Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-06-21
From the Statesman.
PACIFIC RAILROAD. tt

The most enduring fame OF the nations
Of the earth, is that which they achieve
by those durable national works which,
surviving the hand Of time and stamp
ing their creators with the seal Of great.
ness, descend TO later generations GOV.
ereI with the dust Of many ages
Among the nations Of the carlies, anti.
guilty, there have becn those far more
famed than the Egyptians in the ar o
war, Ear more renowned IN conquest,
AMI perhaps in the arts OF civilizations;
but they passc away ani left no trophy
of their might to cnlurc, while the pyf'
amils upon the banks Of til Nile Still ex.
ISIS, TO all the vol the greatness OF the
ancient people who reared them from
| their foundations.
1t is now in the power Of the Amer
can people to execute a work that snail
not only han do vi the fame OF th!s
you,g matt II to tn, latest p)slcr.ty; but
shall ais" prove OF incaiculnoic a'':n'
tngc to our own country an 10 The ni'
lions Of he earth. 1t Is not mausolc.
UNI to cntomb the ashes OF kn!, but
a nursery Tor the bir,h AL fostering oi
an infant commerce that shall change
the dcstines OF the wori! that America
is callel upon to BULL. Tne imaslna'
ton of man cannot conceive the chan.
ges ,ha, may be wrought By creating a
cheap AMI rapll m,ans OF passage be-
tween the Alianllc a~l Pacific c)asts
of his vast .ctwecn the out
ll;u BOUNDARIES of this mi, ,,hty nation.
lac discovery Of passaac roun' the
Cape ni Gool Hope, IN the "ay wien the
commerce of the worll was but beg
sally traffic to what now exists, ruined
queenly Venice, ami lefl her 10 wei the
Aur,atlc, in barren nupllal. Com
mefce in new channels has, nearly with
in the memory OF man, built up cI,Ic:
that can almost vic with imperial Rome
before the decline ana TAIL, IN the great
ness of their population, the extent 0
their inIusiry ana business. What then
is 10 be the aua5e ard measure ol tl'
effect Of American cncr.y AM InIusif.
,hickly seltled upon the Pacific COASTS
with rapid an; cheap means ol havc
to The Atlantic coast!
1t is Low morally certain that n foa
10 The Pacific will soon be butl,; anl
is the duty of our people to see that
shah not be dIvcr,e.i IRON that route
which, il there are no lnsurm ountapi
Obstacles, .cnSe AN nature dIctat
that it should take. The objec, oil ever
sensible and dlslntcreslcI man is
;. have roaa to the Pacific by the be:
In. cha ub al q
= both coasts OF The continent. That fou'
/ is the Central routc, 'dvocdlel by be:
ton. proyi,lcI no natural obstacles II
u ,crposc. The man whose object is
r, ra.lroul 10 the Pacific, does not wal
5, 10 90 qurQing down 10 get to San fra'
n cisco; h. wants 10 90 as reason an" O.
/. pcr.cncc dictate that he ought 10 so
!. from Missouri to San Francisco as d
Il rect as may be. -,
g 1t is an distinctive feeling in the h'
, m ~ min. tha; the ccA,ral route is Il
n best route if the object is Il rallroa
}. the Pacific. Show US the man who sa.
W it is not, AMI we arc contident that /!
Pacific ralroa |, by the best route is NJ
N the paramount object in his mind;
CT has some other object, which he will n
c. divulsc, an to which h, is willing
le sacrifice the best route.
Is We conli lcntly expect that Bcnto
es an those who are acting with hlm, wi
IN dem ons,fa,c that the central route
cs ptacIicab!c-:hc best route in evci
Is sense. Now if this is done. the peop
o. will want some better reason than t
10 vinliclive ha,rel Of little min IS for hl'
SC or the suppose interests o. section
po the country, to convince them that I
ia, central Pacific Railroa sht not
u. built. The people are not to be dep
10, ve of tho incalculable Advantages
ag this great roal, because Benioa h
- more sagacity than his alversarles, a
N; has become its unwearicl advocate.
m. The enemies of Benton have nothing
c aivanrc against this route. but they h;
he him. This is like the attorney in an )
he ton at law, who gave the dcfcn Ian
'es counsel br,ef, in which was enSros>
fa "n, merits; but please abus' the pla
III. tif's attorney" 1t is no use at all
the opponents Of the centra! route
ay bs liking about '.liaholical OIL Bent
er, If they have nothing better to say tn
ra. that, lot them ceas, to oppose this
the gantic natl nal work. -..
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