The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-03-09


have flowed, has built up cites and kingdoH
amidst the desolaton Of rocks and sands.
was for centuries the object Of merchant M
tnunarch to find shorter route than that pb,
sued by the Navirs Of Tarsl,isi, or the fleets ,
Cartbige Pheneca, Persia, and Egypt wei
among the ancient routes Of this cs,Inmerc,
Cons antinnple aud Alexandra were among i
more modern channels; and Bruges and Ant
werp in the north, and Genoa aud Venicesin tn
>ouih, the means Of spreading it through Eu
rope. The discovery Of the continent of Amer
lca is said scarcely to have consnled Columbu
for the passage which it ohstrucied to Asia; an
from that day TO the present. skill and pave
have exerted themselves to get round, through
or over this t. rmdable obstacle. The wonder
full progress of the arts, and especially the ON
npotance III steam, now place in the power o
the men ofthis day and generation to accom-
plish the work.
This road will to great extent, supersedt
the present long and dangerous commercial voy
ages round the capes Of Horn and Good Hope
: II is needed and will be used in conducting the
Z commercial and business intercourse betwern--
II lst. The western States Of the valley OF the
o Mississippi, with California, Oregon, aud Ess-
tern Asia.
d 2d. The Atlantic coast Of North America
and large portion Of the Pacific coast Of South
1 America.
d 3d. The north of Europe, and the Pacific
coast of Nerth and South America
u will not tire the Senate with detail state.
ment Of the statistics Of the value Of the trade of
: the States and countries referred to, but may
give such an statement in a report Of my re-
marks hereafter. The simple announcement Of
the names Of the several countries in the road
will demonstrate the necessity ofthe construc-
ton.
Mr.. President, the most important event in
the modern history ofthe worlds progress was
think, the exodus Of that vanguard Of Amer.
/ cans, principally from my own and adjoining
western States, in lSf3, who planted themselves
on the Pacific coast. Insignificant as this lii
tie band Of pioneers appeared to be, consequent
ces Of vast magnitude have been produced by
their westward movement, and greater are des
tined to flow from it. Their p, ssesson and oc-
cupancy of the valley of the Columbia, it was
| that forced the settlement Of the long standing
| controversy with Great britain, and a recogui-
| ton that we had any rights upon the Pacific.
| A foothold obtained in Oregon, and the possess
sion of California became only question of
time. Mexican violation for twenty-five years,
of the righs of our citizens, and her shedding Of
American blood upon American soil, precpita.
ted that aurferous acquisition to opr territorial
limits many years perhaps in advance Of the
time at which it would have become ours by
the same process that Texas did-by a progres.
sivc course perfectly honorable and proper, and
founded upon the moral and intellectual supe-
rierity of our race. Already bill has passed
the House Of Representatives dividing Oregon
and creating new Territory out Of the north.
ern portion Of it, to be, and most appropriately,
think, called Washington. hope and doubt
not it viii receive the sanction Of this body. IN
a few years an immmense population will grow
up on the Pacific slope Of our continent, between
which and China, and other parts Of Asia, lines
of ocean steamers will be established, and our
citizens, possessing all the lights of the present
age, cannot fail to make Q deep and most ben
cal.
e6cial impression upon that country and poo
pie, the advantages Of which will be recipro-
beg not to be understood as saying that tha
bill is perfeet know that it is not /; and there
are some amendments which, If proposee, will
meet my hearty sanction. will chcerfully vote Y
to strike out the incorporation clause, and fog
an express prohibition against the exercise, by
the company who are to construct it., Of any
such are given, but would like the possibility
Of their exercise guarded against. The means
and the powers necessary to carry forward the
Enterprise are all with WHICH ! wish TO see the
company clothed, and speed with which private
companies have carried forward these railroad
in our old States, should decidedly
prefer that the whele road should be made by
under its management and 'ntrol. But the
slow progress and i'll success Of the Cumber-
and road would seem to odmonish as against
he latter plan | admit that the construction
IF this road, like every internal improvement
whether of general or loyal charac.
er, is fraught with difficulties and liable TO abb
lses, such as we know from the past histoEy Of
hese works, constantly imperil their fate. But
his is only an argument for increased vigilance
IN the part Of the legislator, and honesty and
ideliiY on the part Of the public officers having
charge Of these works, in distant and remote
PARTS of the country.
The arguments against this bill apply with
much greater force against fiyer and harbor ap-
With these, besides their liability
o abuse, is the very great difficulty of determ-
ming whether they are national or local For
me, have always maintained, that when Of the
ormer CHARACTER, they are objects worthy of
appropriations from the National Treasury
Now, l ask if it is at all probable in the course
# human events there will ever come before
Congress measure which is more certainly
md surely of national importance than that
low before usa think not None to compare
With it in nationality or in any other point Of
,icw. Its whole line will be within our own
err,ory-the United States owning nearly every
oot of the soil over which it will run. A II the
money expended in the construction of the road
will be for the benefit of our own citizens and
III those great incidental benefits everywhere
impaired t. the value Of the soil by thoroH.h-
ares Of this sort, the building up Of cities and
owns, encouragments to emigratioq ffoN both
Extremes of the world, will insure to the benefit
If ouF.own country and our own citizens do
rot believe that this Government has the right
% grant charter for such purpose within tho
limits of State, and hence the bill has provided
hat it shall have no effect within the borders OF
my State, unless such State shall by formal act
lssent thereto.
But the right of the United State to aid cha,.
cred companies of States for snch purposes,
las at least the sanction of precedent in their
subscription to the Louisville and Portland, the
Delaware and Chesapeake, the Potomac and
Ohio, and the Dismal Swamp canals; and in the
exercise of this right, our subscription in the
PRESENT instace is made on prescribed conditions,
uch as the dimensions and strength OF the road,
Ind privilege to transport the mails and muni-
ions Of war free Of charge. am aware that
PennsylyaHa, like other States of this Union,
vas at an early day precpitated into ruinous
md expensive system Of internal improvements.
appreciate the vigilance which would induce
ny friends from that State Messrs: Broadhead
ind COOPER to guard against such abuses on
he part OF the Government oflhe United States.
But, sir, was not this rather the result OF that
og rolling system which undertook to provide
every place in the State with railroad or
,ana, than in carrying Oh, if you please, her
louble mprovemenls-canal and railroad
through and over Allegheny mountains, from
to Pttsburg? II may information
De cortect, such was the case. Would that
Senator Mr.. Broadhead,] OF his colleague, Mr..
Cooper, who so able address the Senate a few
minutes SINCE in opposition to this measure, be
willing now to give up their expensive canals
md railroads, with their deep cuts, tunneling and
Inclined planes, and resolve his State and people
back again into the condition in which they
we're before these improvements were made =
DO they not very much prefer these works, pre-
nature and unwise though some Of them may
De, than return to the pack horse, the bell team,
md the stage coach' Although the construc-
ion Of those great works may have saddled
Pennsylylani4 with an onerous public debt,
cannot doubt that the benefits and advantages
arising from them more than counter-balance the
evils Of tina, debt.
Mr.. PRESIDENT, besides the INTRINSIC merit OF
his measure, and the deep interest felt in its sue
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