, 1853-12-24

been handed down to us by dPmocralcl
hands and which will by democratic hands
be transmitted 10 future generations.
With these predatory remarks. will now
pass to- the consideration Of the railroad
question: This question of uniting the East
and the West with an iron road, and of ac-
tually brinEing into contact the shores Ol
tn two great oceans, la now occupi I'd the
public mind Gor the last two years. Con-
gress at its lash ksession appropriated money
10 survey all the routes and was assigned
10 the duty Of hrvcying the northern route.
This duty hfve eud7avored to discharge
in the most complete and thorough manner,
and as a portipn Of vast and compr1hen
sive system Of surveys, which, taken iogeth-
er, would enaP pie the government and people
Of the countryto decide as to the best rouies.
NV plan has, thstefore, been adjusted to the
general system and d~thava proposed to CON
meet my own field with those lying to the
South, and 10 extend it to our Northern par
allel. Thanks TO the interchangeable zealand
hearty co operation of my associates, this
field has b2en occupied faT,beyOnd our most
sangune expectations, and results have been
gained moi only in determining practicable
railroad and wagon Tontes, but in develop
ing the geography of that whole region, in
making known regions adapted 10 settle
ment, in collecting information which will
materially aid the government in its land
surveys, and in intercourse with the Indian
tribes Before spreading before YOU this
field, lei US first Just look on map Of the
United States and see standing Out The great
facts of the general question.
We see grand compact territory stretch
ing cast and west some three thousand miles
between the two oceans. On the north a
vast chain Of lakes and a noble river, ex
tending over one half the distance. On the
south The Gulf Of Mxico, that Medite.a'
mean sea Of ours, entering into, and filing
the great interior Of the continent, sweep
ing by for nearly six hundred miles tn,
mouth Of the magnificent Mississippi We
see indeed, almost an ocean-bound republic.
requiring but little help at the hands Of
man al the north and the south 10 complete
the spendid chain of its inlercommunIca
ton. The iron car has already crossed the
Mississippi, and is now stretching its course
over the vast prairies to the west. Where
must be its fnal resting place on the Pacific
shorei On this shore, extending from tn :.
32nd to the 4eth parallel, distance in a
s,raigH linz Os twelve hundred mil,s, are
two great bodies of water, entirely land
locked, sufficient for The tecming cOpmerce
Of the world for oil time 10 come. San
Francisco, the great port Of the southern Pa
c6c, will demand, and is entitled to lis
road, and that road naturally connects with
But Puget Sound at the north, and in con-
tiguily with q vait. uncxplored field still
further 10 the north, naturally connects with
the Upper Mississippi, and the great chain
Of lakes with the Slstes slong those lakes
and with the growing and prosperous poss
cssions OF her Briuanic Majesty on the
north. Tho basin Of the 81. Lawrence Sis
GAY per cent. larger in area than that Of
the Mississippi, and in that connection must
be GonsiA'red as having common Interest
and common ties. Already have reslric
tons been taken OF from The commerce o.
the two countries, and the Two great geo
graphical sections OF the ST. Lawrence bo-
sin are now joined BY iron roads. Not
content with roads from Portland, Boston
and New York to Canada, through their
ioint action rOods are being StIetcked cast
ward 10 Halifax, and westward TO Lake Hu
Ton and the Georgian Bay. l cay again,
this system Of lakes and rivers, aud these
great roads. look 10, and naturally conn ,ct
with Puget Sound whilst the Gulf Of Mex
leo, and the great roads whiSh have spruLgI
Up through southern enterprise, connect
with San Francisco Rpcollect our peopl-
are conlending for the commerce Of lk
world, and are now carrying out the great
highways Of Asiatic trade. But may moi
one road with branches answer q present
purpose, and can the Sasqualbrd energies
Of even our American nation undertake
more al this limse Foe oAP, would an
swer, Il woOld rather b. question, not of
one or two poads, buh Of two or three. Look
al this other geographical fact. Tho Mo-
mon settlement IN the Great Sali Lake Ba-
sjp, a settlement now numbering forty
Thousand soSls, situated in she very hcaVt Of
the continent, so remarkable for its thEiA
its industry, and so rppidly Increasing, and
all eady stretched 10 the close vicinity of
San Diego. called, in Washington last
winter, on Orson Pratt, one Of their prin-
cipal dignitariss, and, as il seemed 10 me,
an honest and worthy man, to get some in
formation As 10. tho part this rIrmsh would
play 10 the great road. II II passed through
their senb.mcns no was Of opinion they
would build several hundred miles Of X, and
perhaps manufacture the iron for the rail.
Should goodrooteS be found, road may be
run 10 the Salt Lake settlement, with
branches lhercfrom, both to the harbors Of
San Francisco and Puget Sound. have
long had no doubt Of the entire PRACTICABLE
iiy Of thu soHlhern route. can now af
fam ihe entire praS'icabiliy ofthe noT hern
cue. II Trmains, fellow. citizens, FIR Con-