The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-04-21
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD,

I
The Herald in noticing Senator OWNS
late speech in tho United States Senate, on
the proposition to build II railroad to the Pa.
ctic, very pointcdly sets the whole busincs,
down rs stupcndous humbug, II stock job
bing speculation TO make money out of the
government aud the Siatcs-thc inception OF
4 gigantic swndlc-and not practical meas.
urc, looking to i result. We copy portion
of the lIerald's remarks
As for the project of Il railroad from the
Mississippi over the Rocky Mountains, or
through them, or around them, we regard it
rs a mere Specializing scheme, all bosh, hum.
bug and moonshinc. The subject is aspcn-
did one to a California Senator, rollsing
made the most of il. He has "sprcad him.
self" on the Pacific railroad, and has run his
steam engine all round the world. But does
he. can he. or any other rational man, believe
that there is any probability that this bill, or
any other bill, will give us railroad from the
Mississippi TO the Pacific Ocean inside of the
next fifty years. No.
Two thousand miles of railroad. and fifteen
hundred miles OF this distance through con-
iinuous desert of barren plains and volcanic
mountains: withou, inhabitants, except lndi-
ans: without timber. except stuntcd thorns
and desert chapparal: and. TO Il great extent,
without even water, Suppose that over such
4 route the first FIVE hundred miles of Il rail
road. single track. were constructed from the
Mississippi riyer-what from the said river,
would be the cost for the transportation Of
the timber. iron and other materials, men and
provisions, required for the next five hundred
miles The truth is, this project of II Pa
cite railroad is all humbug for the next
half century Fast rs lineage is. it cannot re.
move the Asiatic deserts which lie between
the Mississippi and the Pacific. and are the
gold mines of California incNhaustiblc Not
Il bit Of it.
If Senator Gwin and all other Senators
and members of Congress would appIy them
selves TO the practical measures before them
in Il practical way, they would be doing vast
~ more service TO the public than in making
long romantic speeches Oh Pacific railroads.
The reinforcing OF the army, the strengthen
me of the navy, the policy Of some modern
system of coast and harhor detcnccs, the I'M
proyemcnt of the working machinery of the
Post Office Department, and variety of 9TH
cr practical things, might well engage the
attention of both houses for Il month or two.
But these Bunconbe speeches on the Pacific
railroad is all gammon--and these speeches
for Buncolnbc on the Nebraska bill, when
there is no such bill before the House, are
all Il waste OF the public time and money
upon false pretenccs. When will our great
men at Washington learn something Of the
principles Of plain common sense! Doubtless
almost every member of Congress is seized,
at some time or other, with prodigious fit
Of patriotism-of splendid discoveries, brill
liant ideas, and tremendous conceptions Of
public policy-but, like the raw materials Of
potatoes and cabbagcs, these magnificent in
spirations and tlunmery require dressing and
boiling TO proper consistency before they
are palatable or fit for digestion. Admit
that the Pacific railroad is practical thing,
and Mr.. OWNS speech is in order: but, main
tanning as we are that this road is u slice of
green cheese from the moon, Mr.. Gwin has
only given us Il rousing speech for Bun
combc. Who comes next!