The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-30


Hon. Edward Bates a distinguished lawyer,
and the most prominent Wing in Missouri !;
Hon. VIM. V. N. Bay, formerly M. c. from that
State, and many leading merchants and pro-
fessional men, Wings and Democrats, Benton
and Anti. Benton. In Missouri, the Democracy
is liberalized on the subject of Slavery, and the
fruit is seen in the fact that Missouri is the
most liberal slave State, and ST. Louis the most
liberal slave city, in the Union. We find this
correspondence in the St Louis Democrat, and
copy it with the Introductory remarks of the
editor of that paper
We regret to learn, from the following cor
respondence, that our citizens will be deprived
of the pleasure Of listening to an elaborate ad-
dress from Senator Chase, on subject which,
of all others is TO them the most interesting
railway route to the Pacific ocean. We un-
derstand, however, that if the meeting to hear
the report of the delegation to the Memphis
Convention be held during his stay here, that
Mr.. Chase will be present, and give some gen.
eral views on the subject of the st. Louis and
San Francisco road. 1t is due to this gentle
man to say that he was the only member of
the late Congress who proposed the State of
Missouri as the starting point for this road
LETTER TO MR. CHASE.
ST.. LOUIS, June II, 1853.
DEAR SIR: The undersigned citizens of St.
Louis, learning that you are on brief visit to
our CITY, and properly approaching the gener-
Gus support which you have given to the ST.
Louis route for the great Railroad to the Pa
cifc, would be pleased to have you address our
citizens upon that subject at such time as may
suit your convenience.
John How, Edward Bates, VIM. V. N. Bay,
Willis L. Williams, Thos T. Gannt, Henry
Kayser, VIM Glasgow, VIM S. Mckee,
John Doyle, John B. Smith, S. M. Breck-
inrdge, Samuel Rebor Henry Bernstein,
C. s. Rannells John A. Goodiet, A. Fenly,
Chas. H. Haven, F. A. Dick, O. d. Filley,
B. Farrar, N. Ranney, j. B. Colt, Samuel
Simmons II. J. Bodley, Samuel Copp, jr.,
Fred. L. Billion, Samuel H. Gardner, p.
Heating, Nath'l Holmes, Chas G. Ramsay,
Henry Mckee, Charles H. Tlson, VIM. A.
Linn Thomas J. Beirne, u. Wright, +. H.
Manter, l.. Nj. Sbreve, C. G. Moreau H.
A. Clover H. Reed, C. w. Hicks w. c.
Kennett, w. B. Foster, John R. Atkinson,
LucieH Carr, Jas McMartin, Basil Duke,
~, Ma sshn- Rssaya, -Misoa Lsslis, w. IT,
Hon. s. p. Chase.
REPLY OF MR., CHASE
ST. LOUIS June IL, 1853.
GENTLEMEN: II would afford me no little
satisfaction to address the people Of your great
and prosperous city, upon the interesting and
important theme which you invite me to dis.
cuss but regret to find that the private af.
fairs which have brought me here will require
80 large share Of my time and attention as ia
leave no opportunity for the preparation due
to the magnitude of the subject, and to the In
telligence of St. Louis auditory.
Permit me, however, to thank you very
earnestly for the invitation with which you
have honored me, and for the kindness of the
terms in which it is conveyed.
II is, indeed, a pleasing reflection to me that
almost the first and almost the last proposition
of any Importance, brought forward by me in
the Senate of the United States, were calcula-
ted to advance the growth and commercial
prosperity Of your city, as well as of that in
which | reside myself The first was for the
erection Of public buildings for the accommo.
dation Of the customs, post Office, and other
national Offices, at st. Louis and Cincinnati );
while the second was for the survey and explo-
ration of railroad routes to the Pacific, in which
again st. Louis and Cincinnati, soon to be uni
ted in iron wedlock, and not those cities only,
but the great States, also, of which they are
the commercial capitals, have a common in
terest.
That both these propositions received the
sanction Of Congress is due, however, far less TO
any efforts of mine than to their own intrinsic
merits, to the iberalty and justice of Senator'S
and Representatives, and in respect to the first
Of them, to the powerful support of Col Benton,
by whom indeed, the ST. Louis branch Of the
custom house proposition was originally drawn.
In expressing my own decided opinion, when
the subject Of railroad routes to the Pacific
was under discussion last winter, in favor of
the commencement of the National Railroad
on the western border of Missouri at the point
where your own Pacific Railroad will termi-
nate, simply discharged what seemed to me
a clear public duty Frankness requires the
declaration that should the result Of the expio.
rations now in progress demonstrate the supe-
riority of another route, | shall not hesitate to
surrender that opinion as erroneous, or fail to
give to the railway itself, whatever route may
be finally ascertained 10 be the best, an earnest
and perseyering support. But anticipate no
such issue. | look confidently to the result of
these explorations to sustain and fortify my
original Judgment and hope to have the salts
faction, during the next session Of Congress, Of
contributing my humble aid to the Inaugural
ton of the greatest work of modern times, upon
the most direct and practicable route from the
termination of the st. Louis Pacific Railroad to
the State line of California, or to San Fran
Disco.
Renewing my thanks to you, gentlemen, for
your kindness, and hoping upon some future
occasion, to have the opportunity of more fully
expressing my views to the citizens OF ST. LOUIS,
| bog leave to subscribe myself your obliged
friend and fellow.ctizen, !. Z. CHASE.
Hon John Hon., Mayor Of 81, LOUIS
Hon. Edtoard Bates, Hon. YIN. Y, ~.
Bay Willis L. Williams, Esq, and
others.