eI' are '.'''''i' "''' WIZ" ~. .,i,,,