Butte record., 1856-03-01
The Railroad Fete.

occasion of the inauguration of the Sac
ramento Valley Railroad, is that of Sem
ator Flint, which we find in the State
journal, of the following morning. Mr..
Flint is thus reported
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.-You are
here to celebrate day made sacred in
The annals of the American Repblic as
the birthday of the immortal Washing.
ton, name revered and honnred in eve
ry land where freedom has votar,, or
the human heart throbs with hope of
national liberty You are here a. a
portion of the American people, whose
lot and habitation is on the Western
slope of this continent, to give up, in
common with your brethren in the far
East, heart offerings to the Father of
his country, for the inestimaoe blessing
which his heroism and that OF his COM
patriots have conferred upon you Let
this day, and the occasion of its annual
return, awaken within you the liv,iiest
sens'bi.ity, and the most profound de-
vot'on to your comm"n inheritance.-
You are here also, 10 day, TO celebrate
the lnu guration & formal opening Of ihc
railway which with its IRON bands is soon
to span continent, and embrace two
oceans. Memorable occasion be this.
beau upon this iron >uperslructure Is
based that evidence of the permanent
prosperity Of the commonwealth. wbic',
gives token that the realities ui our H.
b rty shall ,noure forever. Whrn I
survey the seen fore me. and with S.
on every hand the peac ful hamlet, md
my eye m cts the glance Of lovely wo
men and their little ones sensati ms of
amazent overwhcl me-. Six years ago
L visited this spot A few pack muI, 5
then sutfced to do the carrying trade Of
the entire r"gion. They wound their
uncertain way over steep hill sid s,
through dark canons. aud away into the
trackless wilderness, where row is being
upreared, as by magic hand, the peace>
tuI metropolis. Then toiled tn, isol.>
ted miner, armed to the eth, as he
delved for the glitoring gold, or strug>
GID with the savage for emnire.
TO day, the iron horse. that mioh lest
triamph Of human art. pants along tn
metallic way, tireless and uncurbed in
his strength, and impatient to dare the
tar OFT. To-day the minds forecast
Drings into present communion the time
when the iron arms stretched out by
few patriotic citizens of California, shall
grasp, with fraternal embrace, those
other iron bands which the people of
Missouri are reaching out to us E, ON the
Father of Waters; the mind elows over
the 'time coming" when the electric
spark, over tie great continent, from
ocean to ocean, will vibrate instantane-
ous pnlsation. All honor to the few sell
sacrificing citizens who have built this
first Pacific Railwry Let lis super
structure be forever their lasting monu
ment.
Citizens of California, l deem this a
hitting occasion to ell upon YOU to
aid this grea work Thus far the rails
way has sped its successful cars into the
heart of our glorious State. Beyond
tbs and before us are mighty obstacles,
and to overcome them We must have un-
ion. What prophetic vision can mea-
sure the destiny before us: Possessing
a olutry endowed with every ell m Mt
which can make a people great and hap.
py, the Omnipotent has impcs d it up-
on us as our mission, TO spread rhrogh-
out the dark regions of the Pacifi
Ocean the bic. sings of SC ence. i us
then, Danish from us the split Of faction
let us all be Calilornians. What mat
ters it whether we hail from the N rtb.
The South, the East orthe West; whether
liberty is our birthright, or as needy pill
grims from foreign shores, we fed from
oppression to its joyful embrace-let us
all as brothers. having community of
interest on THIS sacred OCCASION resolve,
that henceforth and forever, no section
al strlies which at this time are rendine
the councils OF our unhappy brethren on
the the Atlantic side, shall ever find a
resting place in or beloved empire.
Fellow ctiz"ns, let us pu, cur shoul-
ders to the wheel, to the drive wheel of
the great Pacific railway, and by uni.
ted effort, ro it onward and over the
mountains to the East and by your ex-
ample OF patit mt industry, let after ages
know that you were not unmindful of the
duty you owe to progress and liberty.