The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-01-16

Hruction of the road, and certainly it is by this
process only tha, their value can he raised 10
consideration on which 10 found the 4th objec.
tion; which fact fully answers The first objec.
ton; because, were the road built, on The plan
proposed, the country on its line would no lon.
ger be "a savage Wilderness" but berome
towns, villages, cities, and richly cultivated
fie Ids.
The second objection, like most Of the objec.
tions raised, is an objection to what do no, and
have not proposed. Ny plan and fhe Bill do
not and came, fix upon any route or terminus.
| have only given my views and opffSapns Of
route generally, (Which believe to be correctly
particularly and 6xedly. The route ffo.&. The
Rocky mountains to the Pacific must be dsrid.
ed upon hereafter. "'Ihe South Pass" f.. On
the parallel of about AZ l.2 deg. San frsu>
cisco abont 35; and Puget's Sound about IT.
the two latter being in precisely the same mr.
ridian. The distance from the South Pass.
must therefore be about the same to both and
if, while the road is lteing built to the Souih
Pass, it shnuld be foundthat route TO San :
Francisco is feasible, and that that would ho
the most desirable terminus, al! things consd.
cred, tha, would be- fixed upon fer The terminus:
nus, unless by adop,ingit, We r".,:d secure the
great objects we aim al in the work. At pages
8, 9, and 10 Of the pamphlet will be found an
estimate of the cost Of The road. aud present va.
lue Of ihr lands.
Objection Sd. On reading the bill, copy of
which you will find at pag' SO of The pamphlet
which have sent you by mail, you will see that
this objection, like the others, has no io,Inda.
lion except in the Imagination of those who
have not read the bill, and do not under,tand
the subject. lfyou will copy the bill into your
paper, your readnrs will have the whole subject
explained. haze no doubt to their fill salts.
faction. But allow me now to say, that he.
lieve il would he difficult for any one to define
the power or influence that could be invested in
or exercised by single individual in q country
of uninterrupted prairies, without populaii m
and when by the facilities which The building
Of the road only can create for settlement, i
bec"mes peop!ed, the inhabitants would own
and hold their lands, not from myself hut direct.
ly lrom the government 10 them, the same pre-.
cise'y a. all who now purchase from the gov
ernment and settle upon its lands, and would
make their own laws as they now do. could
have no more power or influence over them than
| now lave over the people forming new S,a,rsr
and the road itself and its operations would al.
ways bc under their control and that Of Con-
gress, Congress haring rorer 10 6r and rrsu.
late its tolls, and poeer to gire It's management
10 any other person at any time its management
under my direction did moi meet the uanis Of the
people.
This objection 10 individual power, think
must have n'en raised by those who do no, un.
dersand our institutions: or those who have not
we'll considered the subject. Our Institutions
are based upon individual enterprise. It is ono
.ofihe cardinal points in The Democratic creed,
that The commerce, the ways Of transi, and in.
tercourse, and The business of the whole coun.
try, shall be left to and carried on by individual
enterprise and even in England, where legis.
lation is omnipo,ent, when sanctinned by tho
crown, they have left all these 10 individual en-.
lerprise. 1hose who fear the influence Of in.
dividnal consequence and power in our country,
must have forgotten that they are moi still living
under the Divine influence OF a ,monarchical
government. where individual power and con.
sequence might bencf, the condition oil, and
gain The affections Of the people 10 the prejudice
of The crown. Under such government, the
individual who would devote bis life and his
means to benefit and elevate The condition of his
fellow men around him, oppressed and DOWN
'rodIrn to support the splendor Of throne,
would no doubt he dangerous subject to The
crown, bu, no, dangerous to the people. With
us, il would he different: all men having tho
same political, religious, and civil rights, with
equal power TO exercise and enjoy ihem;-(and
no one will ever surrender them from his con.
troll $50 that q mans wealth and personal
consequence, can never he exercised except for
the benefit Of those who, having less wealth,
often have great political power, and excite a.
jealousy agains, wealth to such an extent as TO-
check and destroy all influence e1cep, for the
good Of The many. So long as a, man devotes:
bis wealth and efforts 10 promote tho interests.
Of his neighbors, and benefits them and others
at large, he gains their friendship, and be holds,
an influence over them so long, and to such an.
extent only as his acts result in good to them.
hut so soon as it Is suspected that he may hare,
had some hidden motive, or even should he mis-.
calculate, and his efforts, which he had hoped;
nigh, benefit others, from unforeseen causes.
fail so TO do, all turn against hims aud he ID
condemned nnd~faIl 10 the ground,
... Most respectfully yours.
ASA WHITNEY.
WAsHINGTcN, D. c., Jan. 4, 1850.