The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-17

practicable lines between remote points They tray.
thousands OF mles--have their annual migraions
sas .ho.. ana These ana i've @
10 lay out road In new country the Indians follow
them, and hence buffalo road becomes warpath tn,
game and after that the buffalo road becomes the wagon
road OF the white man, and finally the macadamzed or
railroad OF The scientific man. II all resolves itself int
The same thng-inio the same buffalo road; and thence
the buffalo becomes the first and safest engineer Thu
~ has been here in the countries which we nhabit and
the history OF which SO familiar The present national
road IRON Cumberland over the Aleghanes was the mill
tary road OF Gen Braddock. which bad been the buffalo
path OF the wild animals. SO OF the two roads from
western Virginia TO Kentucky-one through the gap ia
the Cumberland mountains the other down the valley
the kanawha. They were both the waf-path OF the In.
dams and the travelling route OF the buffalo, and Their
hrs white acquaintance the early hunters In than
hundred years no nearer or better routes have been
found; and science now makes her improved roads ar
acy where the butfaos foot first marked the way and
the hunters foot afterwards followed him. So all over
Kentucky and the West; and 30 in the Rocky mountains
The famous South Pass scientific discovery Soma
people think Fremont discovered H. Il had been dscov.
cred forty years before He only described ii, and con-
frmed what the hunters and traders had reported wa
rather A. fret ,. seen fy white Psop
by the first company OF hunters and traders that went out
after their report laid opea the prospect OF the fur trade
in the Rocky mountains.
An enterpsing Spaniard Of ST. Louis, Manuel Lisa sent
out the party acquaintance and old friend Of the senator
from isconsin who sits my left. Gen. HESRy DoDoE
led the party-hs name was Andrew Henry. He THE
the prosecution OF his business, that OF hunter and
trader and by following the game and the road which
they had made. And that is the way all passes an
found But these traders do not write books and make
maps. but they enable othe. people to do it, There are
plenty OF these men in the great West at present-na
VINO know every pass IN the mountains every ford In The
rivers every spot for CIVILIZATIONS and the best and shortea
way from any one point 70 ano,ber-who know every
buffalo road, and every Indian war.trail between
the Mississippi and the Pacific ocean--and these men
can 80 aod mark out road from the tsoansr o. ".
can trot. And they cut out . common road passl
Bile for wagons and carriages with the aug Of some axe
men and some pickaxes N me course q next snmnsi
caslonal slight reflections. There 10 good way Tor h
system Of roads which should constitute the national cen
trail highway from the Mississippi to the bay OF Saa
Francisco-a good way and centra--a better way than
any one not central can be found in the United Staia
II is up the main bank Of the Kansas, along the Uppa
Arkansas along the Huerfano river oat At the head Of
the Del Noe and thence across the valley Of the UpG
Colorado, and through the Great Basin, crossing The
Sierra Nevada its middle, or turning on the south
the whole way nearly free from obsructons, great par
brushing the present settlements OF New Mexico and
Utah. have the map and the description Of the coun
try, but cannot because the author s not here II
will cross the Rocky mountains between three and -four
degrees south Of the South Pass, (now misnome and
can be travelled earlier in the spring, later in the fall
account OF grass and easier all the winter This route
besides fulfilling all the requisites q national hlgnwa
CATION. traverses the ground which the protection and
defence of the country requires 70 pc garrisonedha
country which lies about the heads OF the Arkansas and
Del Norte-the hunting aground and war-ground Of The
Utahs, Arapahoes, Nayahoes, and other tribes which
make war upon New Mexico and upon US. We an
bound by treaty stpuatons 70 protect Mexico agans
these Indians and bound by duty to protect our
people against them. line OF military posts is neces
cary through their country, and this bill provides Tor
part of the road system, and also provides for the settle
ments which are 10 support them
have demonstrated the nationality Of this work-ih
pactcablityand the means in our hands Tor making III
do not exlaiiate upon its Importance When hnishe
VIII be the American road 70 ASIA, ana WI turn uS
America II will make us the mistress OF that trade
rich al home and powerful abroad-and reyiving llR
Of oriental and almost fabulous cities 70 stretch across
contnent-Tyres, Sdons, Palmyras, Balbecs. DO w,
need any stimulus for the undertaking Any other na0
would 20 10 for the. right OF making u, and u
unborn generations for its completon. We have II With
out war; without tax, without treaty with any powai
and when we make il, all nations must travel it-wm
our permission and behave themselves TO receive PEI,
mission. Besides riches and power, II Will give US
hold upon the good behavior OF nations by the posses
road 10 India,
The work is great but nothing compared to mean
and 10 the magnitude OF the object or 70 what was DON
by the ncas OF Peru before the New World was discovered
Their two roads from Quito to Cuzco Ito say nothing
many shorter ones) were each nearly as long, BON owe
more difficult ground equal in amount OF labor reqsue
from the Mississippi TO the Pacific ocean. One oil ou
classic historians (PrescotD thus DESERVES them
"There were many Of these roads uayersng diferen
parts OF the kingdom but the most considerable were ~
tao which eriended from Quito to Cuzco and again
vergng from the capital continued in southern decur
towards Chilli One OF these roads passed over hs gram
plateau and the other along the lowlands the borden
the The former very much the most dithcu
achievement, from the character Of the country Tvs
conducted painless buried In galerid
were cut for leagues through the living rock rivers wsr
crossed by means Of bridge, that swung suspended ~ 70
native bed revines of hideons depth flied up win
solid masonry IN short all he alieates mat Dsss s,s n
courageous engineers Of modern times were encounters
aud successfully The length of the road,
which scattered fragments only remain Is vsfousy es
mated from fifteen hundred two thousand miles and
pillars In the OF European miestones, wer
erected at stated intervals, Of somewhat more Than
ceeded twenty ieet Il built OF heavy flags Of free
stone, and, In some parts at least, covered win 4
bitumnous cement, which time has made hafue
than the stone itself. In some places where ihs ~
vines had been filled up with masonry, the mountain m
rents, wearing IL for ages, have gradually eaten way
through the base, and left the supefncumben, masssuch
like an arch. Over some OF the boldest streams wnn
cesary construct suspension Bridges they are termed
made OF the tough fbres Of the maguay OF the osler
the country, which has extraordinary degree Of ensev
and strength. These osiers were into cables OF ~
thickness Of mans body The huge ropes, then secbe
across the wster were conducted through rings OF holes
in immense butesses OF raised the opposite bans
. the river and there secured heavy pieces OF lmU
Several Of these enormous cables banded ogsihe orns
bridge, which, covered with panks, well secured ana
tended by railing Of the o.ier materials on the sds
afforded q safe passage for tho traveller.
Other roaa ~ Tue lay ,nropgn ne eus,oe
In different manner, demanded by the nature Of 10y
ground, which for the part low, and much o.
q sah and defended on sSsr .d I' BY pa.ps
Of clay and and odoriierous shrubs psnnu
along he margin regaling the sense Of the rsvsn .