New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-12

White ms elOuaIt Az
- ves,s' residence in Oregoa, says =" ~ Is pc
Eav:d there IS much less sDo "e.' =, e.S ma =,
tsins Than east; and TO the Pass the british az
cn,.nenv send down large caravans OF holscs'
,.S~5 ui.h fufs, in January ana feO'uay, 91uu.
~. f,ora Fort Hail. subsisting entirely upon Tue
ersse Indigenous 70 the country. Tue eN'0n0'
ssenc,sIk on this point IS the SINE .,c,
xr1shsr GREAT physical laW presents itseh nero,
III ;s oSSinarily overlooked, and which mist
necessagiy decide the question forever, Il ~
were no Other reason in favor oil northern .o-'o
egoinst those which run through warm Gnu ~, -
vii, that vegetable and enimei P.ouuD1 49, a..
for bnmar snbsistence, as well as many osn ON =
,;cles n commerce required 10 go over 'his III,
,,;I 80, "a, a transport through warn ma
n,.ots roin. az consumption. But u IS D' VIC
,~snsnort al these very products more .us s 80
other from the great valley o. zoe 80,
exchange COR toe precious n,etals u VIC -.
80 - RS continent AID iOr the proaocS V1
f9tc =, 'J tern Asa, thnl this highway IS re-
$50 10 construct this road through warm
Il5roste would forever blast the mos, lnPJrsahs
rurocsos If Tie gene q. p.ah. 8,
M. ne laws Of rcioDcs in determining dis
tsuces from ere given point % euotncf on th- saf-
e. of lie nlobe teach Us that the higher the lat
tude, the shorter ihe distance between given CIR
oles Of lcDst0de; and this difference is vtaiy, I'm
mepstly important for all the purposes OF tle
great bulk u the Commercial exchanges oil me
world. On this principle, Mr. Whitneys road
once opened, would, Of G moral certainty, becom,
the great channel Of commercial exchanges, not
only between the Atlantic and Pacific slopes OF
mi: continent but between the Atlantic slope and
China together with all eastern Asia, and also be.
tween Europe and eastern Asia, including China
and that not only Tor the trade that Is now carried
on between these points respectively but tor an
immense and incalculable augmentation OF its
amount. Now this trade is small, because OF dis
lance and expense; bat reduce the distance and
expense SO that exchanges TO any amount could
he afforded and the products Of America and Ed
rome would roll 10 vast volumes upon Asia, In ex-
change for those Of the latter 1t will be that
an the above named parts Of the world, in Asis,
America, and Europe so far as they are producing
countries lie on the same belt OF the globe, and
nearly between the same latitudes.
Your Committee think it may be both pertinent
and instructive to exhibit here comparatively,
some Of those distances over the surface OF the
globe which belong to this questions ana II should
be remarked in our attention TO this point, tina,
most persons very naturally think Of these distances
as ifihey were to be estimated on horizontal sur
face and thereby fall into egreglous errors; where
"a we make these distances always on the lines OF
circles by which ii will be seen that the distance
between any two given circles OF longitude, which
are always great circles, measured on the equator
also great circle, is greater than on parallel OF
latitude North and South Of the Equator, and that
the same distance on any parallel OF latitude is
constantly diminishing as we depart from the
Equator, til it comes to nothing at the poles.
The necessity, heretofore and present. in all
voyages from the United States ard from Europe
TO China and eastern Asia, OF running up over the
large swell Of the globe around she Cape of Good
Hope, crossing the Equator four times out and
back, has made trade between these remote parts
of the world very expensive, and consequently
very limited. The same may be said OF trade be-
tween Europe end the Pacific, and between the
United States and the Pacific. In both cases, the
distances are too great to Lllow oil large COM
merce. And yet it must be seen at glance that
Europe ard Asia, and the Unite States and Asia,
together with the Atlantic and Pacific portions Of
the world are incidentally important to each other
in a commercial point OF view, 1t commercial eX-
changes could be afforded on an indefinite scale, by
bringing them near to each other Distance and
time are great and controlling elements 10 com.
merce. The first in the market will supplant all
others A few hours advantage between Europe
and America is now regarded as OF supreme I'M
pmtance TO parties in trade 1t Is controlling
power. .,
on. prospectively rs OF great consequence IN the
commerce Of the world; but it can easily be shown
uuat, If the Isthmus were swept away, connecting
the Atlantic and Pacific by the est nsviga3le
channel in the world, this expectafie- Would DC
disappointed, even without hahroar 10 tne u
cifc by the operation Of the laws OF distance and
e,
tween the Atlantic ports Of the United States and
the same quarters and also, with Railroad across
the continent ns between our Atlantic and Pacific
ports The Isthmus removed, vessels from London
to China would never 90 that way, instead OF by
the Cape OF Good Hope, with a distance OF 22s
miles against them, which is the difference in the
distances Of the two routes, even with the advan-
tage of the tradewinds Much less would they
return that way, when the trade-winds, on the re-
turn VOYAGE, would be in their favor with 1928
miles advantage Of sexual distance.
Between New-York and Canton, the distance
by Psnsma is lily miles eess than by the Cape
of Good Hepe; and with the advantage of the
trade winds OF the Pacific, if the Isthmus were
swept away, vessels from NewYork to Canton
would doubtless 90 out that way. But the return
voyage is the important one as 70 time, and could
be made quicker by the Cape of Good Hope, un
der the help Of the tradewinds, and our vessels
would always return that way, even in the absence
of the lsthmus whether from Canton, Java Manil-
Ia Singapore, or Calcutta And as to the trade be-
tween the Atlantic aud Pacific ports, it must be
seen that, when our Pacific territories shall have
been reduced to culture the agricultural products
the same ATTITUDES Of both sides will be nearly
the same, necessarily precuding exchanges ex-
cept as Che manufactured products Of the eastern
slope should be in demand by the producers Of the
precious metals OF the western-al or most Of
which would more naturally go by the Railroad to
the Pacific, when completed. So that ali these
visions about the future consequence Of the Panama
route, with the Isthmus forever planted there ap.
parentiy have slender chance of being realized.
Distance and time wonld be insuperable and con.
trolling.
The following birds.eye view Of distances and
time will Illustrate this point yet further; From
Canton TO London, by the Cape of Good Hope, is
1880 miles, from same to same, by Panama, WITH
adverse trGde-winds, is 1858 miles; from New.
York to Canton, by Panama, is 1873 miles; by
the Cape Of Good Hope it is 1885 miles; but, in
returning, the favorable trade winds would always
decide IN favor OF the Cape Of Good Hope, even
il the lsthmus were an ooen sea. The distance
from London TO Sharg. HE, by the Whitney Rail.
road is 1851 miles; time, 81 DAYS: time from
ssme to same, by Care Of Good Hope, l07 DAYS
Distance from New.lork to Shangh HE, by Whit.
ney road, s,SGl miles time, IS days time BY Cape
OF GOOD Hope, average, 10 days. Ii must be seen
fnrrn In Al asn fnsea hrk fn,.ther L. ;rn-,.,r..