Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-31
. WASHINGTON, January %, 1854.

WAsHINGToE, January 20, 1854.
To the Editor of Tie National Era.
The brief editorial in Yesterdays Era, pur-
porting to give g the cause Of the controversy
at Erieo il inaccurate in one important par
ticular and, as it seems to me, conveys also an
erroneous impression rs to tho merits Of that
unhappy controversy
You are mistaken in tho statement that
from Ohio, through Pennsylvania, to Erie, tho
rails on the road are four feet and ten inches
apart and through New York the rails are
four feet eight and half inches apart This
is not SO; the rails on BOTH these roads are tho
SAME DISTANCE APART; but whether this dis
tance is five feet ten or four feet eight n half
inches, ! am not sure Both the roads, how
ever, ar. constructed on the ONO GAUGE
You are right in stating the distance Of the
rails apart on the road from g Erie to the New
York State line,o Mt sir feet. This road, there
fore, is tho only obstacle to the uninterrupted
passage Of cars from Cleveland to Buffalo; be.
ing, however, about l Z miles in length, compels
two changes Of cars instead Of one viz: one ut
Erie, and one ut the State line, for each train,
up or down.
At the astscssion of the Legislature Of Penn
sylvania, an act was passed, authorizing any
railroad company in the State to regulate the
gauge of it's road ut pleasure. Under This laac,
the company owning this II miles Of road Of
six feet gauge commenced changing the rails,
to correspond with the Ohio and New York
portions Of the Lake Shore road
simultaneously with this attempted change
Of gauge, commenced the Eric mobs. As fast
rs the rails were taken up and relaid, they
were torn up by the mob If relaid across o
bridge, this was fred and destroyed; these out
RACES continued and the railroad company ap-
pealed to the courts, but the injunctions Of the
courts have been set at nought, and about
seven miles Of the road made impossible, and
left at the mercy OF the mob.
That the company acted right, and in ac-
cordance with the public interests, in attempt
ing TO remove this GAUGE NUISANCE, uiH moi be
denied by any honest man who understands
the question.
From Chicago to Buffalo, through Toledo,
Cleveland, and Erie, distance Of $50 miles,
excepting this IL miles of road, there is an I'M
interrupted line Of railroad, Of uniform gauge.
From Cincinnati to Buffalo, through Cleveland
and Erie, distance of 440 miles, there is also
railroad OF uniform 1cidfh Of rail, excepting
this Same II miles, the lines from Chicago and
Cincinnati uniting at Cleveland
During the winter season, the freight and
passengers carried through Erie, on this line
Of road, are enormous: during the summer
season, there is but little falling off Of passen-
gers, and none, perhaps of 1.-Two stock freight,
hogs, cattle, and horses) Probably not ONE
THoUsANDTH part, Of either passengers or
freight, are destined TO Erie AZ q final stopping
place, either in winter or summer. But the
effect of the abreak of gauge" is, to subject
everything carried on the road, and not des-
tined to Erie, to the damage, delay, annoy
nc -.
AND TWICE RELoADED--once Mt Erie, and once
at the State line.
II is said, however, that making the gauge,
uniform, "injures the harbor Of Erie But
how so, unless the annoyance OF unloading ard
reloading sends freight and passengers to the
"harborv for RELIEF? In isinfer, this could
NOT be. Remove tho gauge annoyance and
still, If the aharbor Of Erie,o all things consd-
cred, presents the greatest attractions, people
will be very likely to make the discovery, ard
avail themselves OF it, srithom coercion but il
il does not, why should they be forced TO the
"harbor Of Erie" against their interests or in
clnations?
On this theory, the aharbor OF Erie" was
not made for business, but business for the
"harbor Of Eric.n
IL has been said, however, that the aharbor
Of Erien is tho only harbor on Lake Erie which
the Government can Use IN time oil war :" but
why the capability Of this hsrbor for use in
" time Of war should in afime Of peace " sub
ject the whole travel and freight OF that great
Western thorougfre 10 the expense, delay, and
vexation, 10 often adverted 70, certainly does
not appear at first sight and no one has yet
condesccnded TO enlighten us on the point.
But seriously, whoever pronounccs this culogy
on the aharbor Of Erie must be either mis-
informed or in jest. IL is true feet in that
harbor would be secure from an enemy and
so also would the enemy" be secure from the
fieetn IL would constitute palpable in
stance Of mutual insurance. To every one ac-
quainted with Lake Erie, IL is notorious that
the harbor OF Erie is by no means easy Of ac-
cess or commodous when entered but, on the
contrary, Is the very reverse in both respects.
IL is not my purpose, however, 10 underrate
either the present business or the capabilities Of
Erie, but to counteract unfoundcd assertions,
made in justification or excuse Of q most wan
ton outrage, not less disloyal TO the harmony
Of the Union, than to tho personal rights and
commercial interests Of the people Of tho West.
Ep. WADE.
MORE SOUTHERN PRoGREss.