The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-21

For the Onion
| Mr.. whst.sy's Psa. ss /. R.llrsAa 70 shs P.esas.
MEssRs. EDIroRs. The general. increasing, and lively
interest manifested OF late for railroad 70 the Paclnc
and the prevalent conviction that must. ere long, be
attempted under public and legal sanction. would seem
10 justify consideration and discussion as 10 the best
plan and the most desirable route and inasmuch as Mr
Whitney, alter many years of study and nvesg alton OF
which Can hardly s 70 Ss assiu Il which has secured
the respectful attention and the recommendation OF nu
public bodies including the Legislatures OF twenty
bills were repor.edone to he House Of Representatives
in Congress- and one TO the Senate in ls4S, both from
select conmiiiees-wh view to the enactment OF q
law for the building OF this road il hardly needs apo
ogy for taking up the subject for the consideration
OF the merits OF the plan
THE PRIScIPLEs or MN. wHTNEY's PLAN.
These several. and as seems to me, severay in
eresing and important The etsadsng principle q this
the movement Of NE enterprise, after adequate author
ty shall have been obtained from act Of Congress
/ proposes Y create the capital No money. no help
or party is 10 be taxed, and commercial value what
ever takes. g that nobody Or party can complain 4
ported upon this subject in IS4S that the price specified
in their bills respectively to be paid by Mr. Whitney for
the lands required was full value The entire capital
pise in The increased value Of the land and territory
through which il is 10 passa value impaired by the
re Of the plan and by its own movement Consequent
ly not farhng of value is demanded in aid OF the OBJ
ect from any foreign quarter-nothng but that which is
consequent on the undertaking.
This may be properly termed principle Of the Pana
peculiar principle; and it hardly be denied that is
one of great energy. II is principle that creates. that
summons into existence that which moi, and on The
basis thereof moves 10 the consunmaion OF It's purpose
IL Another Of the principles Of this plan. itself also
peculiar and endowed with like and equal energy as the
one above noticed Is 10 secure the end OF free transport
OF passengers goods and merchandise the coHl
nent, and thus to originate and sustain commercial ex
changes immense scale between the Atlantic and
Pacific slopes of this field of production; also be-
tween this field and ASIA and between Europe and Asia
and draw the intimate commercial contact the
remotes regions of productive industry. II is q part oil
The plan. when the road shall have been completed BY
tie capital created in its own progress deliver
to the United States, free Of COST TO be forever at the SER
vice of the country and of the world with no other i'm
be necessary to keep the road and It's machinery in re-
pair and any fraction of that consideration, il thought
bessmay be dispensed with al the discretion OF the gov
Thus the necessity OF what is called profit for the out
lay OF capital the income Of investments, is entirely
superseded, and commercial exchanges can in this way
be afforded and made profitable, not only between the
and slopes OF this continent, but between
this country and Asia, and between Europe and Asia,
and also between the emoiest regions OF human indus
tryexchanges on the largest and most comprehensive
SCALE which could otherwise be afforded, and which,
therefore, would otherwise take place From q
state Of comparative lnacton, as tle re9echon VIII
show, the commerce OF this continent and OF the world
would by the operation Of this principle, spring into
life and vgor. and branch out TO an extent oustrpPng
almost lM1gIndon t6elf FOR example ana lluslIauOn.
suppose that Mr. Whilneys road were al this moment
ready to 20 into operation on this principles does not
every thai the agricultural and manufactured
products of the eastern slope OF this continent would
be Instantly exchanged for the precious metals OF the
western and that the valley OF the Mississippi would,
to great extent. feed China in exchange for its pro-
ductionsi II would be vain 10 attempt TO show that
this principle could be brought into operation ndepen
dent of MIR. Whtney's plan; and its marvellous scope
and potency will be obvious TO those who will duly
consider il My present object is simply 10 state the
principle so that its character can be understood II
easily be shown that this principle has inherent
powers adequate not only TO draw most ol The scatter
ed commerce OF the world into one great channel, but
immensely 10 augment its amount The London Times.
with its Characteristic sagacy and far seeing eye, has
predicted that the execution OF Mr.. Wh,tneys plan
/" will make America the axle OF the world; and, TO
make another application Of the same hgure, would
say that this principle OF free transport across this con-
tinsnt is itself the azts Of this great enterprise
nifty, in several important particulars, 70 scientific and
physical laws which determine the results contemplated
with infallibe certainty. and without regard to which,
the great ends IN view sure 10 be thwaTted.
First. conformity 10 the laws Of science, in deter
mining the distances from one point TO another, IN
route oysI ne sie e q s snS
OF this kind Persons usually estimate the disaUces re-
quired il the globe horizontal surface and are
therefore, liable 10 immense mistakes They also err IN
imagining that from given meridian, another given me-
rdan may be reached soon on one parallel OF latitude
another other things being equal; whereas every
from the EQUATOR north or SOUTH dlninishes the
number Of miles to the degree, ill all merdians into
one point at the poles At foryfve north latitude, the
measurement OF degree about two 10 three OF that on
the equator Consequently, the distance from given
meridian in Europe TO given in China, across the
American continent measured the forty hth degree OF
north laituie about two-hirds the distance between
the meridians on the equator; and in running up
the equator, crossing il 70 accomplish voyage from
Europe 10 China around the Cape OF Good Hope, and
then to get back again 10 the latitude required, the dis
lance immensely augmented, Notwithstanding that the
distance east from London To Canton, direct line,
only half as far from London Canton direct line
west. By the rule, distance 10 given meridian
on our own Pacific coast is diminished in proportion
keep north whereas in running up near the equator,
via Chagrcs and Panama TO reach given point the
Pacific. within our own domain, the distance again Is I'M
mensely increased.
Mr. Whitneys route, by the North Pass. beginning at
forty three degrees north latitude on Lake Michigan,
gradually approaches the forty NTH degree. where II
crosses that line about thirds the way. and termi
mates at Pugers Sound, at about foy-sev degrees
north latitude His southern route, beginning at the
same point the South Pass, ltle more than
half the distance. al about foytwo degrees north lat
ude and then branches for one terminus at San Francis
co. and the other at Pagers SOUND as before This Sc
cures the greatest possible economy OF distance the
continent as well from all the great commercial points on
and east OF the mississippi, the United States, as IRON
the great commercial points OF the European world also
between the same points and eda OF the Mississippi IN
the United States and China, and between the same
points in Europe and China
Secondly The conformity of this plan to known phys
ca laws as they relate TO the impediments anticipated
BY the SHOWS and frosts OF WINTER is very instructive
point Contrary to the ordinary first sight presumpone
Mr.. Whtneys route affords better security against
these impedlments than southern one. an es
abshed fact and the physical laws by which the result
occurs obvious that the northern region of Mr.