Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-20


but it is thought that ocean steamers, which must
necessarily touch at the Sandwich Islands, viii &C
complsh it in sixteen, or even fourteen days. The
passage from san francisco to Panama now occupies
twelve days. When the railroad shall bo completed
the sixty miles transit across the Isthmus viii be
made in three hours; and thence to New York In
eight days, But how long will the Isthmus be the
way of transit from the Pacific 10 the Atlantic
shores Who can tell (? The Western States Of
this Union are neither listless nor idle. They are
alive to their interests and full Of enterprise They
will soon connect their mercantile cities with the
ports of the Pacific by railroads and telegraph wires
Before many years shall pass, not only will the
Canton news be transmitted by telegraph from San
Francisco to st. Louis, and thence to the Atlantic
coasts, within sixteen or eighteen days after the
occurrence of the incidents at Canton but chests OF
tea and bales of Silks by the conveyance across
the ocean, will be there opened within few brief
days thereafter and ST. Louis, a few years ago an
unimportant village amidst the wilds Of the West,
will be the city Of commerce and divergence for the
choicest products Of the Celestial Empire. And
sixteen days, it is confidently predicted by many,
will be sufficient lapse of time to enable the MGR
chant of New York to read the dispatches Of his
correspondents at Canton.
In view Of such important probable facilities Of
intercourse with China, Japan, and the great inter-
mediate depot of trade in the Sandwich Islands,
how important is it that our national vessels should
at once make our flag familiar object in every
inlet to the great Pacific ocean? How necessary is
it that enlightened and scientific navigators should
lead the way through the may labyrinths of the
clustering Isles, and that clear and accurate charts
should be made of every channel to be ploughed by
the keels of our ships and ocean steamers2
Congress has appropriated for this expedition
one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars; a
large sum, to be sure, but how small when contrast
ed with the magnitude of the work to be accomplish
ed /! Our Government derives from its import
duties about fifty millions of dollars per annum, and
this under perhaps the lowest practicable tariff Of
duties. The commerce that thus sustains the Gov
eminent asks but little in return For the want of
such information as it is the present purpose to
obtain, whale ship Of four thousand barrels Of
sperm oil was lost not long ago; the Memnon, with
a freight worth s25O0O0, persisted in like manner
and more recently the Hntress was lost in Behring
sea by running upon previously unascertained
shoals. These losses all of which might have been
prevented if faithful charts had existed to guide
the navigators Alright, exceed in amount five times
the cost of the present important enterprise. How
unerringly, then, does true economy guide us to a
liberal system of appropriations for purposes SO
salutary and SO benefcent. Yet, limited as our
Navy is, how pleasing it is to perceive the general
acquescence Of our Government and People in the
devotion of important portions of it to purposes SO
wholly subservient to the pursuits of peace as to
Danish from our minds all other considerations
than such as relate to the business advantages to
be promoted Such an exhibition goes further to-
man than the record of the most dazzling and san
culinary conflicts.
J We are gratifed in being enabled to state, in
connexion with this subject, that the preparation
and equipment of this expedition has proved to the
present able and accomplished SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY highly agreeable task, and that he has
manifested a prompt and commendable appreciation
of the project, and has evinced the utmost libe-
raty and most resolute determination to have every
! thing executed and provided In an acceptable and
efficient manner A
The command of the expedition also devolves
upon one whose courage, whose ability, whose past
services, and whose humane feelings and generous
and elevated character afford an ample guaranty
that success will attend his efforts, and that his
labors will prove worthy the admiration and graft
tude Of his countrymen.