Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-08-23

FROM THE ST. LOUIS nxrUsLIcAn.
The President Of the Pacific Railroad Company
has placed the following letter from Col. Benton
in our hands for publication 'FFs ptS t1asN
a ~ WAsEIssros, JULr 80, 1851.
TO Messrs. Thomas Allen, James H. Lucas James e. Yeat
man, Hudson E. Bridge and EdtDord Haycn a Com
mitiee the Board Of Directors Of the Poetic Railroad
. Company. M s~h,t
GrHrIEmEs did not receive your invitation to be pre-
sent at the commencement Of your great work in time an
swer for the day. To attend could not even the time
had been longer connected with the state Of Mrs.
Bentons health and occupsou Of my own put il ou, Of
my power to return to 81. Louis before September.
take great interest in the success Of tho road Of which
you make beginning. 1t is the central route and every
national consideration requires be made, and with the
aid Of the National Government st. Louis San Francisco
and Washington city line, and that line s through
the heart and centre Of the Unon and the eyes Of the Fede-
raj Government should be fixed upon IT, Unhappy, they
seem to be fixed upon Southern sectional route, hardly
within the limits of the United States ssud 10 the address
Of the President and Directors Of your Company dozen CO
pies Of document just printed being report Of seven differ
en reconnossances for Southern FL Paso route TO San
Franciscobens the explored within the last year by
many different officers and exclusive Of those previously
made and also exclusive Of the survey which the Mexican
boundary commission is to make the Gla river, con-
nuaion Of the Ell Paso routes and Of which the aputation
Of Ell Paso from New Mexico and giving it to Texas was
also auxiliary This document should open the
eyes Of the people of Missouri the danger which the CEN
trial route has to encounter andhe forced adoption of another
condemned by every national consideration. Il is true that
6turcaton" (Which believe signifies fork) of this
FL Paso route intended to be conducted st. Louis which,
done, will be favor lost, in Missouri would
think of going San Francisco by that than
Of coming to Washington city by way Of East Florida The
central route is the only national one and the only OBJ
socle the Rocky Mountains and that il obstacle all
the country rises gradually and mperceptbly 1000 to
5000 feet before their base reached and there then
many passes between the head Of tho del Nore and South
Pass-beween SO and ~ dsgress--very pracicabe and
already marked out by the buffalo trails. In speech which
made this the last session Of Congress Lponted
out these animals the original and uneng Of topo-
graphical engineers the first finders Of good routes and the
safest guides to all roadmakers and gave instances did
not know then that the great Humboldt had previously
written the thing, and in fact given the Instances
but have since that he did and add what he wrote
for the sake of convincing those who yield to authority the
conviction which they refuse to reason. He says
t is worthy Of remark that the American buffalo has
erted an influence in the progress Of geography in rackess
mountainous regions
These animals wander in the winter in search Of mild
climate in herds of several thousands the south of the
Arkansas river In these mgraons their size and unwed
make difficult for them to pass high mountains
When, therefore, we'll trodden buffalo path with, it
advisable to follow it, being conduct the most
convenient pass the mountains The best
through the Cumberland Mountains In the southwest part Of
Virginia and Kentucky in the Rocky Mountains between the
of the Yellow Stone and the Platte, and between the
southern branch Of the Columbia and the Rio Colorado Of
California, thus marked out beforehand by buffalo
paths. Aspects Of Nature, p. 81 5io. a
This is all true, and the mountain men can show these
roads and passes in little time hsrse travel to them
There therefore, plenty Of good passes for the central
route and for the snow, is dry and but little impede
ment to locomotive and BESIDES where deepest is in
vines and goges where the road is raised and the wind blows
off the dry It is thus that the railroad from Moscow
ST. Peersburgh madea raised road and dry which
presents but little obstacle and which the wind blows away.
There is difficulty in finding practicable pass in the
Rocky Mountains about the latitude SO and 39 that
say, the straight line between ST. Louis and San Fran
cisco. have doubt the whole road will be eventually
made, because believe great object which the
welfare Of millions will in the end succeed all OPPOSE
ton not made by the Federal Government it should
be- it will be made piecemea by companies and commun
ties Thus, you have begun three hundred miles Of it
end the people of California propose beginning at the other
end and the Mormons propose to make it from the great
Salt Lake the Sierra Nevada But the Government should
they have done, and make free road, the repairs
The public lands have long been considered proper fund for
mixing national roads and that they squandered by
the hundred millions Of bounties which 90 specu-
lators, the only way to them from spolason and
make them available for present and future public good
apply them in this and other great national objects
wish you within your State further than that you
do not CO. The Government should be pressed without
saon, aud first to make road from the frontiers of
Missouri to California which would be summers work for
hundred men, under practical country road maker with
mountain to show the buffalo trails and passes
The various projects for getting the public lands pressed
upon Congress by individuals and companies, mske rail-
way to the Pacific only schemes Of speculation make
land stock to be sold in market The honestcs Of them
"a Boston company openly propose to found banking
Enlistment upon theirs if they get it. All Whitneys pro-
put amendment into his bill that no member of Con-
gress any related to member within the Levitca
degrees Of prohibited marriages. shall be osseee and
his project would DO heard Of again. circulating
land stock circulating jobbing Stock Is what they are
after and the prospect Of sharing in hundred millions Of
acres Of plumber conciates aherens for projects
absurd as impudent and which it would be al criminal
for Congress grant the Yszoo fraud But courage
The right prevails in the end but without perssvering
exertion. @.'eAs e III ,.tss9# e'tA
Very respectfully, gentlemen, your obliged fsow-cizen,
THOMAS H. BENTON.
PRrER SKY, Of the warrior chiefs Of the Onondagas
died at the Castle Monday last at the advanced sse Of 60