The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-28
Nasssnal Central Highway From ~. Louis
q, San Fs asscl-c0
rnl non. RICHARD RUSH TO THE NON. THOMAS II.

N.sssnal Cent. Al Hsshway Frs@ o. Lesas
ca San Fsassca-co
rnH HON. RICHARD HUSH TO THE HON. THOMAS H.
SYpENHAM, near Philadelphia,
March 26, 1858.
Ny Dear Sir:-Employments in planting and
transplantng trees and shrubs upon my grounds and
In such like usual work for week or twoa species
Of work however small the scale OF it, not TO be post
poned at this of the year--has prevented my
earlier acknowledgement Of the copy OF your IN
teresting letter 10 the people Of Missouri on the
central national highway from the Mississippi to the
Pacific, which you had the goodness to send me-
In sitting down to acknowledge it now, 40 so not
with any the less cordially aud thankiuinesss
but perhaps more, as the delay has given
me more time to think of it, read the whole pam
phlet when it first came, and found 1t refreshing as
well as instructive pastfne 1t acts like an inteec-
tual tonic. The stat ment OF Mr. Leroux, with COL
Fremont's letter, made me think that the route
you recommend is the best, frankly owning that
have had my attention little drawn hitherto to the
other routes But what makes me chiefly and large
y your debtor the occasion the parts that fol-
low this statement and letter, good both of them
seem to me to be. Louis the XIV. once asked the
Duke OF Vivonee, plump and fine looking gentle.
man OF his court what was the benefit OF reading
The spnghtly duke rep led that it had the same ct.
feet upon his mind that his majestys patridges had
upon his chteks-naoe ii plump SO when you
burst upon us with the reflections illustrations. and
facts almost astounding old as they are when revived
and applied in connection with your subject, that
to be seen on page eight and onward of your invgor
atng pamphlet, il pumps up the mind 1t rouses it
out OF the commons place lazy thoughts into which
all Of US are prone IT, slide until strong fapper
comes. 1t fires with desire to do great things
by bringing hack 10 our contemplation the great
things that have been doue.
When you tell us OF the city Alexander the Great
built to supersede Tyre, the main street OF which
was five miles long, thousand feet wide, with
colonnade aud covered fo0tway of hundred feet on
each side; when you remind that the Pyramids
were standing long Def that time; jog our memo
es with the authentic realities OF the vast chain OF
.,ttwntn. t1nv th.tf nrnntra hu
highways stretching more than four Thousand miles
in length going through mountains which they per-
forated and crossing the broadcast and most rapid
streams on bold arches thrown over them the
middle of this grand highway being raised into a
terrace compandmg the adjacent country and paved
with stone in a manner so solid that parts Of 1t
still exist to challenge our curiosity and admlra-
ton; when you remind us further from our own
Prescotts glowing pages, that even the Peruvians.
before Spain got possession there, had road
from fifteen hundred to two thousand miles long,
conducted ptLless sierras buried In snow, with
galleries cut tor leagues through the living rock,
and over rivers crossed by bridges that swung sus-
pended in the air and ravines OF hideous DEPTH
which were filled up with solid masonry, besides
overcoming other difficulties and obstacles to have
appalled, the most conra geous engineers of modern
tmes-wheD you carry US back to all these things Of
the past, it seems to unhnge ones reason, Start
ling moments come over u. 1t makes US half afraid
lest III our days have dwinded down to- pigmes
become set OF Rip Van Wrinkles young Rips and
old Rips all together, with little hope of our
those old fellows who lived long before US, aud
who, if they could revisit the earth. might be very
much disposed to laugh at US all To be serious let
Us follow Up the matter little, for it is full of pth.
Ii the Macedonians, Egyptians Romans and even
the semcivized Peruvians, could do all that you
wildly and pernertly recall, without the steam
CINE for land water the electric telegraph to
let each other know In twinkling what was going
on, or the THOUSAND and one modern inventions in
machinery for cbeapening and expediting labor and
multiplying 8" prodigiosy its products, what would
they not have done II, like ourselves, they had had
all these too 1t Is enough to make US blush to think
OF It, But rather let us take lessons from it. In the
spirit OF progress let determine to improve in the
resolution OF will. 1t is never too late to
learn, however long we may have been basking in
the delusions o. ALREADY attained perfection. Dr.
Franklin taught him, eli to write good hand, which
somehow or other had got spoiled by tasking him
self to write copy every day after he had passed
should we not wake up to what are capable Of
doing and bestlr Ourselves accordingly?
In one OF your eecheo some years ago / remem-
bered that you drew very strik ng, very faithful,
very beautiful picture of the characteristics Of the
Dutch; and remen Der when was among them in
1929, to have seen near the seacoast in the neigh
bOrhoOd OF Haerem, carts employed in carting sand
to distance If some miles into the country where
the soil consisted only vt bog. The sand was shot
down into the bog and mixed with 1t. The same
carts returned the sandy region loaded with bog
which was shot down into the sand when a similar
intermiDgliDg took l1ace. By going with this
process for days aid weeks tolerably good soil
l.
stances would grow in it,. when nothing whatever
would have grown in the sand or bog by itself. Our
Westera folks, and the folks on our Atlantic side
too, who own sueh large Lodes Of good land to be
had cheap mig hit inci eto smile at this Dutch mode
OF making land; but let US stop NO a,ent.
The county which that remarkable people thus
and in other wavs worked up, exhibited IN the SIX
teenth century an accumulation OF more Inhabitants
in the same space than was known in any other part
of Europe, Of more industry than was ever found
elsewhere and of more national wealth than was
ever possessed by the same number OF men. So says
Lord Brougham in of his works; aud he says,
also, that the spendor and power OF Holland were
the consequences not Of any aural advantages but
great variety OF defects in her climate aud stua-
ton. These put man upon his own efforts in all
mannes OF ways open by any possibility TO his enter
prise and industry
Now what would the making of this railroad to
the Pacific, which you recommend by such
Prehensive, cogent, and animating views-what
in truth, would it be. compared to what the
Dutch have d'ne, even If, as yon intimate, the
United States TO employ fifty thousand laborers
upon it? Almost as nothing The Dutch Vol
tare said Of them, scooped their country out of the
sea. 1t was like new creation. Having
try, they made one for themselves that produced the
malvels recopBted God and nature gave US coun-
try OF immense natural fertility and advantages in
all respects; yet, comparatively, sleep them,
notwithstanding all say of ourselves, aud the
mary things we have really done very honorable to
us, as TAR as we have gone But nations like indi-
viduals have duties commensurate with their situa-
tons, and it has ever been the maxim of an amb-
ton that asIes to durable superiority to consider
nothing done while anything to which wisdom and
honor prompts remains undone. To my vision, as to
yours, eur induce ments to construct this national
highway to the Pacific are urgent. Taken in the high
sense OF national duty, pride, and interest the in
ducements are quite mandatory. Not month, not
day should be lot towards it. From those to whom
much is given much is expected.
We have got an intellectually important dominion
upon the Pacific, and shall lose it il we do not set
about protecting it 10 earnest. War will come upon
MS one of these days. 1t will sooner or later
from some of the canses which produce all wars,
while human passions remain; and it may come like
thief in the night IL is part of prude zee, how
ever fattering it may be to our secomplacency, to
rest the belief that other nations afraid of
power, or depend upon our trade dread the over
throw of their kings and emperors by battling with
our democracy. You and think that We are better
OF than the people of Europe, and that govern
meDt Is the best; but we cannot be
that the Europeans all think So or IL thew