Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-21


Observatory, has been communicated to the Editors
for publication
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY,
WAsHINGToN MAY 25 1873.
SIR In complying with your request {" 10 rpty
10 The object Of he Memphis Conrention al length"
! select the Pacific railway and the Amazon becuse
they are prominently national | do not sdect
the subjects Of mere local bearing, because yo are
more familiar with them than ! am and because
you understand them much better than do.
should be more likely to do harm than goot in
offering suggestions with regard to them.
Without the aid of any mere locker on, you have
the energy and the will to carry out all these gleat
works of national improvement among the Stats
many of which you have already in hand, andall
of which are intended for the better development
of the vast resources Of those sections of the can
try especially whose welfare it is the particular
object of the Convention to consider.
look with establishment and behold with am,ze-
ment the giant spirit of internal improvement tiat
is abroad, and the achievements which it is accom-
plishing in the South and West. 1t is vast and
mighty; they grand, and both are glorious. Al
things consdered-that you live in new country that
1t Is sparsely populated, &c.-the degree Of energy
now displayed by the people of the South and West
in the construction Of railroads and other works of
public improvement has never been surpassed nor
equalled in any age or country. Never has there
been exhibited such display ofwell-drected energy,
public spirit corporate and individual enterprise as
may now be witnessed in the States of the South
and West
| therefore have not the vanity to suppose that
i can say a single word to you with regard to your
works and schemes of internal improvement that
would be worth SO much even as the ink of express
sion You are all right there, and it is well in
Others g to let well enough alone"
therefore turn to the mighty Amazon and its
nod haxa do thae IF StTi1t
years, and have had the benefit of some peculiar
sources of information with regard to it.. They
may much but such they are offer you
the result of them.
Do the favor to pick up the first school atlas you
may see and turn to the map Of North and South anne
rica if it have if not the map of the world You
will there that continent has as it were been
stretched out until it has been nearly drawn in two the
two parts being held together in the middle by quite
neck of land After this pulling asunder the
southern part appears have been thrust to the
ward, forming of this neck Of land elbow or blight in
which lies embosomed midway between the Americas
that beautiful sheet of water composing the Gulf Of Mex
leo and the Caribbean which have often described
Mediterranean"
Keep your eye still the map if you please and YOU
will that South America is in shape beautiful cornu
copa Consider its mountains, that they away the
west look at the number and extent Of its rivera that
you may understand how well watered the whole Atlantic
slope Of that country is and you will that literally
and truly it is destined to be great horn Of plenty It's
mouth is turned right towards US as though it were
ready pour ot.of its abundance an infinite variety
fruits Whenever it does pour them out it will empty
them into commercial lap-that aforesaid ma gnifcent
Mediterranean Of America.
Turn steam, the emig-ant, and commerce with their
influences upon that watershed and you will make of il
plantation which will produce for us MI that the
climate Of India Affords and, being at our own doors
win want from in return every thing which we have
to spare And what is it that settlers in new coun
try do not want!
New York, great cost Of time and money, has, by
Of her Erie canal and other works Of internal i'm
provement well nigh turned the Mississippi river upside
down. She has taken Of its commercial mouths
least from the Belize and placed it Sandy Hook The
Rio de la Plata is nearly large the Mississippi The
valley it drains is proportionaby great and far
fertile for it is inerropica and canal Of few steps
in length by comparison will that Mississippi OF the
South completely upside down also bringing its mouth
for all the practical purposes Of trade and commerce. into
the Amazon And the will then for many other great
purposes Of state be taken BY the physical agents Of the
Crestorrhe winds Of heaven and the currents # the
and brought the Of Florida there be united
in their great outlet upon the high with the mouth
Of our Mississippi. What focus
The Amazon as it now exists gives drainage to six
nations 1t is the natural outlet TO the Atlantic Of much
Of Brazil Of most Of Bolivia Peru, and Ecuador and Of
large provinces in New Granada and Venezuela
But the Empire has the strength and the position she
holds the mouth and viii let the Republics 20 up or
come down with their steamboats, They sisters
They want our sympathy and need assistance in their
noble efforts introduce the principles Of free trade upon
the Amazon. From the other hemisphere these nations
are stretching their republican hands out their ANA
,onan tributaries procaimng for the waters Of that
river the freedom Of the seas and inviting the world
come up with the steamboat and river. craft tho
and the emgrauts, and open commerce and navigation
with their Amazonan provinces the richest piedmont
country in the world spirit has gone abroad there
than two years ago the Federal Government selected
gallant officer Of the navy who al that time serving
in the Pacific detached him from his ship first for spe
eal service in Lima and afterwards directed him to ex
plore the Amazon from it's mouth TO sound
its depths and guage its capacities present and pros
pectivc, for navigation, trade, and commerce.
That expedition has returned and Lieut. Herrdon the
officer in charge Of it, approaching the Importance Of
placing the information collected by him before the pub.
lie without delay has already Submitted his report u the
Government 1t has been transmitted to Congress and
that body rightly conoeiyng il possess high degree
Of interest has ordered large number Of extra copies
The party consisted OF but two officers Count dOsery
French officer had when engaged in exploration Of
hat 81 -, tor.~