Washington telegraph., 1849-11-14

market on the Way-Slde, at sort distance
Efrom the producer. But for Lighter goods,
and the finer fabrics of the manufacturer,
such as tea and silk for instance, the
road will be only great thoroughfare.
Gentlemen, this brings me to another
roint-we are met think to devise the
way of opening commercial intercourse
with the Pacific, by the shortest route
And the question arises how are we to at
tain this communication for such articles,
as cannot possibly be carried over the
railroad across the continent. ] answer at
once, by railroad or canal across the
Isthmus. England in the route round
Cape Horn, has the advantage of us, by
10 or IL days in all the markets OF the
East. This is caused by the fact that a
vessel in going round the Horn from the
| United States is obliged to cross the
Atlantic Ocean to the coast of Africa
before she can find the winds which are
to take her to the Cape. But give us
| the road or canal across the Isthlnus and
we should have the advantage of England
| by exactly so many days as it would take
her ships to cross the Atlantic. l happen
to know, that several years since, a
French company proposed to build a road
or canal across the Isthmus, and tina:
company sent an agent to London to
procure assistance from English Capital
lists. But the Englishmen refused to as
sist them for the very reason have stated,
that the Americans would be always be-
fore them in the Eastern markets. The
Frenchmen then proposed to impose
A
vessels and cargoes-and so the matter
ended-and it is now left for us to do that
great work.
The Gulf of Mexico is the most i'm
portant inland sea in the world. The
great basin which it drains, crosses nearly
every producing parallel of latitude, the
basin runs through more climates and
contains greater variety of productions
and more natural resources than any other.
The Gulf of Mexico is the Mediterranean
of the New World, its basin exceeds III
dimensions that Of old Mediterranean and
of all the seas of Europe and Of the In
| dian Ocean together. Unite us with the
East, give us access to Eastern commerce
by canal or road across the Isthmus
| and this great basin is made the very
heart of the world.
The whaling interest is much the most
| important we have in the Pacific, (of
course excepting California and its gold J
and this interest will be intellectually
| benefited by having a shorter way across
the Isthmus, 10y which we get the whale
| oil into the Atlantic waters by this same
road cotton, tobacco, sugar, and provisions
can all be conveyed so cheaply, and ex.
peditiousy that Memphis and all her
sister cities in the great basin will be
brought as near to the Eastern world and
its commerce, as New York is now 10 the
| Mediterranean. We are here, gentlemen,
| | repeat, to see what we can do for this
great work, and to memorialize Congress
on the subject-to attend to that is yours;
my duty is to preside over your delibera-
tions, and invoke your kind assistance
in the discharge of duties entirely un-
accustomed to me. We can and we
must succeed in our great undertaking
and if we do succeed. the prospects ahead
for the wealth and prosperity of our
country and people, when these great
works shall be completed, bewilders the
fancy, and crazes our agination by their
immensely.