Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-12-05
ADDRESS Of the National Rail-
road Convention, Assembled at
-. lx0QaiS.

-. Louis.
To tie People of the United States:
The Convention Of Delegates from
fourteen States Of the Union, which as
sembled at St. Louis on the 10th day OF
October last, being unanimously favora-
bic TO the construction Of a Central Ma
tional Railroad from the Mississippi river
to the waters Of the Pacific Ocean, author
lied the undersigned members of n com
mittec appointed for the purpose, to ad-
dress the people Of the United States,
and to urge their corporation IN Procu-
ring such action on the part OF Congress
as NAV be necessary to carry out the
views Of the Convention.
We bcspeak, therefore, for the voice OF
the Convention, National audience.
We ask, for their proceedings, the serious
consideration Of the whole country. The
subject addresses itself to the whole peo-
pie, as elevated above parties, above sec
tional divisions, and personal attachments
and as one in country. In government
and in destiny The spirit OF Columbus,
after the search Of centuries, points to
1.-the secret strait which brings Europe
and America in direct commune alton
with Asia. by the Western route. through
the heart Of North America, and invokes
US to avail ourselves Of its unspeak able
advantages.
The great and leading idea TO which
the Convention gave its cordial and unan-
imous assent vas. that a Central Nation
al Railroad from the Mississippi river to
the waters of the Pacific. is of eminent
and over-ruling necessity: necessity
Lot,
with our duty to sustain our country in
its mission of freedom and civilization
and in its material progress, and of pre-
serving our union Of States whose extern
sion from ocean to ocean is practicable
only through the achievements of modern
science. which assure us Of easy inter-
course with all its parts. however remote.
! But the convention did lot undertake
to dictate to the country the plan or the
route to be adopted. Nor did they enter
into the questions of constitutional power.
or attempt to demonstrate the prospects
of through freight and travel. or the prob
able value and increase OF way patron
age, or affect to know more than is al
ready in possession Of the Government
in regard to the great coal fields and 9th
err mineral deposits OF the Western plains
and of the Mountains. or of the other quail
tiles Of the Central region, as they relate
to the question of economy and practical
bility in the construction Of the road
Satisfied that practicable routes exist
practicable for construction and opera
ton. referring to the adaptations Of the
surface as well as TO the accessibility OF
fuel and water, and practicable in respect
to the patronage which will support a rail
way, especially as connected with the
interest Of the Government as a land pro-
prietor. and with the political. military
and social reasons which justify tall
doubts and questions were waived in the
expression of the emphatic opinion. tina,
i. is 1.-The DUTY Of the Government to con
struct the road.
| The public mind is evidently prepared
for the contamination of this great meas
ure. The numerous Conventions which
have assembled in various parts Of the
country. the expressions of more than
half of the State Legislatures. and Of
many other respectable bodied, indicate
the readiness and decisivencss OF the gen
eral will To make these indications
more complete and indisputable, it is only
necessary to awaken our countrymen to a
sense Of the glorious responsibility that is
resting upon their age and generation
and TO give them opportunity to indicate
their claims to intelligence and patriot
ism. by submitting to them the alternative
of approval or rejection. Clear it is that
however men, according to their knowl-
edge, NAV have favored or condemned
particular routes or specific termini-
! though they may have differed in regard
TO the mode Of Observation-Disclosures
conflicting may have been men S interests,
and though remote from each other and
variant i'll character may have been the
assemblages Of the people, all have uni
ted TO swell with one voice the universa al
reclamation in favor of a central nation.
al railroad across tie continent And
they have made still further progress in
! the general union. They have intma-
ted but one opinion as 10 the auspices and
authority under which the road should be
built. They have referred unanimously
To the federal government. And vet fur
Their. they have agreed that the road
should be constructed speedily. and that
the preliminary steps for that purpose
should be taken Immediately.
The establishment of line Of military
posts from the Western confines OF the
Western States 10 the Pacific Ocean; in
all proper places. lot far distant from each
other. was deemed by the Convention an
important preliminary step in the prepa-
ton OF the railway. These posts. al
though they need not be permanent, gar
risons, yet would serve to maintain peace
among the aborigines. would Law out and
open military roads. assist in the erection
and protection Of the electric telegram.
offer present guide and refuge 10 the emf
grant. and give aid and security to the
various parties of engineers which NAV
be sent out by the government to locate
the best route for the railroad. while set
tiers, by liberal policy exercised toward
them. might be induced to cluster rapidly
in the neishborhood of the posts. soon by
their own numqers and strength supercc-
ding the necessity Of the military. There
seemed to be no argument in favor of es-
tablishing this line Of posts along the
Mexican frontier on the South. that would
not be good in behalf of a similar line