Washington telegraph., 1849-03-07
REPORT OF SENATOR DAVIS
ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN

LIE loiIOWlnS Is the report OF MIR. Da.
Wis, of Mississippi, to accompany Joint
resolution No. 54, providing for topograpb.
ical surveys and reports from the valley
o: the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean,
Submitted January 81, and ordered to be
printed:
The Committee on Military affairs, to
whom was referred the memorial of the
General Assembly of the State of Ar.
kansas, recommending the survey of the
route and the construction of a national
road to the territory recently acquired
from Mexico, and suggesting as the
most eligible line of location that which
shall commence at Fort Smith, on the
Western border of said State, and pass
through the valley of the Canadian
river to Santa Fe, and thence to Cali.
fornia, have considered the same and
report
That the committee recognize in the
proposition of the memorialists a Work
fully warranted by its necessity as con.
nected with the military defence of the
frontier, and the efficient regulation of
intercourse with the Indian tribes. Suc.
cessfully to execute these proper duties
of the government, military roads and
posts and Indian agencies are requisite
and scarcely less SO that intimate knowl.
edge of the topography of the country es.
sential in the conduct of all military ope.
rauons. In no case could such knowl.
edge be indispensable than that whichis
presented by the duty to control the no.
madic tribes who roam over the plains of
the "great prairie" and through the
mountain Businesses beyond it. Familiar
with the defiles, these Indian tribes could
elude the pursuit of the best troops, who
should, without proper reconnaissance
having been previously made, attempt to
check or chastise depredators on remote
settlements or emigratng parties.
To maintain civil government in our
transnontane possessions, to promote their
early occupation by emlgrants from these
States, and to perpetuate the political
union of the Atlantic and Pacific slopes by
continuous lines of settlement from ocean
to ocean, it is deemed necessary to open
the shortest and best routes from the val.
ley of the Mississippi TO the Pacific, and
to give the greatest possible security TO
the transit OF persons aud property. 1t is
believed that a speedy commercial route
is not more required by the financial, than
by the political interests of our country.
In this view the committee cannot be IL
different to speculations which involve
such great results, but recommend moth
ing except as connected with the military
defence.
The route suggested by the memorial
lists, like that from independence, Mo-, has
been explored. Both are considered
practicable both, though not III an equal
degree, are obstrucled by winter SHOWS
;nd pass over desert prairie. The Red
river Oh the east, and the Gila Oh lhe
west of the valley of the Rio Grandc'
rising III the mountain ridges nearly op-
posite each other, and running thence TO
The Mississippi and the Gulf OF California,
suggest the idea of d route bemg found
through the valleys of these ryers to COLI
meet the opposite sides OF The conunent
together, and which would pass through
country capable of supporting the re-
quisite population to maintain q thorough
fare of such importance. Much OF the
Rio Grande below the town OF FL Passo
is uneXplored; its examination could be
made Ill executing the boundary survey,
and tins, with the survey ot the noun
tain range Oh The east side OF the Rlo
Graude, and south OF Santa he, would
furnish data upon which to locate roads,
posts and agencies, for the protec.ion OF
that frontier, and the regulation OF inter-
course with the Indian tribes who lnhablt
II.
These explorations will have to be
made to great extent in deser, region,
among savages with whom the govern
ment has not established friendly inter-
course, and therefore must be protected
by strong escorts, and furnished with
transportation for the conveyance OF a
large part of their Substance. The es-
corls may, it is believed, be principally
furnished by the army, and 1t Is hoped
that expeditions properly conducted, and
penetrating regions heretofore unknown
10 civilized man, will be III an eminent
degree, productive OF an amicaole dispo'
siuon on the part of the aborigines thus
visited towards the citizens OF the United
States. If this hope should be fulfilled,
the troops SO employed will have been
engaged i'll their highest junction, the
preservation OF peace.
The estimate of the chief of the topo-
graphical engineers, in his report of this
year, is taken as guide, and the appro-
priation asked for in the resolution OF the
committee corresponds generally with the
statement of that officer, viz.
For military surveys in Nebraska, $4,000
d" b" California, 10000
" n. Mexico, 10000
!" Texas, $4,000
Contingent expenses, 5,Oou