The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-14

= wv ~Fs~"V " Voo@s
Mr.. whitney's Project.
NlEssRs. EDTroRs ALLOW ma ! Nv vords
IN answer to your rema ks Of yesterday. on NJ.
Whttneys project" You say, At is ths Ara
70 ito We have ever heard Of that was sslested
ra rairoad, because It js unsettled. - olisct
'eIny to make it BY the sale Of the pnb(te 1x1ds.
and to make the public lands sell by making the
road" You also say, The conception Of ths
are we'll and truly made. -
One must take = broad and comprchena;va
view, to appreciate these elemests Of II. ula,.
lrac. 1t has no parallel" and can never 1870
have one. simply because there H. not anssier
American continent TO be discovered. nor ano9hsr
world Of poor people that want It. ana ~ aan
cake something out of it; because, unorsfscr.
there IL not another Europe, and anoshsr USIted
States. that want shorter and cheaper wevstn
trade with Asia; nor another Asia that w1,,h
the same facilities Of intercourse with Anesaea
and Europe; nor another Pacific ocean AM az.
islands, with their vast and undeveloped tfees.s
urcs, In obeyance to, and to be evoked ~ &Sl
execution OF such project; nor another Ps1ie
slope OF the American continent, va II q N4.
very thing, to connect with the Atiuntlc asope
and with Europe ia other words, because tAera
is but one world we have to do with Connect
this world as it is, and all its parts as thew are.
by the shortest and cheapest way Of intercopr.s
and transport, and you will do what has not uet
been done, and what will not need to b. done
over again. 1t cannot have parallel either
in the past or in the future, and it will stand
unique monument for all time, not like the tower
OF Babel, to pierce the clouds, and look into
heaven, but an iron grdle over this continent "a
enable all nations to look each other ia the face.
and wherewith to exchange commodities, or the
products Of their industry.
Never heard of such thing! No, never. and
is that reason why it cannot be- Is this the
voice OF human enterprise and progressi Make
a road over an unsettled country? And why not!
For want OF means, and Of trade to support It,
you say. fon think it absurd But observe.
you could not build that road. bv the v,eans nro.
posed, II the country were settled That Is Ger.
tain. And are there not poor people enough n
the world, in Europe and America. who. with
pick axe, spade, and hammer, would build that
road all the way across, with the assurance not
only OF maintenance in the mean time, but Of
a home and independence as their paw, at the
end OF one or two years of anch work, Ia this
way. you shall not only have a settled country.
all the way through. but the road made, and
pad for by the lands, at no cost of the nation.
and free transport forever, except tolls enough
10 keep the work in repair and operation. Do
you not know that men will 20 where their in
terest eads' Tfen il is moral certainty. that
the poor people of the world--snd there ara
quite enough for that--wi go and make them.
selves rich on the line Of this road by coastruct-
ing it; and it will be done as easily, though nat
as quick, as to make road of twenty or 4 hmm.
dred miles in settled country, aid for the same
reason, that it will be the interest of all nartes
Yes, verify, not only is the project without
parallel in the past, and in the possibilities Of
the future, but its results are, and will forever
De, unparalleled, simply because there is no other
world to conquer Make this road. and the
whole world will be at our feet.
Excuse me, it think that you have gone
vide OF the mark, in assuming that the com.
merce between Europe and America would not
support railroad, If there were safe bridge
on which to lay it. Had ! time, it would be
easy TO show the extravagance Of such an n.y.
Potfes's You also appear to assume, that this
road Ii to depend for support on the trade be-.
tween the Atlantic and Pacific States wherea,
th~t is the smallest, and very small item of
the calculation. 1t will be the shortest and
cheapest way between all the great industrial
masses OF mankind, as the geography of tho
globe will show; and moreover, there will he
no TAX on transport for dividends to pay interest
on the cost, the entire cost being sunk in tho
plan. ~.'''
fonr deduction, based on the avaiIs or the
public lands, on the navigabIe waters of the
Mississippi, is answered, think, by reference
to the fact, as admitted, that the increase of
value In the lands and property within few
miles OF the Erie railroad, in the State of New
York, is greater than the cost of the road: and
so in all similar works, as is well known, The
bill for MIR. Whitney's road puts the land to be-
appropriated ut ten cents an mere. II is the in
crease of value on this, by means of the road.
which is to constitute the capital 10 build n
and it is already ascertaned, that any amount Z
capital may be obtained to make the road. on
the c'edit of this hypothecared value. ,rbe~r
facts aud considerations are conclusive on thia
point '@
You say well and truly, as the Democrats
Psrty thinks, that "this government has no pow.
er to build such a road ITSELF" and YOU add. a.
TO grant the public lands for such purposes
AS to the last, the Democratic party, believe. a.
such, have no scruples on the project of law
proposed Tor Mr.. Whi'ney's plan, and the COM
mttee, having Democratic majority, have
framed the o''' expressly to avoid all consttu-
lonai objections They have pronounced it en-
-rely consistent With Democratic views.
~ '''"s wig CAccutIOu Vi Int3 plan MIL
withdraw capital and labor from other mart. Of
ne Union &c. Certainly not capital, IN the
shape OF money, for the plan does not REQUIRE Il:
md as to labor, II will be drawn chiefly frou,
oreign parts. SO far from reducing the vain.
IT property in other parts of the United State
IS alleged by you, this great work on every
,rinc'pie established by experience, would enrich
ne whole country to an incalcuabie extent
Bat suppose this scheme should be failure.
IS you predict and that It u = the wildrst
in this age Of chnerss," as you allcre,
VIII al least by that failure, save to the nation
o much OF the public domain as is thus appro-
tlli the nation shall have come to It's
enses, and know better what use 70 make AZ h
nan the present mode Of squanderine It ali
way; aid for this reason alone, Messrs. Editors
for no other think that on your own
Dad EYAMTMfp
WASHINGTON, Feb. l3, 1850. A
NOT 40 BAD AS IT SOUNDS author Of