The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-01-30


oneers be seen by others as they are teltby them,
such would not be the conclusion. 1t is true
there is sense in which it is a matter of choice
that these evils are encountered by frontiers
men, They may choose them rather than grea-
ter evils where they were, but the truth is, they
do not fully realize the obstacles and the suffer-
Tags which are sure to be their portion, until
they are in the midst of them; and under the
most favorable circumstances: the first genera
ton in a new country must necessarily live in
great measure for those who are to come after
them.
When look upon what this great valley of
our own "father of waters is, and What it is
destined to become, l do not see what motive
can influence the government to withhold such
fostering care as it has the power to extend. 1t
is to be the great store house of the world all
that is needed is the wisdom and the patriotism
of the governor of Egypt to give it more than
Egypt's fame
1t does not become us who are petitioners,
even though it be for Justice instead of mercy,
to lift up ourselves in the attitude of demand :;
but the policy of which VIC speak must Je the
rule Of the government; if not of choice, it
must be of necessity, for the day hastens, when
the balance of power will be with our noble riv-
crs-our cxubcrant Wcst in her millions of
acres. The great produce growing region Of
the world must have its commercial channels,
and each section must have its own, according
to its condition and wants.
Nature and circumstances point out the chan
ncls which works of internal improvement are
to take. The people upon the line of the con-
templated Dubuque and Keokuk road deeply
feel the necessity of such a work it is vital to
their interests without it their labor is almost
in vain. True it is the lot Of man that he should
searn his bread in the sweat of his BROW but it is
a severe trial that he should not be permitted to
enjoy it after he has earned it. But Providence
is not to be blamed for this; after he has made a
good soil, if men cannot make a railroad over it,
why, | think they have nobody to find fault with
but themselves. Compare the country upon the
line of this road with Western New York, it is
more fertile and more beautiful than that was in
it's early settlement. 1t is within my own rccol-
lection that the great staple of that region was
scarcely worth transportation to market, now it
is worth readily one dollar per bushel. The day
is not very far back, when the lands of that re-
gion were not worth more than the minimum
price of the government lands, now limited
number of acres are the sure guarantee of a lib
eral support for fumly; and what can here be
| hv and Warrant u,onId thoro h., :,
magnificent estate. 1t does not require an old
man to remember that in all that region of fcoun-
try, now the glory of the Empire State, and en-
ough for the glory of any State, there not a
borough or hamlet equal to that in which s'the
village master taught his little school," Now
beautiful cities everywhere lift up their heads,
in which you shall see the magnificencc of COM
mcrcc, and hear the song ofindustry. And what
has done all this Their internal improvements,
their canals and their railroads, and nothing else
And when consider what has made the differ
cncc, that it consists merely in what the hand OF
man can do, | do not wonder at the excitement,
at the exhibition of indomitable will which are
here seen, and which have brought together this
great concourse to-day. And it is right. The
interior and isolated condition of the people on
this line require such road, but it is not every
necessity that procures its own relief; in this
view we are not left without encouragement
The fact, the important fact, the efiectual fact,
that large portion of this road, | may say the
whole oft, will constitute most important link
in the great chain of railroad improvement from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, gives it a superior
aud well nigh controlling advantage.
The road from Chicago to Galena is in rapid
process of construction, the first forty miles be-
ing already completed. And whenever that
road leaves Galena for the eastern bank of the
Mississippi, and leave it must, it will be in the
direction of the commercial metropolis of North
crn Iowa: of course mean the snug little city
of Dubuque, the centre of u land, if not the land
of promise: Mr.. President, | may seem face
tious, but l can assure you that am much more
truly in earnest than might be supposed to be
1t is true that Dubuque is not represented here
by ssfifties and hundreds as l could wish she
was, to speak for herself; but according to the
good old apostolic rule she has sent two, and
them we hope you will hear. We believe that
our people take deep interest in this matter
and that although they have not turned out in
great force upon this occasion, when the time
comes for putting their shoulder to the wheel
you will find them close by Hercules.
We put together certain facts and from them
we draw certain conclusions. l think it clear
that there must be some commercial town o
commanding Importance upon the Upper Mis-
sissippi, and at the uppermost point which from
its circumstances and natural advantages insure
the growth Of such town. think it can be
demonstrated that no point above Dubuque car
be the location of such place: neither the sol
or the climate favor such an idea. The chic
interest of the region above is the lumber inter
est; and that alone cannot make commercial
place in large sense. And it is equally clea
that every place below Dubuque must fail to b.
7, the place Of which speak, because the upper
most practicable point must be that place. D1
circumstances and natural advantages allow tina
to be the place think it clear that they do