The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-11

railroad. charging tolls sufficient only for the ex-
psuses Of IL repairs and operation. And the set
tlement Of 90 much wilderness country. with such
ducts 70 market, should certainly be considerd AZ
Of no small value to the nation, and the more e.
pecially 70, as il will not have drawn ono dollar
from the public treasury.
Secondly Because the building Of the first eight
hundred miles. agreeably 70 the bill, would GER
Ainly provide the in the reserved half OF the
lands 70 build eight hundred miles more. Now,
will suppose that in building the first eight hum
bred miles Of road, take the half Of the lands on
its line for the sixty miles wide and do make a
fortune, 30 a. to satisfy my ambition, and do not
choose 70 20 on, would there be any difficulty in
finding competent man-yes, thousands-who
would be willing and ready to take this already
provided fund sufficient for the construction of
eight hundred miles more Of the road, and go on
with it, even-if he or they were not TO gain more
than what would naturally result from the use and
disbursement Of such an amount Of money This
alone guarantees the continuance Of the work. Be-
sides, the building of this eight hundred miles
through the poor lands would beyond doubt cause
small amount TO DO brought under settlement.
and made valuable and available for means which
would be another source OF gain, and, together
with the good lands ON the Pacific, with the in
creased value which that important terminus of
such = road could not fail to produce, would. be.
yond doubt, furnish not only the sufficient means
but also tho strongest inducernent to continue and
complete the road.
Again, II il not only Important that the route
should be located where the lands the first eight
hundred miles are good, and could be made by the
work itself to produce to build one thousand
six hundred miles Of the road; but il 10 also abso
lutcly necessary that the lands Of the first three
hundred miles should be well timbered, and furn
shing other material stone, &c., not only for the
construction Of the road it is advanced but also 20
be taken by il for the road, well for houses
and fences for settlement, and stono for bridges.
for all of that immense distance where no timber
and no such other necessary materials do exist.
And Il is indispensably necessary that the starting
point should have direct cheap, and easy COM
munication with the Atlantic cities, which cannot
be had from my other point than Lake Michigan.
And ftho route is not located where all the streams
can be bridged, to give uninterrupted
from ocean to ocean, without tran
shipment ferriage the great objects of the road
that of bringing the commerce and intercourse Of
Europe with Asia over 1t, would be entirely de-
feated.
Unless can start the road from some point ON
the wcstern shore of Lake Michigan, where the
lands are still unoccupied, and continue the route
through lands which could be made to furnish the
immediate available means for the work, MS well
timber, MATERIAL and the necessary facilities for
the commencement and continuance Of tho work,
can neither commence or advance with 1t at all.
cannot start from the Mississippi river, nor
do believe it possible, with, may say, any the
most extravagant amount of means to accomplish
such work, unless it can be started from point
and commanding all the facilities which
/ have enumerated The Government, with all its
lieve, continue it for two hundred miles; it would
fail.
The Government have not yet proposed to build
q railroad to the Pacific, and Congress have not
authorized the offer for proposals. but the PROPOSE
purchase Of lands, by which The Government would
receive in money direct nearly Sc, 900, besides
the free transportation of the mails The means
for the work would be created by building the
road through the lands sold by the Government;
and the road, when completed, would be free TO all
the people, excepting tolls sufficient only for the
expenses Of repairs and operation, to be under the
control of and fixed and regulated by Congress.
The people almost unanimously throughout the
country and the State Legislatures have accepted
the proposition.
The whole question now to be decided on is, will
Congress accept this proposition, under such guards
and restrictions may be considered necessary to
to protect tho rights and interests of all
the people, and guarantee the accomplishment Of
this great work, without the outlay of one dollar
route, or plans or details Of plans is will Con
accept or reject this proposition? The nation is
not called upon for any expenditure, no debt Gre
ated by it, and no burden Of tax upon the people.
should the road Be- built, the people would freely
possess and enjoy all the great benefits which such
a work would, beyond doubt, confer upon the
nation; but should the plan be accepted by Con-
eress and then fail tho nation could lose nothing be-
cause it will have hasardcd nothing, and parted
with nothing the lands would still belong to the
nation; while on my part, should the plan fail,
must lose all, because run all the risk of succcss,
and take all the responsibility both furnishing the
means for, we'll as of the execution and success
of, tho work; therefore, it would that should
BIO permitted TO decide upon and fix my route, and
arrange my own details for certainly 1t cannot be
expected that any man body of men would UNI
dcrtake such work without means, and on route
which could neither furnish means In the lands
It's line, or timber, materials and facilities neces
sary to construct and carry on such q work. No,
II certainly cannot be expected that any Sane man,
after having devoted nine years to the study and
examination of the whole subject, would undertake
the execution of work which ne is fully Satisfied
ia impossible.
On the plan and on the route which hare pro-
posed can successfully accomplish this great
work, but on any other route, or with any mate
rial alteration of my plan, cannot undertake it;
and believe that it cannot be done, nor can I'M
dcrtake il il the bill il not made law at this
sion Of Congress; and, If it is not now acted on,
il must be abandoned, and the hope Of having
railroad to the Pacific must, as believe, also be
abandoneds but the issue will be made before tho
people for q Government road. believe that the
route which have fixed upon is not only possible,
but the only feasible one, as l shall show; but
any delay for surveys would defeat the work, be-
in that delay the lands the first part of the
route would be taken up by settlers and soldiers
bountics to such extent that the lands could not
be had for the meansy besides, it is not necessary
to delay action on the bill, or delay commenc
ing the work. We know the route TO be feasible
beyond any doubt to the South Pass. Now, while
the road is being built to bridging place on the
Mississippi, q route can be fixed upon to a bridg
ing place on the Missouri, and so on to the South
Pass; and, while these three sections are being
built, the route thence to the Pacific be survey
cd and fixed upon; but, I repeat, delays for sur
veys will surely defeat the work
Action on my bill at this session is objected to
by those who propose surveys Of routes and esti-
mates of cost. (" that though the route is feasible,
and tho road might be completed for ten or twelve
hundred miles, it would then stop" A very little
examination would show this objection to be with
out foundation. 1t is well known and universally
admitted fact that to the South Pass, latitude 400
"a and longitude 1899 &c. the route il feasible be.
yond any doubt. 1t has been 30 often and 30 well
described by Col. Fremont and othcrs that no fur
Their description is necessary. Col. Fremont says,
at page sixty of his report: approaching it from
the mouth Of the Sweet Water river, n sandy plain
one hundred and twenty milcs long conducts by gra
dual and regular ascent to the summit, about seven
thousand feet above the sea; and the traveller,
without being reminded of any change by toilsomc
ascents, suddenly finds himself on the waters which
flow into the Pacific ocean" From this to the
navigable waters of the Columbia, the elevations