The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1853-02-19
Pacific Railroad .

From an excellent srtiss in the Laarlssteg r
Mercury We take tho following remarks On tho
Pacihe railroad;
In relation to the legitimate purpose of tha
pubic defence, We regard the proposition Tar a
great railroad as much the most practical and
promising Of the two IN fact, they bear to each
other pretty close correspondence to that ioiut
of meat aud It's shadow in he water. for ms ~,
advised choice between vhiyha CERTAIN bloekh,ad
Of dog is mglouously commemuraIrd by isnp
The railroad l. palpably great measure nl sci
defence. Fosa very long lnt the chief furce of
the cunirG.rac, will be or the Atlantic side. But
It Is az open To assault cn the Pacific; and
measure that secures : sale and speedy transfer
of military resources from vue ocean tle oihe!
is, beyond all dispute proper military underta
king II the expense ls only m Just proportion 20
tire object aimed at. We speak. Of course only
uf that region without the boundaries Of the
States all that the general government needs in
the way al facilities for military movement eau
be obtained through State Legislation.
OF course it adds greatly to the value and in.
tersst Of such work that il would open large
regions to settlement, which are now almost val
ueless because Inaccessible and in this respect
all important interest Of NIL ths States would DO
subserved by increasing the value OF the public
domain Perhaps NJ great stress ought to be laid
on this, in a strictly general view because 1t has
become the fashion now a days as soon as the
lands become marketable. to give them away to
satisfy local Interests. Bat in reference to gsugr-
al commerce. and the Intercourse between tho
Atlantic and Pacific borders, such a raoaa
would. under any circumstances, be immensely
. superior to any communication now used, and ~
the event Of foreign war would be the only sa,0
couGrxiun between those distant regions.
But it ought to he built by the government.
The route passes through tie region that ID mos, IN
the way Of the army where its services are uiosL
needed, and where it could act in coniunct.c,
with the engineers and constructors Of the road,
Fortified stations must be made at short intervals
on any route that ia selected and the army must
necessarily be an important element in the po
grcss Of the work. To give 1t a military chaItc-
ter would also be the ssrcst means Of piotec ,Iny
i, from the hostility of the sayages, and As a new
exhibition Of the public force, it might he made
powerful means Of tanning aud governing tLss3
wild hordes.
Besides. we do not see what constitutional
right the United States has to create 4 huge all.
{ road corporation. But We do not stop to ii,cus5
that point. II Is more to the purpose to consider
that any corporation it may create will hang upou
= it's neck, rrving give give, not only every year
Of :he progress Of the work, but for at least hall
' century after it is finished.
Private interest, it 10 said truly. would build
the road cheaper than the governmsn, could do
it. Cheaper for the individuals certainly, bu.
70 not cheaper for the country, unless there can lo
{ found way to satisfy cnpidlty with smaller pro
j. fits. when it can make greater ones 10y inirgu :
$ and endless solicitation