Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-17
TO TIE EDITORS.

TINS note into paper which touches matter of pub
lie concern, AMI requires in place in which
have no right to speak.
On the 18th instant, Mr.. GwIS, Of California, read
letters from two officers of the army engaged in Of
the Pacific railroad expeditions the tendency Of which
was to expunge point in the proposed Central
One OF the letters from Lieut. SLOVENIAN of the dra
goons, and contained this sentence:
I" Lieut. Williamson is getting along remarkably we'll
Win MS survey lie has completed his reconnaissance
OF all that portion of the Sierra Nevada from the head of
Kern river TO the coast range and thorough one
he has made Walkers Pass is of no account at all"
The other from Lieut.. WILLIAMSON, of the Topographic
cal Engineers, which contains these sentences:
81 conceive Walkers Pass to be almost out of the
question: and If 1t were as good the others, be
badly situated"
Wal-ke-ra, and by Americans perverted into Walkers
and is the Walkers Pass of the range not of the
Sierra Nevada. He is from the river Severn and the
most expert horse thief in all California He is Eutaw
chief, speaks Spanish, and has large band with him
and several of the rancheros amongst whom is Williams
pay him tribute or black mail"
This is the account given of that Pass (Wakers) by
the two Government officers, and read in the Senate of
the United States to inuencen fact govern-a great
national measure Now wish oppose to these judg-
ments pronounced upon that Pass the description given
OF 1t by Mr. FREMONT above nine years ago. when there
was rival railroad and before
the war commenced which gave US California. In his
journal of his expedition of ls43 A. which was the first
that opened to the sealed book of California to the
public eye, Mr. FREMONT thus speaks of this Pass
| "AprI IA, 1S4f-Our guide "a Californian Indian)
joined us this morning the trail and arriving in
short distance at bottom where the creek fored
continued up the righthand branch which was en-
riched by profuson of flowers and handsomely wood
ed with sycamore, oaks, cottonwood, and willow with
other trees and shrubby plants In its long strings
of balls, this sycamore differs from that of the United
States, and is the plaanus credentials of Hooker-a new
Species recently described among the plants collected in
the voyage of Sulphur The cotton varied its
foliage with white tufts and the feahery seeds were fly
ing pentituy through the air. Gooseberries, nearly
ripe, very abundant the mountain and as we
passed the dividing grounds, hich not Vey easy
ascertain, the air filled with Perfume as If we were
entering highly cultvated garden; and instead of
green, our pathway and the mountain sides covered
with fields OF yellow howers-yeow being here the pre-
vailing color Our journey to-day in the midst Of
advanced spring whose green and floral beauty offer
ed delightful contrast to the sandy valley we had Just
left All the day snow was in sight the butte Of the
mountain, which frowned down upon the right;
but beheld it with feelings of pleasant security
as we rode along between green and flowers,
with hummng birds and other feathered friends of the
traveller enlivenng the spring air As we reach
ed the summit of this beautiful Pass, and obtained view
into the eastern country, that here was
the place to take leave of all such pleasant scenes as
those around US The distant mountains bald
Taking into consideration the of the Sierra Neya
da found thsrass excellent for horses and with
little labor, or perhaps with perfect examination
of the localities il might be made sufficiently practica-
BILE for Wagons Its latitude and longitude may be cons
dered that of our last encampment Qat $50 IL 1917,
long lloo So O3//) only few miles distant. The ee.
walton not takenour halfwild cavalcade making
too troublesome to halt before night when started
This is the description which Mr. FREMONT gave of this
Pass and although he not educated at West Point
yet ne knows "a hark from hGnddU, and tell what
mountain is when he it, and what is gap when
he goes through it, The Government officers say it is
of no account at aFthat it is "Glmost Of the cues
tion"and is "6ady situated" Mr. Fremont says it is
u-excellent for horses-and good for lcagons"
with tle labor" His descriptions have been found
correct by all but Government officers and against them
think he viii have witness subject mistake, and
no change-the mountain and the pass ITSELF durable
time Interchangeable as nature
And this is called By Lieut. Williamson "Me Walkers
Pass Of he Coast Range" must repeat that Dir Ere
mont knows +" hank from handsac' and consequent
y knows the Sierra Nevada from the Coast Range hav
ing traversed them both and mapped them while the
courtmaral expelling him from the army for kav
ing entered without coming through the West Point gate
In the time citizens passing it, and finding
good for wagons, Of whom (Mr. r. S. Wootton of
Taos n NJ has published letter, under date of Oco-
During the last year have taken drove of sheep
from this place California the Col Fremont
intended to have gone in the winter of 45 40 the
time Of his disaster made the trip through Califor
MIA in ninety days arriving there with my sheep in good
order having passed through of the finest country
ever saw and had good camps and plenty of wood,
ter and grass every night during the whole trip This
route is at least four hundred and fifty miles nearer
than the route by Fort Laramie and the South Pass
From Santa Clara Springs LAS Vegas de Santa Cara to
San Francisco, By Walkers Pass, there is good wagon
road and settlements all the way At both these places
little Salt Lake and Santa Cara there are furnishing
built by the Mormons where emgrants can pro-
such things they want at fair prices. Of
fred -four at 81 so per 100 pounds and groceries fair
prices"
Mr. BEALE did not 60 by Walkers Pass his duties as
Superintendent Of California Indians requiring him 20
the Southwest TO examine the Aoha-ve and Southern
California for Indian Mr. FREMONT intends to
60 that way this winter and examine the Sierra north
and the country between Santa Clara and owenss river
the eastern base Of the Sierra in the full belief that he
will avoid the desert" get direct line TO San
Francisco, and much distance He will be in the
gorges and dees Of the Serra gaugng the depths Of
the SHOWS, when those who undertake to dscredit him
will be reposing in cities hybernathgin the poygam
kingdom of the " Latter Day Saints"
The Typographical Engineer Iieut williamson says
this pass (walker's) is badly situated. think it well
situated at the head Of the beautiful valley Of San Joa
qun 1t is certainly badly situated to 20 to San Diego
with a railroad, where understood diagram Of city
is laid off four miles square supersede San Francisco
by help Of Federal legislation and public plumber and to
make fortunes for all its lot holders bat is pretty well
situated 60 San Francisco where God and Nature