The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-04-03
BY DAVIS g. HOLLINGsWORrH.
Overland Mail Route from Missouri to
California.


l4th Of February publishes very striking
report on this subject, signed by numhc
Of the most influential citizens Of tha
place. That paper states, in an cditoria
article, that the report is drawn up by Col
William Gilpin, Tone Of the committee,
VIII" has great personal knowledge on thu
sui ject Of the routes and communications
to the Pacific, botl, from journeys he had
ma'ie across the continent, and from hi:
services in Dnniplan's campaign. and sub
seqnent expeditions among the Indian
tribes. The utility and importance Of such
a route are so universally admitted. that it is
mere suprrcrog,tion to discuss them; but
this report exhibits facts which make it q
matter Of duty, indeed of sheer justice, on
the part Of Congress to take Immediate and
! efficient steps for its accomplishment.
The valley of the Mississippi. east of the
Rocky Mountains, contains population of
nine millions; beyond that range is a pop
ulation already of six hundred thousand,
rapidly increasing; are not these commu-
mites, being in constant relations of lu>i.
ness with each other, entitled to intercourse
by mail -! The mail service in other parts,
of the Union, in 1854, in mail coaches.
embraced above 2O,OOO,OOO miles, costing
upwards of 81, 100000; and in it were
routcs of greater length and over more
rugged country, than that between Missouri
aud San Francisco. A daily service in
coaches from Independence TO San Fran
cisco, wonll amount to less than 100000
miles and would cost about 100000 a,
year. The present intercourse is sufficient
to demand this expenditure, if an equal
justice is to bc inetcd to all parts of tile
Union. But when 1t is notorious that the
establishment of such route will largely
augment its usefulness-largely increase the
benefits to all tho people Of the United
Sfa'es-thc matter becomes too plain to
require argument. The report presents an
other view Of the question of mail fluiIi-
ties" which strengthens this reasoning.
1t appears that the mail service outside
of the United States, cost. in 1854, upwards
O. 100000 of dollars, and this for the
TRANSPORTATION Of scmi-mo"thly mails -
Among these mails, too. are lines conveying
passengers and letters hy route of Zen
thousand miles, from New York to Califor-
nia and Oregon, at hi, annual cost Of nearly
million "f dollars, when they might lie
sent in coaclr:s hy lan.l over cig!,te-n hun
tlrcd miles, at one half the cusf-.litfuSinr.
too, at every mile of their passage. hn"fits
to the settlers IN nur soil, who would rap.
lilly increase, instead Of carecring over the
orean, ana touching principally at few
foreign ports. Add to this THAT the most
benrficient policy-that which comfcrs most
wealth, prosperity anil happiness on !.
c""nry-tl'at which has largely contrihu
ted to make us what we are us a nation
Is the extension Of internnL lines of inter
"o:rse-post routes, especially; and We
state, without fear Of contradiction, that
Congress cannot possibly alopt plan
more beneficial, or more just, than to cstal-
lisl, without loss Of time, sucl, a mail route,
and to give the necessary aid to those who
will undertake. to carry it int" practical op-
Grafton a: once.-Pennsylmnian.