The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-03-09
Nr. RcutOn's National Road.

MT. HbCEstOb .NssssSsss
A shor, time ago Mr.. Benton INTRO
duced into the Senate bill TO provide for
the construction Of a Rail Road from the
Mississippi to the Pacific. 1t is proposed
10 commence at the Bay Of San Francisco
and 10 terminate at 81. Louis. IL is to be
an undertaking by the Government ana
II is 10 hold il " hen built, with the CO OPP
Grafton of individual Stockholders, and
per csntum Of the proceeds CT the public
lands is TO be applied 10 forward ITS con-
struc,ion. A branch road is TO run TO Dr.
ron and TO connect with the Columbia
river. A contemporary in remaIk'ng upon
this bill savs
The bill proposed by Col Benton for connect
ing The Mississippi river with the Pacific ocean,
discloses one of the mos, sublime projects ever
brought forward by legislator. That 1t Is i'a-
BILE to many objections that IL does not exactly
come up 10 the ideas OF many OF Us. Win REGARD
to constructiou-is true. But We believe, thaiin
view of tho immense importance OF the SUBJECT II
will fore, It's vav With the people. and that no
tbinc can withstand IT, Whether IT should do so
or not, Benton certainly deserves the character
which the bill will give him with posteriy' That
OF a Statesman Of enlarged views, and unerflne
sspscity. Deriving experience from the lessons
ofthe past, he has searched narrowly into the
history Of all the great Empires that have sue
ce..ively risen to awe and astonish the world,
and be has found that their grandeur has been
built upon this very oriental wealth which u Is
his object TO invite, ia mighty stream. along
the course Of his proposed rail road. There are
1 few men who would have had the boidness TO 60
so far assad OF the age US be has done.
! 10 submitting the bill, Mr.. Benton ac-
companied it, says the Baltimore AmerI
can, BY a Characteristic Speech, able, elo
queni aud earnest. We give this conclu.
ding portion Of the speech:
The road propose is necessary To Us, and nov.
We want il now. The state of our possessions
on the Pacific demands It. Tic time to begin has
arrived. All the necessary informatior is on
hand. Tie means are ready. The title TO Ore
gou \. .e,,i-d, aud go~erntuco, established
there, and population is growing up California
10 acquired, people are there. and Government
must follow. We have a feet on that coast
troops there and going. Streams Of papnla'ion
are concentrating there. Since The discovery OF
tie New World by Columbus there hiss not been
such an unseitug Of thu foundations o. society.
Not merely individuals and companies. but con.
munities and nations are IN connection. al bound
to ,he setting sun 10 the ldcd horizon Of Yves.
tern America. For want OF an American road.
they seek foreign routes, far around, By add
BY land, to renut, by an immense circuit, what il
a part of Their own land Until We can &C. a
road of our own. mus, use and support for
eiga route /; but that is temporary resource, de
inanded 10y the exlgeney of tho times, and until
VIC can get our own ready. Never did so great
sn object present itself TO the acceptance OF a ma
ton. We own lie eonniry from sea to sea
from tie Atlantic to the Paciiic--and upon
breadth sgn4l 10 the length Of the Mississippi
ana embracing tie whole temperate zone. Thre,
thousand miles across. and half la, breadth is the
magnificent parallelograrn OF our domain.
, We eau run national central road. through
aud through. tie whole distance, under our Il !.
and under OUT laws. Military reasons require ui
to make ii--ior troops and muo,ions mnst q
, there Political reasons require US 10 make it.
: Il will be = chain Of Union between the Al
n antic and Mississippi States. Commercial rea
! sons demand II from us-and here ! touch
. boundless field. dazzling and bes ildering the i'm
agination from it, yastuessand importance, ! h
i trade Of tic Pacific Ocean, Of the Wc.,ern coas
g Of North America, and Of Eastern Asia. will al
. take lis track, and not only for ourselves bat 70
r posterily. That trade Of India which has bee
y shifting it's channels from the time Of tie Phnn
/. clans 10 the present, il destined to shit ono
e more, and real ~ tie grand idea Of Columbus. -
;. The American road to Indla will also becom
the European track TO that region.
:. The European merchant, as we'll as the Anne
10 lean. viii fly across our continent on a s,raigi
]. line 10 China. J he rich commerce of Asia WI
~ How through Cur centre and where has tn
~ commerce ever flowed without carrying weali
= aud dominion with il Look al 1t. anciei
10 channels and Inc cities which it raised into n
Ie dorGs, and the populations which, upon its trea
IN ures became resplendant in science, learning al
hi the arts. Tyre. idon. Bllbee. Palmyra 81
:, Alexandra, among its ancient emporinms, d
test the power Of this commerce 10 enrich, 10 d
grandlse. and TO enlighten nations.
u. Constantnople, in tie middle ages. and in Il
III time Of the crusades. was the wonder of We
:" tern Europe and all because she was then
=" thofoughiaie Of Asiatic commerce Genoa al
10 venice, mere cities, IN later time, became I
Ter match OF kingdoms, and tie envy Of the kim
al from the nero divided streams OF this trade
which they became tie thoroughfars. Lisb
had her great day, and Portugal her pre- emjnen
ice during the little while that the discovery Of |
az Cape OF Good Hope put her in communicati
=, win the East. Amsterdam. the city Of a liz
~ territory rescued from tho soa, and tho Sew
oW United Provinces, not eqaal in extent TO ons
r. our lesser States became great in arms in lette
IN wealth. and in power and all upon the FL
India trade And London, what makes her
eP' commsrcIal mistress Of tho world--what NAL
ted an island no larger than one Of our iirst eli
ly stotes-,he mistress of possessions in the f.
,ha quarters oil the globe match for half of Euro