The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-24

has a good cultivation on the lower part oil IT,
From Las Vegas, the trail bears southwest to
reach Los Angeles. and makes an elbow which
il will be necessary to cut off 10 90 nearly due
west of Walkers Pass This desert is above
three degrees of Longitude in breadth, from
II5Ii to 49,, and is generally sterile, and de-
fcient in grass and water though daily camp
ing grounds are found, and the great annual
caravans of many thousands of horses from
California 10 New Mexico were accustomed TO
travel it, Col Fremont was sure of finding a
direct way across it, and saw at distance
range of mountains lying east and west, along
the southern base of which he expected to find
wood water, and soil.
s. Walkers PdsS-This is the south end Of
the Sierra Nevada, in latitude 35l3 and longi-
tude 49,, and opens into the head of the
beautiful valley of San Joaquin; and certainly,
short of Paradise, there is nothing more sweet
and beautiful than the entry into that valley
at this pass. Fremont thus describes it, as first
seen by him, the l4th of April, l845: Gone
might travel the world over without finding a
valley more fresh and verdant--more floral
and sylvan-more alive with birds and ami
mals-more bounteously watered, than we had
left in the San Joaquin. The air was filled
with perfume, as if we were entering a highly
cultivated country; and instead of green, our
pathway and the mountain sides were covered
with fields of yellow flowers, which here was
the prevailing color. Gooseberries were near
ly ripe. We were in the midst of an advanced
spring. Snow was in sight on the butte of the
mountain, which frowned down upon us on the
right; but we beheld it now with feelings of
pleasant security, as we rode along between
fraa n b ht,,, hrIa
and other feathered friends Of the traveller en-
hvening the serene spring air. Taking into
consideration the nature of the Sierra Nevada,
we found this pass an excellent one for horses
and with little labor, or perhaps a more per-
feet examination of the localities, it might be
made sufficiently practicable for wagons. Its
elevation was not taken, our halfwild caval-
cade making it troublesome to halt before night,
when once started" With this pass, the last
obstacle is cleared on this route to San Fran
cisco. The Sierra Nevada is passed; the beau
tiful valley Of San Joaquin is entered the gold
region is almost reached; steamboat navigation
is near railroad is already projected; you
are in Tulare county, in the midst of settle
ments; and can say, AM IN CALIFORNIA
Thus, not only the practicability, but the alb
solute ease of building the railroad to California
is demonstrably shown, and through a country
all the way good for continuous and populous
settlements and on the very line where every
national and commercial consideration would
require it to be; and where there is not more
snow than in the railroad tracks of New Eng
land and New York, and Western Pennsylva-
MIA, and that dry and light and readily yield
ing to the snow plough. A deep dry snow is
less impediment TO the cars than thin wet one.
have mentioned one step taken by Con-
gress ut its late session towards the accom-
plishment of this great object-the appropra-
ton for surveys have to mention another,
which will operate in favor of the Central
route--the appropriation for extinguishing In
dian titles west of Missouri and which will
free the way from the membranes of In
dams, and open the land to presumption set
tiers. | was in hopes to have been able to
have added third step in its favor and the
most important of all-that of extending the
protection of law and government to the whole
country between Missouri and the Rocky
Mountains by establishing the new Territory
on the Kanzas and the Grand Platte, and lay
ing it open to settlement this spring; but the
bill failed in the Senate, latter having passed
the House of Representatives by more than
two to one,) not for want of a ma jority in the
Senate in its favor nor want of time, but be-
cause it was not brought forward in time.
The Territorial Committee reported it prompt
ly to the Senate in company with the addi-
tional Oregon Territorial bill but not being
called up until near the close of the session, it
fell before the kind of opposition which is then
always fatal-that of threatened debate Ii
will pass at the next session.
have to regret that there was no appropri-
alton for the construction Of common road
from Missouri to California ut this session. |
do not mean to regret the loss Of a proposition
to give land to a company to make and pro-
tect such road On the contrary, | rejoice
ut the loss Of that proposition. If it had
passed. it would have become the prey Of job
bers, and would have ended in cheat, oppres-
sion, fraud, aud monopoly. The way to make
the common road is for the Government to do
it by an appropriation of money and leave its
support and protection to the working people
who would settle upon it under the pre-emp-
ton system. This common road is now want
and a necessity, for our California and Oregon
emigration. Forty or fifty thousand 90 an.
nually from the frontiers of Missouri to these
Territories, travelling without n tree blazed OF
n sign-post put up by the Federal Govern
ment-expOsed to every species of suffering
and danger, and now actually marking out
the whole way by the graves of the dead. The
Federal Government pays millions for ocean
steamers to England, France, Germany, Pan
ama-millions for the protection of foreign
commerce upon every sea-keeps q squadron
upon the coast of Africa, for the protection of
the negroes from kidnappcrs but it does moth
ing for common road upon its own territory
from the Mississippi to the Pacifc--leaves its
citizens to grope their way through the wilder
ness, guided by the graves of their predeces-
sors, and adding to tho number by their own.
| will try and do something for this common
road next year, and have stages, and horse
mails and telegraphic lines put upon it for use
at once, while building the railroad, to which
it would be a great help, for they would run
together
In view of the magnitude of this work-in
view of our dominion over the public land
from Missouri to Californian view of the
immensely Of travel and business upon it. great
mt the start, and to increase for a longer time
than the pyramids have stood propose to
have the plan OF this road, or rather systems
of roads on scale commensurate to its fI-
ture destiny, be that as great ~ it may. !
propose to reserve tract mile wide for all
sorts of roads, rail and macadamized, and a
plain old English road, such AZ we have been
accustomed to all our lives on which the farmer
in his wagon, or on his horse, and driving
his cattle may go without tax or fear, with
none to run over him, or make him Jump out
of the way under the penalty Of being crush
ed, We shall want tracks for many railways,
necessary in future time, and all unconnected
and independent of each other No monopo-
lies on such a mighty line of travel and trans
portation. Two margins of an hundred feet
each should be reserved for rival and indie
pendent telegraph lines
| have said the public lands on the line of
the road will build it, Ten or twelve miles on
each side will do it, on the pre- -emption princi-
pie, Sl25 an acre; and the meretorious set
tiers upon that principle will be the guard to
protect it, the hands to help to make it and
the cutivators to help furnish supplies to the
labOrers When done IL shOuld be free-that