The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-12


own. not shared with any foreign power, and through
your domain, and not through foreign domain
you will be the carriers OF Europe and OF Asia you will
be The carriers in your own nteroeeane
you must receive, you must convey you must deliver
merchandise within your own temperate Zone, not within
thai lorrd whose heats are nosous 10 animal and
vegetable productions and while 80 deeterous 10 The
articles abundant and most essential to the subssi
ence of man. pesenal also 10 human life itself Tns
is the communication across THIS continent which you
want.
But shall be told. as I have been told by the advo-
Gates Of these i'll starred resolutions that railroad across
our domain is not feasible shall give but bref
answer to thal-an in the letter OF an ierae
nan. whose experience enables him 10 bear conclusive
testimony:
WASHINGTON. February 4, 1853
SIR have the honor OF replying follows you, note
of the I'd instant making certain inquiries regarding the
practieaby ofboding and the best location for pro
cable and The best route VIII be found By going o he
valley OF the Rio Gfande Albuquerque, aud
20 Walkers Pass the Sierra Nevada and from there
down the San Joaquin valley to San Francisco,
different routes naleyi Cooks Sonora route the Salt
river route, hat recently followed by Captain Sgfeavess
described (Cs plain Sitgeaves is in my opinion decided
y the best IL is shorter. direct and has timber
and level country, fewer mountains cultivated and
perhaps more euIrivabe, land than any other route
have trapped APP on nearly every stream be,ween Cooks
with the region OF country between these places
Very respectfully, your obedent servant,
| Hon. WILLIAM II. SEWARD.
shall be told that If it be feasible the length OF the
road is so great as to deter us from attempting it, What
| is ii! Two thousand miles. What two thousand
miles OF railroad for the people OF the United States TO
make who, within eighteen past, have made twelve
thousand miles The railroads which have been made
the State OF New York alone have aggregate length
OF two thousand three hundred and one miles, exceeding
the distance from lake Ere to the Pacific And
you add the canals the chain would reach from the
banks of the Hudson river 10 the shores OF the Pacific
ocean, The railroads already made in the United States,
if drawn out into heightened chain, would reach
from Liverpool TO Canton. The railroads which have
been made and being made in the United States if
stretched continuously along, would more than encice the
globe Again. shall be told OF the of this rail road
And what will be its cost One hundred millions OF dol
arsa cost not exceeding the revepue OF the government
OF the United States Tor two years onlya cost not exceed
ing the OF the federal and State governments for
year. One hundred millions of dollars why. we have
offered that sum for one island in the Caribbean sea
One hundred millions OF dollars; why, New York city
spent one-sixth OF that sum in supplying itself with
| water and grew all the while One hundred millions of
dollars; the State OF New York has already spen, in
ing canals and railroads, hundred and thirteen
Millions and prospered while spending il as never State
of dollars, if il should be directly reimbursed will
be indirectly replaced within ten years by the economy
which II would enable US to practise in the ranspora-
ton OF the army, and OF the supplies OF the army and
navy it, not to speak OF the still important ben
ehs OF bringing the public domain into cultivation and
into increased value and developing rapidly the mineral
wealth OF California. which be only imperfecty real
lied now because labor on that side of the continent
worth four dollars day, while il is worth but here
sQdll De tOld mere constitutional 0lfcueE and
political dangers attending the opening OF this railroad
stretching across country TO San Francisco.
Does, then, constitution authorize to make canal
or railroad through oreg country, and inhbit such
work IN onr own II there is right under the consli.
tuition for that, why is there not for this What
gloss OF the constitution the resolutions Of 17os
us with The one power and depIves of the other
Political danger! Is there less political danger open
ing passage through foreign country, exposed 10 the
ho,ttes OF an armed people and of rival nations than
in peaceaby opening passage through own posses
sons beyond The reach OF foreign powers and even IN
observed by them' But grant that railroad be
made through the slhmus OF Tehuanepec; you
age and control that road as you demand that Mexico
shall permit you TO do, without oveftufning. sooner
later the States Of Vera Cruz and Odxaca through which
1t will pass Can you do that without breaking your
treaty obligations 10 Mexicol No, sir the national
power which controls and manages tina, road with Only
the small States OF Vera Cruz and Oaxaca the route,
will soon overcome them II you take those two States,
will you leave the remaining twenty States OF Mexico
Will the other twenty consent 10 remain out nf the Amer
lean nation, when you have taken the two principal
States, and have cut of their communications with tie
Caribbean sea and the Pacific ocean, Not day. Will
you consent that anybody else shall have them Not
you. Will they consent that any body else shall have
them = Not they So you will have Mexico.
Well, before you conclude upon this important matter
consider well whether you have settled The prelminares
and prepared the way for receiving the twenty-five
WI, they in slave States, or will they
IN free Staies' Can you admit them slave States
Can you take them IN as Tree Staiesf Can you adj
Just the balance between slavery and freedom! II not
can you save the Union from convnlsioni And if
you plunge the Union into CONFUSION, you tell me
whether you can bring out in saietyl Well, sup.
pose that these prelimnaries all settled. Those
States cannot govern themselves now they govern
themselves better after they annexed the Uped
Stalesi No. Will you govern theml Pray tell me
how. BY admitting them as equals. or by procoasuar
powerl II the one, you must have army perpeuay
there TO suppress instruction. II the other, still you
must have standing army in the provinces, ultimately
10 come back and open the same disastrous drama of
anarchy, civil war, desolaon, and ruin at home. which
the atmes e Mexico have enacted there II you bring
them IN as States, have you settled the question whether
you are 10 govern them, whether they
self-goyersmeni, and so your Have you reach
ed that point IN your charity thai you will be willing 10
be governed by tive millions oil Indians in Mexcol
These are no idle questions They are coming upon
US, and they will be here when Mexico, exhausted by
internal factions, and by resistance to your aggres-
sons, shall mpore you to give her rest and peace and
safety by admitting her TO your confederacy before
long, in any event, she surely must and will do That
time is coming soon enough without Fastening IT, Why
hasten IL You answer that you passage across
the continent by way OF Tehuaniepec Have you no,
passages already your own domain to open
than you open IN twenty-five years. Have you not
more land already than you people for fifty years
Have you not more gold and silver than you can dig in
hundred years These dangers are real but only real
il precpItaed Time will speedily fl the regions which
you already possess with the homogeneous population
and Homogeneous States yet even long before thai
event. so soon 10 arrive, shall have come, this nation
will have acquired such magnitude. such consistency,
such strength, such empire, that Mexico with her one
m lion of W her mi of mi yed od