The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-07

formed of the northern portion Of Oregon. II
lies principally between the 10th and 49th
degrees of north latitude, and the llth and
| l25th of longitude, west from Greenwich 1t
extends from the Rocky mountains to the Pa
ci6c, and includes the waters of Puget Sound
equal in the magnifcence of its scenery and in
its secure and capacous harbors to the waters
Of San Francisco bay. Vancouver's island and
the Gulf of Georgia indent it's northwestern
extremity. 1t is on the same parallel with
Canada on the east, but possesses milder
climate.
or its physical characteristics we have
much to learn. 1t has been penetrated and
occupied by persons Of various pursuits; but
they have in general sought only the safer
and more frequented channels of travel and
places Of abode, and the haunts of the red man
are in many parts comparatively undisturbed.
1t has become necessary, however, for our
people to enter upon the full possession of this
Territory, and to this end Congress has pro-
vided for it a civil territorial government Col
onel JOHN P. ANDERSON, the United States
Marshal, has already departed for the theatre
of his future duties, and will at once proceed to
take the census, preparatory to the organization
of the government. In these labors he will
soon be joined by the Governor, Major Isaac L.
STEVENS, late of the United States Army, and
by the Secretary of the Territory, Colonel Ro-
BERT FARaUHARsoN. Although other and ex-
| ceedingly important duties have been commit
| ted to Governor STEVENS, there will in conse-
| quence thereof be no delay in the consumma-
ton Of this purpose. The precise boundaries
of the Territory will be established, the dis
| tricts formed, and the Legislature elected and
convened
The seat of the government has of course
not yet been designated, nor are we aware that
Governor STEVENS has expressed any prefer
ence on this subject; but it is the opinion of
many Of the best-informed persons whose views
| we have been enabled to ascertain, that OLYM-
PA, town at the mouth of the Tenulquets or
Shute's river, which flows into the southern
extremity of Puget Sound, in. the 4Stb degree
| of latitude, will prove the most eligible point.
But the General Government has wisely en-
trusted to Governor STEVENS the discharge of
other and highly important functions also. By
a recent act of Congress the War Department
was authorized to survey the several proposed
routes of railroad from the Mississippi river
to the Pacific ocean and, in pursuance of this
authority, the SECRETARY OF WAR has placed
under the charge of Governor STEVENS the ex-
ploraton and survey of route from the sources
Of the Mississippi to Puget Sound.
The first thing to be ascertaned in the sur
vey of this route is the practicabiliiy of the
undertaking and we are well assured that this
will be determined by Governor STEVENS and
his associates, under full sense of the respon-
sibility resting upon them. OF the conflicting
interests that may be involved in the discus
sion of the relative merits Of the several pro-
posed routes, it is their desire to know nothing.
Their labors will relate only to the route upon
which they are 10 be engaged, and their re-
ports will be of those things alone that are
sought for by the Department under which
they are to act.
The officers of the army appointed to assist
Governor STEVENS are Captain JOHN w. T.
GARDINER, first Dragons; Brevet Captain
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, assigned to duty &C
cording to his brevet rank; Second Lieutenant
JOHNSON K. DUNCAN. third artillery; Second
Lieutenant RUFUS SAxToN, jr., fourth artillery;
Second Lieutenant CUvIER GROVER, fourth
artillery; Second Lieutenant A. ]. DoNELsoN,
corps of engineers; Brevet Second Lieutenant
JOHN MULLAN, jr., first artillery; Doctors
SUCKLEY and COOPER, surgeons and natural
lists.
twelve or fourteen persons. We may name
JOHN EVANS, geologist of tie expedition; j.
M. STANLEY, esq, artist; G. w. STEVENS and
A. REMENYI, esqs., astronomers; A. w. TENK
HAM and F. w. LANDER, esqs., civil engi-
neers, and JOHN LAMBERT, draughtsmen.
The escort consists of ten commissioned
officers, artlfcers and privates of the engineer
company, under the command of Lieutenant
DoNELsoN; one sergeant, two corporals, one
musician, and sixteen privates of company D,
first dragons, under the command of Captain
Ga RDIEER.
Captain MCCLELLAN will depart from Pu-
get Sound for the purpose of exploring the
Cascade range, with two officers furnished him
by the brigadier general in command on the
Pacific, and thirty men, and proceed eastward.
A portion of the main party under Lieuten-
ant DosELsoA will leave St. Louis in steamer
about the 18th instant, and ascend the Missouri
river to Fort Union, at the mouth of the Vel
lowstone, the place of rendezvous on the east,
where they will be joined by the remainder of
the party, under the immediate command of
Governor STEVENS.
A typographical survey will be made of the
Rocky and Cascade mountains between the
46th and 4ath parallels, and of the intervening
country, to determine the general course Of the
railroad, and to guide the civil engineers in es-
tablishing its precise route. This reconnois-
sance will embrace the prominent features Of
the country, the mountain ranges and passes,
the winnings of rivers and streams and their
dividing ridges, the prairies, and every thing
necessary for the construction Of map of the
country. This will comprehend the important
points of the Missouri and Columbia rivers, the
dSbo.,.h.. of tho posses of the Cascade and