The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-04-09
FOR the Union.
For the Union.
TUE WAGON ROAD TO THE PACIFIC.

While human enterprise has been shortening the oceanic
passage TO California the energy which has been expended
In discovering an improved overland route has met with
equal success The unprecedented emigration across the
plains IN ls49 and 1850 ia advance OF any prepare
ton on the part of the government and consequently su
ered numberess obstacles in the want of definite expora
tons and In the unsubdued condition of the Indians The
report OF Stanbury and the narrative Of Pakman show
that parties who started with the best preparations
encountered great difficulties and some dangers But the
hsrdshps which emgrants endured would hardly be cred
tied by the popular mind have they been made known
general thing except IN the limited range OF Preside
tales.
The best overland route to California which was known
when the heaviest emigration occurred was by the way
Salt Lake and Carsons Valley Since then the has
been shortened about hundred and fifty miles by the
explorations made by Mr.. VIM. H. Mobiles his principal
discovery being that OF the Pass-bearing his name
through the Sierra Nevada Col Fremonps party had pre-
vousy passed those mountains within from five to
fifteen miles of the pass entirely unconscious il APPEAR
Of its existence The adventure which resulted in this
grano achisvement was undertaken by Mr. MOBILES in
1885, his individual responsibility and at his own
expense. II was an adventure which, considering all
the circumstances has hardly parallel in pioneer history
and displayed perseverance which common disasters could
not battle. His discovery accidental On the
trary he for eight months n the Sierra Nevada noun
tans accompanied only by men, whom he pail egh,
dollars per day Senator Douglas had predicted in speech
at St Louis in l849 that route would time be dis
covered the Sierra Nevada the 4st degree Of
latitude and have been told that this prediction stimu
lated the exertona of Mr. Mobiles 1t in 1851 that he
made this discovery, knowledge of which FIRST given
TO the public through the columns of the San Francisco
Herald To the incredibly of Cafornian and
satisfy the country that his discovery not fiction he
returned from California by the same route.
Thus much has individual enterprise accomplished,
aided by the patronage OF the government those
ordinary combinations of numbers and wealth withou,
which such arduous and unred schemes seldom under
taken.
One o! the generals of antiquity gained immortal
by his march the Alps He went to punder peace
fu villages and to spread devastation aud among
unodendiDg people. In this age, surely, equal b ruem
should not pass into oblivion wheo is object unlike that
of Hannibal is 10 bring into closer fellowship the people
different States and thus promote the interests OF human
ity and Of peace
The necessity Of establishing safe highway the
broad domain which includes the Rocky mountains
be denied by any who appreciates the peculi rea
ITEMS OF the United States to the Indians has any
SYM athy for the overland emigrant The act Of 1856
appropriatpg $50 900 to build wagon-road from For,
Rdgley TO the South Pass of the Rocky mountain
but beginning in this benefceut undertaking. At the
last session Of Congress appropriation made Of
100000 to build wagon road from Fort Kearney in
Ntbrasks, to MOBILES pass The road win connect allow
Fort Laramie with the road begun last fall from Fort Rdg
ley I's construction placed by Congress under he d.
rection Of the Secretary Of the Intetior.