Richmond palladium., 1849-10-17
CINCINNATI CORRESPONDENCE.
CINCINNATI. Saturday Evening.(
October 18th, l849.

has been a short time in this city on his
way to attend the Southern Convention to
be held at Memphis on the question OF the
route to he selected for the great Pacific
rail road. A meeting was called last
night by the Chamber of Commerce, for
the purpose Of giving Mr.. Whitney an
opportunity Of explaining his views on
this, his own, most important and inter
esting project. The meeting was well at
tended, and although Mr.. w. was evil
den,ly laboring under severe indisposi-
ton, yet he succeeded in a mastery man
ner in meeting the objections that have
been raised to his undertak ing. and so far
as could learn, he succeeded in convinc :
ing the audience entirely, not only that
the work could be made. but that there
was one only route on which TO make il.
and there was no use in talking about
any other. 1t was his positive and firm
stand in regard to the route that seemed
features Of the project having long been
pretty we'll understood by the public. He
said emphatically, tina. the only startin 2
point Of railroad to the Pacific that he
would ever have any agency in making.
was near the southern extremity Of Lake
Michigan-tliat the road would cross the
/ Mississippi river about 800 miles above
st. Louis at Prairie du Chen. and pro-
ceeding in nearly direct line west would
cross the Rockey Mountains at the ''South
Pass" The impossibility Of starting
/ from the mouth Of the Ohio river or St
! LOUIS he said, consisted in the facts that
! the lands were too much taken up-the
| timbered land too scarce and the timber
! for the work would have to be shipped
from his proposed route, which would
cost more than the road itself-that the
streams could not be permanently bridg-
ed-that the distance would be increased
&C., &c. The object Of the road, he said
was not so much to facilitate the settle
ment Of the country this side the Rocky
Mountains, nor vet to acc ommodate the
Atlantic and Pacific slope with an easy
means Of exchang ing commodities
These would not afford sufficient COM
merce to keep the work in repair But
the great object was to change the route
of commerce and intercourse of Europe
with Asia to it. If this coull not be done.
the road would be useless and ought not
"a I,o 40 III t,,
the shortest anl best route from Ocean 10
Ocean, without regard to any particular
central point in the Mississippi. In the
selection Of his route he not only accom-
pishes this object. but also. by its north
ern location, secures the means of transit
at all seasons, without danger of injury
the soil, to all the markets Of Asia. Its
northern location he said also lessened
the danger OF obstruction from snow and
ice, because the snow was lighter and fell
in less quantity than in a more moderate
climate. Natural causes operate altogeth-
er in favor Of a Northern route There
er, he said, where the distance would be
SO nearly equal to all the Atlantic cities.
From Prairie du Chen to Charleston was
lO96 miles; to Richmond $50 miles; to
Washington 988 miles; to Baltimore 948
miles; to Philadelphia 1O41 miles; New
York 114l miles; Boston 1341 miles On
this route all the streams including the
Mississippi. can be brdged. securing un-
interrupted intercourse without ferriage
or transhipment.
But have not time even to glance at
the various other points Of this interesting
address, at present. | may devote fu-
ture letter to this subject. Mr.. Whitney
appears like plain. matter Oft fact kind of
a man. whose whole soul is devoted to
this one object. His looks and manners
bespeak far more the enduring. persever-
ing man Of apple alton and toll. than the
visionary fanatic. Indeed there is moth
ing Of the latter characteristic about him
He has devoted more than seven wears of
his life almost solely to this work. He
feels sanguine that it can be made. vet he
says if the bill does no, pass at the COM
ing session of Congress, he will abandon
the project forever. Twenty-one State
have declared in his favor,
and every committee of Congress appoint
ed to examine the subject, have reported
the same way, and yet Con-
gress has never time TO pass the DILL. He
declares that his sole motive or object, is
to see this great work successfully accom-.
plIshed, and he asks no chance of Gov
ernment to make princely fortune out
Of the operation, as is sometimes coupled
with his ardor in the cause. He is ad-
in years. has no family. and de-
,ires no pecuniarv benefit from /, wbata