Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1857-01-14
From thsLouisrills Journal.

States and Territories of the United States, have
long occupied the public mind. Various routes
scross the vast western plains aud the rugged gor
| ges OF the Rocky Mountains have been examined,
and numerous proposition have been submitted to
| the people and to Congress ia reference 20 ia
onte TO be adopted for this greet line of railway.
One difficulty hitherto presented has been The con.
1 test between the advocates of a northern and
southern route, but engineers who have reeonnoit-
cred the proposed northern route have been una
BILE to agree upon It's practicability. Some OF the
most intelligent and experienced OF those who
have surveyed the northern route report that 1t is
barely passa5Ie for mules and travellers foot and
positively assert that no railroad can be built in
that direction. Enough has been ascertained to
prove that, even were railway constructed
through that inhospitable region, where Col Free
mont and his party, following Col. Benton's favo-
rite idea of tracing the buffalotracks nearly
destroyed 10 snow~drilts, it would be rendered al
most entirely useless By the severity of the weather
and the accumulation of snow. Public opinion is
fast settling down in favor Of southern route, and
10 the course or events, whose shadows already
seen, probably BY the time this gigantic enterprise
can be completed, Pacific railroad near the 23d
parallel Of latitude may be found 10 be actually
central route for our vast and growing country.
The manifestations Of public opinion in favor Of
railroad connection between the two great oceans
which form our Eastern and Western boundaries
are daily increasing, and INSCRIPTIONS spectators
have sought to obtain sufficient influence to press
upon Congress the adoption of gigantic omnibus
bill providing for the Simultaneous construction o.
three great lines and involving the appropriation
Of millions of acres of public land and the expen-
diture of many millions of public treasure This
gigantic scheme for making fabulous fortunes of
the people cannot certainly be successful It is too
hideously corrupt and too garingly swinde to re-
ceive the appreciation OF the representatives of the
people.
In the mean time the people have themselves ia
ken the matter in hand and the Pacific Railroad has
actually been begun, and its speedy construction
for over half of the distance from the Mississippi
river to the Pacific Ocean has already been amply
provided for by the munifcence of the State Of
Texas The Atlantic cities will soon be connected
by various lines Of railroad with the Mississippi
river, and, ere the completion of the Southern
Pacific Railroad, it will be directly connected by rail
with ST. Louis, Cairo Memphis, Vicksburg, New
Orleans, and Galveston. Thus the main difficulty
hitherto presented 10 regard to the selection of a
route for the main trunk will be efectually obViats
ed.
This road will give US railroad 10 FL Paso, and
pass through some of the richest country in the
Union. AS far as Ell Paso its construction is amps
ly provided for by the State loans and grants of
lands made TO it by Texas The lands alone will,
at very low price, realize to the Company double
tue amount OF the cost OF tne WuOle rOau. IL VIII
be gratifying to the stockholders in this Company
to know that, upon the faith, of sufficient guaranr
tees given by the Board OF Directors, ample means
have been procured to finish the first and even Che
second section of twenty-five miles each, so that
the State loans and lands may be now considered
altogether secure, and the road will be built with
out requiring the payment of more than five per
cent. upon the stock.
This road is alegitmate enterprise from which
a., /. 4
passes entirely across the richest portion of the
State of Texas, and the counties lying immediate-
ly upon its route WILL soon after its completion,
furnish trade enough to make it a very profitable
road if there surplus OF assets from the
sale of lands, and If the stockholders required
to pay the full amount OF their subscriptions instead
of the FIVE per cent to which only the stock will be
assessed. The Northern part of Texas is the finest
grain growing country in the world. Wheat of
superior quality rpens there so early in the year
that it be sent to markets six weeks earlier
than that produced in our middle States. Cotton
also Of the very finest quality can be abundanty
produced in the counties south of the line of this
road. When the road is built, this cotton COM
pete successfully in the Savannah market with
that grown in Georgia At present this produce is
wagoned for two or three hundred miles TO find
other means Of transportation TO market, and its
value is more than half consumed in the cost of
Texas win of themselves furnish ample and profit.
able business for railroad.
It is not probable that the road will terminate at
FL Paso. It win most certainly be extended to the
Pacific To FL Paso, distance Of 2 100 miles from
Washington by railroad, it will have been compile.
ted entirely by individual enterprise and State aid.
From FL Paso to San Diego the Pacific is but
$50 miles, and, if Government aid is to be extend
ed to any Pacific railroad, it should be devoted to
extending the Southern Pacific through the new
Territory of Arizoniaorthe Gadsden purchase. The
length of the road through this Territory will be
tour FIVE hundred miles, and, as it lie public ter
ritory the question of the propriety Of extending
Government aid to its construction is presented in
the least Objectionable form. The small portion of
the road through California to the Pacific ocean
can be easily built, if that portion through the
Messila valley from FL Paso TO Colorado City lie
provided for. This project is now attracting public
etten,on everywhere. 1t is practicable, and indeed
already many Of the greatest difficulties to be en-.
countered have been removed by the enterprise OF
those who have undertaken the construction Of the
Southern Pacific road. Let US give our energies
to the completion Of this undertaking, and after
wards If necessary, other routes may be easily
constructed without squandering our public lands
and involving our Government in debt to the as
mount OF hundreds OF millions of dolars.-LOais.
vile Journal.