Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-08

- Puipitc WCchly, spoutcu lIotn oo
many stumps and lecture rooms and printed in
a thousand newspapers daily ~ .
The patriotic policy of the late Administra-
ton with reference to Kansas, it always struck
us, was based on thoughtful appreciation of the
state of things that will surely arise throughout
the South when that outwork a. explained
above, may have fallen into the enemy's hands.
We are for the preservation of the Union with all
our heart and soul; and We regard the defeat of
the stupendous efforts that abolitionism is es-
saying to make the Territory its own, as the key
to the accomplishment of its preservation.
In the adoption of its far-seeing policy in
this connection, the late Administration planted
itself wisely, indeed, on the true principle Of
the Constitution-on that Of the right of the
people of each sovereign of the Confederacy to
manage their own domestic concerns without
let or hindrance from others They had no
constitutional warrant to 90 further in protect
ing the right. Going even so far, subjected them
to degree Of temporary unpopularity at the
North that cost the Democracy the loss of State
after State. Nevertheless, they persevered in
their noble work of bringing what is left of the
northern Democracy fairly and squarely on to
the true constitutional platform. They rescued
the great principle of the Constitution, then in
imminent danger of being annihilated there, and
rallied to its defence the nucleus of what, we
hope, is again to prove, in due time, majority
of the non-slavehOlding States.
With such views of the Importance of the ques-
ton soon to be settled in Kansas, the Stars
readers will not wonder that we are Just now
devoting so large portion of its columns to its
consideration.
REAL PROGREss.-The recent completion of
the construction of the remaining link of the
communication by rail from Memphis, Tennes-
see, to Savannah, Georgia. is an event of great
commercial Importance one, too. on which
those Immediately interested in the prosperity
Of the South and Southwest are sincerely to be
congratulated. This line of railway, which now
extends Tin its whole lengthy from Portland
Maine, via New York, Washington, Richmond
Wilmington, \. c., Augusta, Savannah, Athens.
Montgomery, Chattanooga and Nashville to
Memphis. is by long odds the most extensive in
the United States; while at certain seasons it
offers far more advantages to the traveller pass
ing from North to South. and East to West, and
vice rers1-than either of the routes so far open
north of it. As far north as Washington city
lies, We are destined to enjoy no advantages
Of commerce upon this line, Of series Of lines
Those are to accrue to the cities through which
it passes. Yet every new railroad opened, indi-
rectly helps to swell the prosperity of the Fede-
raj Metropolis, by increasing the facilities and
decreasing the time necessary and the expense
of coming to and returning from Washington in
Washington's d" season"
We have often heretofore referred to the fact
that this Metropolis is fast becoming the winter
resort Of persons of good taste, wealth and lei.
sure in all quarters of the Union knowing
that the increase of this custom is the increase
of the prosperity of our own fellow-citizens en-
gagged in every branch of trade we watch its
march, or rather the growth of this disposition,
with unfeigned solicitude. and hail the compile
ton of additional facilities for concentrating
such temporary population at this point dur
ing the season, with great joy indeed
The next event of the kind we shall be called
on to chronicle, is to be the completion of the no
less important grand railroad chain from Alex
andria to this same city of Memphis, which is
to he IN fat occompH probably in less than
eighteen months from this date It's route ira.
verses the finest and most interesting portion of
the North American continent, though up to
this time it is less known to tourists or commerce
than any other trans-Alleghany road or line of
intercommunication. From its termini, along
its whole line, lands are destined to advance in
value with rapidity equal to that with which
real estate advances at times in the Northwest;
because, while it is held in comparatively large
tracts, is susceptible of very economical agri-
cultural Improvement, and is thinly settled, the
previous entire absence of economical means of
intercourse between it and navigation, inland or
seward, rendered it in great measure profit
less, industrially. The region traversed BY the
Illinois Central Railroad, it will be remembered.
until the construction of that work, was value
less for useful purposes. The opening of it 'up''
to markets has already rendered it one of the
most thriving sections of the Union; and its
strides forward are, day by day, month by
month, and year by year so rapid as even to
astonish those most Immediately interested, Pc
cuniarily, in its future.
The mineral wealth, the facilities for profta-
bic stock raising and farming, &c, embraced in
the hitherto well nigh sealed book of western
Virginia and eastern Tennessee about to be de-
veloped by the opening of this great line of
which the Orange and Alexandria and Virginia
Central railroads form the eastern termini, are
quite as great as the resources of the country
traversed by the Illinois Central railroad and
in many respects the inducements for large
and enterprising population to flock from dis
lance in order to avail themselves of those fa.
cilities are far greater. Among those induce
ments are vastly superior advantages of health
and climate, that never fail to tell in the long
run on the commercial history of a country,
We expect to see, if living many years longer.
the line of this great central artery of the con-
tinent rapidly becoming with its advantages of
IRON, coal, water power, rich valleys of, as yet,
almost unturned soil, and its multitude Of rail
roads that must be constructed from this main
line penetrating north and south at nearly
right angles to iD the manufacturing region for
Virginia Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Ala
bama, Mississippi and Arkansas With the in.
terror Of all these States, its facilities for the