The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-22

Napoleon, who dir played his great knowledge Of the
subject IN the logical questions which he put Amer
which he expressed promptly and theoretically, his
conviction that at last the proper route had been
found-that the plan was right, and that the plan
ought to be begun and executed IS possible;
for the of the world LOST for the want of it
more every year than l. would cost 70 make IL. He
declared himself ready TO assist the enterprise by
guarantee, sinking fund to render it in time free,
or by joining the United States and England in con-
structing it for untolled passage.
Lord Clarendon and his colleagues OF the present
English Cabinet am assured are ready to assist the
enterprise in any way which is agreeable to the
United States.
But DR.. Black has, however, returned home to offer
to the government OF his own country the opp )rtu-
nifty of assuming the lead, more interested
in the strait than all the rest of the world together
He has. therefore, presented the subject to the
government at washington, - an American citizen,
solicited governmental action the ground that the
unsurveyed harbOrs and unexplored rivers on the
eastern part Of the lsthmus Of Darien and the pro-
babe practicability Of route there for great ship
navigation, deeply concerned the commerce Of the
United States, the integrity of the Union, and the
common defence. Hence, the government has given
favorable consideration TO DR.. Blacks application;
and the Cyane, Capt. HolliDs, is about to be des.
patched by the Secretary of the Navy to survey the
harbors indicated, and to convey Lieut.. Strain and
q small party to ascertain beyond question, whether
or not there be route perfectly practicable for o
great ship way across the pass OF Daren, which may
two vessels to pass each other, and be conveyed in
five to eight hours through open strait from
to ocean without delay, as represented in the solicit
tatiOn of DR.. Black.
The advantages of this Daren route over all Others
discovered, are, rst, good and spacious harbor on
each side second miles of river navigation on
the Pacific side, thirty feet deep at low water leav.
ing but thirty three miles for excavation third the
depth Of tbe excavation Of the dividing ridge will be
less than two hundred feet; fourth that the canal
at an estimated cost Of seventy five millions, when
completed, vii be an open strait with the tides flow
ing through from ssa to sea, and admitting of the
free passage oil line of vessels in each directions
fifth, that The work may be completed within four or
five years. and when completed will be kept open by
the flow OF the tides between the two oceans.
The Tehuanfepec route, 175 miles across, is with
OFT good harbor on either side; and from the eeva
TORS to be levelled or surmOunted by lockage, is
simply impract CABLE except for a railroad The
Nicaragua route, even by ocksge, can only be made
avaabls at great expense for limited number, per
day, Of small vessels And the same objections will
apply to all the other proposed ship canal routes,
except this OF Daren, where the great ultimaum OF
an open highway from ocean to ocean free as nat
ural strait, is attanable
The object of the government in the despatch Of
the Cyane TO the proposed survey OF this Darien
route is to settle the question by competent corps
OF engineers, and through an official report to
government, and from cur government to the world,
OF the exact character, capaoity and capabilities Of
the harbors on each side this Darieu route of the
topography of the intervening isthInus OF the prob
able cost Of the excavation required TO cut through
artificial strait from one bay TO the otner, and of
all other facts essential to full understanding of the
advantages and the disadvantages to be considered
in correction with the great enterprise
The shortening by ten or twelve Thousand miles of
the sailing voyage to California is but an item in
this business An open highway, through tue cen.
tire of the American continent, dispenses at once
with Cape Horn and northwest passage TO Asia
draws US into more intimate commercial relations
with all the West India islands, and Central and
South America, and win give to New York almost
the monopoly Of the Pacific trade, and the traffic of
the Caribbean sea and the Gulf OF Mexico.
The Secretary of the Navy, in this comprehensive
proposec survey of the Darien route Abe viii pro.
badly leave in the of ten days. and before the
expiration of the winter venture to predict re-
part tat will settle the great problem of
CHIsTOPHER COLUMBUS.