Weekly national intelligencer., 1853-05-28
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.

Senator BELL in the whig Convention Of Tennessee he
alluded to railroad 70 the Pacific Of the most
tant Of defence and security Ia or
sions the Pacific. 1t demonstrable he said that
the cost OF would fall far short of the
ses o. any war In which we might be engaged for the
protection Of that coast without the Of such
mode OF transit between the valley of the
and that distant frontier"
We do not think the Importance of this measure is
preciated by the statesmen the people Of this coun
try 1t Of the great defects in American charac
er, and which pervades cabinets well as the masses
and individuals to take little note of the future ex
pend an immense amount Of energy upon the present
leaving after years to take of themselves Crcum
stances have fostered and strengthened the popularity
The country young and vigorous sound in constitu
n and able bear shocks that would have been fatal
nation older and possessing less recuperve energy and
power The country in fact took oftse and grew
without the necessity for the needful to pre-
and regulate the energies of maturity But the
time hascome when wise will look to the future
well the present and calculate the Importance to the
nation and to the world at large of events laying away
off in the decades or centuries to come.
1t has been the habit Of the American people regard
this Union thing to be perpetuated matter of
course that its Government is much wiser, freer
and better than any other known to the world that its
continuance and progress for centuries thing in
regard to which thought need be taken. So far the
Atlantic States concerned this may be all well enough
The railroads and the telegraph produce such intimacy
of intercourse and such rapid spread of intelligence that
State lines are becoming in obliterated and
the business and sentiments Of the people thoroughly
ntermxed that it is difficult to imagine cause of con-
yuson strong enough to burst the bands that hold them
together But will be remembered that it is this very
great facility of intercourse these of rapid
oLc A -
genoe, and the rapid interchange of sentiment that re-
move the danger of discord and commotion.
glance at the map will show that these great uniting
and raernizing elements do not exist between the At
antc States and those which rapidly sprngng up on
the Pacific coast. Between the east and the western
slopes of this continent lay broad deserts and ranges
mountains whose SUBMITS gisten with everlasting SHOWS
and the immense extent Of whose nhosptabe ranges will
forever remain unpeoped by civilized At present
the routes to the growing territories the Pacific lay
thousands miles ofocean and countries differ
ing in all things widely the heavens from ours and
whose institutions and the opinions and character of their
people are antagonist to Aside from these
siderations the transit the present routes of
people and their is liable interruption and
vexatous delays at the will of the Governments across
which those routes lay.
Beyond all this, the time consumed in the transit and
the expenses attending it, to widen the chasm of
separation and disintegrate the elements that rapid
mission would continue to hold firmly together gene
ration has yet passed away since the people of the
States migrated to the Pacific regions There is
that coast who be said to be the born
The recollection of home in the Eastern States the
of early e the love of kindred left behind still fresh
in the memory of every citizen of California and Oregon
Old thoughts and old affections are still fresh in their
hearts But in the generations these old habits
Of thought and affections, these clustering memories will
have passed away and something be substituted
bind them to the Eastern States, they will calculate
the value of Union the centre and clptal of which is
away off beyond broad deserts and high mountans and
they viii to regard those deserts and mountains
the natural boundary of empire.
1t is DUE too to the regions of the West that their
people should have increased facilities of intercourse
with their ancient homes and their kindred in the East
that they should not be shut off from them by thousands
of miles of ocean, by broad deserts high mountains
The Government has abundance of means of bringing
them in close proximity with their native States prac
cay the deserts and overcome the mountains
that isolate them No better wiser can be made Of
the money flowing into the treasury of the Unionnone
which will in greater degree advance civilization, pro
mote commerce, advance the of peace But the
accomplishment of this enterprise is absolutely
TO the calculations Of the future if would perpeuate
he blessings Of the Union The West and the East must
be bound together by bands Of iron they will one day
become separate Their interests their commerce. their
habits, their customs their sentiments be assimi-
lated This only be accomplished by the swift
mission of intelligence and intercourse. The Californian
must be the porwarden Of the great commerce of the
Indies the nations Of the Pacific and the Indian oceans
He must have home market for the products of his own
rich State, and he must not be compelled to await an
voyage of thousands Of miles and the pers of the
great deep for his returns Without the means of direct
and swift communication the interests the East and the
West will be in conflict States will multiply on the Pa
cihc coast The soil is ch the climate salubrous
the rivers navgable and the streams prolific in
waterpower There will soon be millions Of people
beyond the Rocky mountains full Of enterprise those
Of the Atlantic States and whether there win be great
separate, independent republic looking away the
Pacific towards the East Indies, rivallDg that
which will face the Atlantic will depend much upon the
action Of the present States with reference the
Of transit the wild regions that separate them
But this enterprise will do than bind together the
extremes Of the Union 1t win hasten forward the set
Element of great West; it viii people the mil
lions Of acres that lying waste it will bring into
market vast tract Of public lands lying this side Of the
mountains and the desert which will else remain
peoped for generations All these considerations
mend the speedy accomplishment Of this great enterprise
to the American people-Al5any State Register.
By the twenty ninth annual report Of the officers OF
the Connecticut Insane Retreat il appears that the
penses Of the institution for the past year 1877 00
lenvi holan 80 he mhor mn ne