New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-05
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.


We are indebted to Mr.. JOHN L. RoBISsos,
| Chairman OF the House Committee on Roads and
Canals for q copy of the Report lately made in the
House on the Pacific Railroad. It is in favor OF
| Whitneys scheme and is perhaps the ablest ex-
position yet made not only Of that plan but OF the
whole subject. We propose to lay it before our
! readers in detached portions:
| The instincts of the American people seem to
| have leaped in one bound 10 a sense OF the I'M
! portance of Railroad connection between the At
ante and Pacific, and there can no longer be
doubt that this project is decreed IN the pubic
mind Congress may lag behind, but cannot get
before, the increasing eagerness OF the people, IN
| putting forward this stupendous plan The only
questions are, TO the route and the agencies to
| be employed in iurthering the obsct. After day
! sitting, weighing and comparing the reasons for
| the different routes and the different agencies,
! Your Committee have come 70 the conclusion that
! the plan submitted by Mr.. Asa Whitney, of New
! York, is the one which ought to be adopted, and
| have accordingly prepared bill, hereunto annex
ed as project of law recommended for the
| compshment Of this design.
Mr.. Whitney the first IN the field.
Your Committee find that Mr.. Whitney has been
unremittingly engaged, ut his own expense, since
| 1871, in collecting information on this subject, as
| well in Asia as in our own country and that we
are Indebted to him for the originRtion OF the pro-
/
amount Of practical information that is brought 70
bear upon the subject, and for awakening public
attention to its importance. Your Committee,
therefore, feel that much Difference IS due to one
who has so long, and with much effect devoted
himself TO this great object and who has in these
labors comprised sea and land, traversed the
globe passed through the States ofthe Union again
| and again and himself penetrated 500 miles OF the
| almost trackless route which he thinks most expe
| dent 10 be adopted. Your Committee, moreover
think that such individual enterprise and success
are not less worthy than calculated 70 inspire pub
| lie confidence in his fitness and ability to con
summate a scheme which he has 50 vigor-
| oosy conceived and well ma;ured and which
seems to command respect and appreciation in pro-
portion as il is considered not only per Sc, but IN
| comparison with all other plans
Your Committee have been forced 70 observe
| that all the excelences OF other and more recent
| projects are embraced in Mr.. Whltneys and aP-
| nsrepilv borrowed from his original conceptions;
| while their defects and Objectionable features
! arising from different views entertained OF the
roweis and scope Of the Federal Constitution in
! application to such an object, from party stries
and sectional ieaiousies from scientific and physl-
! cal laws and from insurmOuntabe physical OBJ
staces, are entirely obyiated by Mr.. Whisneys
Tie grand o&eets Of this enterprise.
Your Committee think proper to exhibit in
the foreground OF their report the capital and most
prominent objects 10 be attained by the execution
| of this work, and by the consummatlon Of this
| great enterprise. First; Your Committee think
that it would bind and cement, on the largest and
most co Comprehensive scale, and IN the most endur-
irg form, the commercial social, and political rela
| lions Of our eastern and western domain, as natu-
| rally divided and marked out by the summit ridge
betg cen the Mississippi and the Pacific. y primary
| effect OF this work would naturally be, by sur
mounting the obstacles of Nature - bring into the
most intimate commercial contact the two vast
recions of productive industry which are destined
to be ON the Atlantic and Pacific slopes OF North
America, and thus, by creating an everlasting
bond Of interest, TO cement between the same
quarters social and political ties equally intimate
and equally enduring. Nature seems TO have
daiped here sn empire of the East and one OF the
West. but this great work OF mans art and labor
would, by moral certainty, nIllliy this decree,
ard naturally maintain an lndissOube union be-
tween them as nothing is more certain than that
men will follow their own interest By this direct,
sbort and cheap channel OF commercial exchanges,
tie nrolucts ofthe East would roll upon the West
and those Of the West roll upon the East. Bat
still more vast and comprehensive conception arises
fr,m the certainty that this work viii not only Tor
ever unite tie Last and West OF this continent
commercially socially, and politically bat that 1t
rriII create the same commercial relations between
the L pited States and Asia over toe bosom OF the
Pacific, and across this continent, between Europe
and Asia; thus making belt running over and
tbroueh tie heart Of our country the great channel
If the commerce Of the world. And yet another
object 6earer ard more precious to every good
MIND than a this, is, that this great and common
interest OF nations would naturally tend to secure
the ueacs Of the world, while the greatest oeneAt
wona be ours-this country being the pivot on
which these vast interests would turn.
TIE DO itcal considerations involved II the exc
! cution Of this project are OF great moment II
| nould make the l mixed States the center and axle
Of the commerce OF the world it would give free
transport 70 cur mails across tle 0oilliieh l ana
furnish an instrument oil a lnosI raPtd UAnsisi Oh
| icons and military stores between the Atlantic
| Cd Pacific: BY reducing the commercial marine
e Furoue especially OF Great Britain, o less than
! ore.third az is present amount, and proportion
e,ev increasing our own, It would diminish cores
rordincy the maritime power OF European na-
nous especially o. Great BRIAN, aud va the same
rstio augment our own u would bind together
l-r vreat East and West By an everlasting chain
nj interest il would cary % this new ali great
hslt Of civilization and plan. along rs entire lnc,
he surplus population OF ElIope, AID o. our own
more pOpul0us regions, Or tle udidlus Up u towns
! erd cities making u vast anc plsy hela o. com
| r,ercial ard Productive Industry 4 would make q.
tbs interest Of ali nations to be a. pea-e S..a as,
sud. in that wEy, secure 70 IS Al ascsl1ency %
! rrrrsl power over tie word, I'D, Instead o. ia
,tfrc our nid b. force inc existelcs AGAINST IA
! ,rre and arainst our r. - vta political ltefests
-ommercial depot ior oil nstions oaisife Of o1l
larisliction, IL Panama IL 4 tropical region, as
"a 10 human lie as i would be detrimental. e
IN animal and vegetable products passing .ha
: Wv. ard which could only he maintained ~ con
sesat struggle against the lava Of nature, and by
rating in perl our political nights, not % say inde
. neudence-instead| OF al this, the Whitney p,aI
. Iscua draw this mighty current Of commercial ex
charges directly across the shortest and most sau
brious region OF the goUe securing 70 as, at thl
=, ssre time its control aud It's greatest profit
, To bring into the most intimate commercial con
tact the Atlantic and Pacific slopes Of this cont
nent: to make Europe bow to Asia, and Asia L
= Europe across our bosom 10 throw back the CAPS
!, o. Good Hope and Cape Horn into their primeVa
/; solitude, by drawing the trade which now double
: them directly over the globe to give IN charge
I, our own Pacific ports, not only the Pacific fshe
. ries, bat the carrying trade from eastern Asis 70
| - ~ 4.t.,