The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-27


We are indebted 70 Mr. Whitney for copy oil the fol-
lowing letter which he has addressed to the London Times
We undertake 10 ask fori that attentive examination
which lis importance deserves. ID treats OF subject
which must affect the desnies OF nations and cannot
therefore fail to interest The statesman. merchant and
and indeed all rejecting Mr. Whit
neys views are bold in their character They not on
that account unworthy OF consideration Some gentlemen
conceive them 10 be based practical knowledge and
sound common They say that his proofs are new,
and his reasoning has great force leading to noenous
conclusions, touching the political and commercial future
not only Of America, but Of the world.
For ourselves. we should hesitate for some time before
we should adopt theory which would sweep of the
specuations Of three hundred years relative passage
from Europe to Asia the Isthus OF Panama On
the first blush OF the subject admit there is pausiby
in the views which presents Of the Pacific SLOPE as con-
nected with the Atlantic slope OF the continent They are
new and almost startling but they are at least entitled to
the consideration OF our statesmen and merchants Such
views clearly stated and explained cannot fail to attract
the attention. they do command the conviction OF the
country The argument that there can be no great sys
TEN Of commercial exchange between the same parallels
Of latitude is presented with ingenuity. even il we are moi
at first sight prepared 10 subscribe to the doctrine Rivers
which run east and west said to be useful mainly
as outlets to the The counties which lie on
the borders Of such streams may not exchange much
with each other; for, having the climate. it would
that they will have the similar productions,
and the case is somewhat different with rivers which.
like the Mississippi, north and south. and traverse
in their many parallels Of latitude. Such streams
useful not only outlets 10 the ocean, but they
the highways for great systems OF internal exchange
great river dividing our continent from the the
west is apparently line of demarcaton and separation
Yet the Mississippi divides our continent from the north
to the SOUTH and il binds the Union together like huge
band Of solid iron Mr. Whitney avails himself Of these
propositions, to apply them more extended scale.
The position into which we have been thrown by
our possessions on the Pacific is, as Mr.. Whit
ney says. without parallel in history; and the
great problem is, what policy we ought 10 adopt
to make both sides Of our extended empire most
available to each other and the most calculated to adj
vance their various commercial agricultural manufac-
turing and mining interests, well TO promote the
advantages which we may respectively derive from
active trade with the Pacific islands and the nations Of
the Easwith Japan. China, the Spice islands, and even
the shores Of the Indus Can these advantages be best
reaped by railroad to the Pacific, and how and sraers
made sor by inter oceanic canal land what point
or by railroad penetrating the slhmus l-or BY rail-
road and canal. operating at several points, and con-
meeting our Atlantic with our Pacific terrory'
One thing we may say OF Mr.. Whitney's able letter,
whether we subscribe Jail OF his conclusions or not and
that that he has combined together large body OF facts
both statistics and geography, which may be OF use in
solving the several complicated problems which grow out
OF the present relations between the distant parts of our
extended country.
We should like to hear from our friend, Lieut. Maury,
upon the fundamental propositions involved in the fol-
lowing leiier
WASHINGTON CRY, January 10, 1850.
To die Editors of the London Times.
GENTLEMEN am not little surprised at the frequent
remarks in the London journals on the subject OF CON-
municaton between the Atlantic and Pacific
ranama, NlcIsaguai ana aenuahaepec these specqa
rope as in America But your merchants. who are
quanted with the commerce OF the word-your men OF
science your seographes and Your naygaios must see
subject, that should the Pacific burst its bounds
and minge with its sister Atlantic, opening strait from
Panama an to Tshaanepee the commercial world would
In the first place, il will be seen by reference TO
map GLOBE that the range OF mountains in South Amer
lea which divides it, and forms the Atlantic and Pacific
Slopes close to the Pacific ocean, that there but
small space for population from Cape Horn to Upper
California.
Secondly the continent, running north and south from
Cape Horn to the Arctic gives 10 both slopes the
same climates and soils the products oil which must al
ways be similar; and therefore exchanges on large
scale cannot take place.
Thirdly the commerce OF the Pacific SLOPE hitherto con-
fined almost exclusively to South America and Mexico,
il small and cannot be increased in these quarters be-
II is uncertain and not founded upon regular
changes, the most OF which is properly Atlantic
trade, being formed by smuggling merchandise over the
from the Pacific TO the Atlantic side, and which
running into the Atlantic. The settlement OF the Pacific
slope. north and SOUTH must, after short time, not only
cause dminuton in the present amount OF commerce
with Europe and the Atlantic slope OF the United States
but diminish intercourse also for when the North Pacific
slope becomes settled. il will be, the different
parallels from Cape Horn TO the Arctic ocean will ex-
change with each other and supply each others wants
The entire coast will exchange with the Pacific islands,
with japan. China, and all Asia and lis commerce and
principal intercourse will be with those parts and its own
different sections .eA
II being fixed law that the avas Of labor must always
return TO the region Of its products and be there
umed 10 the extent of and in such articles the wants
the producer require and the Of the people
who may nhabit the Pacific slope can generally be better
supplied by mutual exchanges, and from the Pacific |
Stands, JAPAN China &c, than from either the Atlantic
'ope OF the United States Europe, excepting only
mall amount OF manufactured goods. with which also
hey win, after time, supply themselves il il therefore
lear 10 my mind that settlements on the Pacific slope,
with capital and enterprise, will soon establish for them
stands and with Asia, which will be more natural, |
more convenient, and more profitable than intercourse
md trade with the eastern slope oil the United States and
Europe.
From the most recent official tables IL will be seen
hat the British commerce with Chill was, per annum,