Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-02-06
miscellaneous.
From the National Intclligcnccr.
CLIMATE-THE NEW WORLD OF THE
NORTHWEST.

NORTHWEST.
While we arc suffering here the rigors of
winter like that of 1856, year since, and the
frosts Of the last few days, with the thermom-
eter at zero, nearly, it may be favorable time
to refer to the vast areas now counted as our
own, where. at the same latitude, roses arc
blooming with no check from cold, and the
surface has a constant vcrduro.
It is not sufficiently impressed on the pub
lie mind that the entire Pacific coast within
the boundaries of the United States compares
in winter with the same ATTITUDES Of Europe,
and contrasts remarkably with the Atlantic
coast Not only the oNtrcmo limit at the for
ty-ninth parallel is warmer than Washington
for the winter but a distance like that from
Paris 10 Aberdeen must be passed over be-
yond our erirene limit at he Norh Of Pngets
Sound 10 find a winter as cold as that of this
city. fWashingtonD The winter at pugcts
Sound is warmer than at Paris. thc mean he
ing 80 ~ at the first, and 3S at Paris
and the winter at sitka is warmer than that
Of Washington, SO - and 80 respect
ivelv.) notwithstanding they di6or Is Of
latitude. or nearly ono thousand two hundred
and fifty miles in position on the moridians.
Aberdeen. in Scotland, is somewhat warmer,
/ O.
at the ffty-soventh parallel.
II is not sufficiently understood that these
mcts signify immense capacities for occupation
of our Pacific coast. and immense industrial
and commercial interests. Conceive Europe,
without the wealth and population lying a
hove the forty-ffth parallel which is now
nearly our occupied limit, and emay under
stand tho relative capacities of the two conti-
nents better. and may understand what re-
mains for MS 20 do: conceive this vast wealth
and population added 60 what we already have
on this continent and some idea may be
formed of what may yet be done. Climate
certainly permits al this and VIC have only
to consider whether the vertical confguration
and physical geography Of the Northwest will
permit IT,
At Washington We were taught by the OK
pcrcnco of last wintcr-and tho opening of
the present winter repeats the lcsson-that
the rivers and navigablo waters here may De
closed by ice for months n succession. Veg
citation is dormant for several months and in
this respect the condition is practically similar
from New York 90 the North of Georgia
This city is near the thirty-uinth parallel, and
San Francisco is nearly at the thirtv-cighth
yet at this last named city it was remarked as
singular that roses and flowers wore cut off
temporarily. as they were in the carly part of
the last wintcr. though they subsequently re-
covered their freshness and through Fcbru-
ary and March the temperature was as soft as
that Of the south shores of the Mcditcuane-
an. AZ Puget Sound. IN Washington Ter
ritory. ten degrees of latitude further north,
the winter was still mild and OPEN and the
grass in constant growth. Continuing along
this coast 70 Sitka. ten degrees of latitude
shll further north. it was yet doubtless much
warmer than at Washington, since the aver
age for the winter is warmer. and the changes
in extreme years are there very Car less.
BY the recent extension of lines of inter
course with the Pacific, ali this coast Is no
longer the property Of the savage makers Of
arrow-hcads and Of the endless variety of inn
plemonts we have stored up aa representatives
of the tribes of the Northwest Coast The
portion under the dominion of Britain and
RUSSIA is also the property Of the energy and
commerce of Che continent whole; and
the comfy of nations which makes 10 such,
i'm form and in fact is happily shown u our
present relations with the Canadas and British
North America. Indeed, There is no reason.
in appearance or in fact, for scvcrng the sym
mctrcal relations which the vast now areas Of
the continent present from Sonora TO Russian
America Tho gold of Che new Arizona, and
the timber, furs. and Zee ol the Russian Pos
sessions. arc already cNchangcablo articles of
a commerce which is tlc dawn of an era of
unequalled cnerrv and splondor in the West
All this belongs TO the East as we'll and
though the interior Is lormidablcin many pla-
ccs. and access in that direction difficult, it is
at least traversablc.
This interior has its best distinctions and
its decisive definition in its climates. Climate
determines the areas corresponding in posi-
tion 20 the North Of Africa and to Asia Mi
nor to be primarily deserts, with exceptions
. Of "a favorable character somewhat against the
rule. The Lower Rio Grando, the Estacado
of Texas, the basins and ionadas of the Rio
Granlo, in New Mexico and chihuahua. the
5 plains of the ella, the Great Basin, the Colo
RADIO desert, and the singularly torrid deserts
bordering the Gulf of California are all parts
of a whole which has its correspondence in
the vast desert areas which lie in the same lat
tudcs OF the Eastern continent, from Sahara
at the West, through Arabia, Tartary, and
the Mongolian basin, very nearly TO Pelsin.-
This exterior fact is ono which may not be dis
regarded and, though we may doubtless
make largo advances on the modes of occupa-
p, ton and transit belonging to the Old World,
4 we shall still require "ships of the desert ii
7 some form, if not the camel itself, and acque-
ducts, 'aceQuias, with other structures iol
. irrigation and water supply, if we build r
, this region, on the Rio Grande and Colorado
IS such cities as once linod the rivers of Fersi,
d and the Nile We underate our capacity %
do, at least if we suppose that magnihcen
historical drama has not the corresponding
It elements and basis for rrehearsal hore
e In the East, the march from Persia to Ger
many was work Of ages, and the Scandina
vians were held in greater fear when the!
; were first known than we hold the Blackieet
I. Chippewas, and the "Kutchin' now Thu
, gloomy forests of Germany, and the tangled
morasscs of the lowlands, and the shores o
Is the Baltic, certainly were far more repulsy
d, than Pugots Sound and Vancouyers Island
~ as we now know them. Il is of less import
IN ance to MS that we have interior mountains Il
G. pass, than distance simply was before railroad
and even ships were known. In short al
there is upon the continent is within reach, a
= clearly as if our hands and eyes were on
er from the windows of the Capitol and tn