New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-08
Netu9lork Daily M.ibn,e
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.


SIN: On my arrival in your city from the West, 1
met an article in your paper, by Washington cor
r,spopdept, signed 81. S. p" which seems to epit-
on ne the errors which prevail on the subject OF IA
cifc Rsroad He ssys:
l. "Tbe necessity for 1t is not great enough.
9 at is under. estimated"
3 I" The money it will cost will be 30 much capital
suik." <,
struct this g yaDtic work sre buboits.
Tb,s, are only part of the objections raised to
work ttat has gen orally been conceded 80 necessary
AZ TO lave been recommended by vauous legislative
bod, =, impored by the people Of the Far West, and
finally Incorporated into the political struggle OF the
recent campeisp, and everywhere received with IA
vcr All our presebt Travelled routes to the Pacific are
commanded by foreign commercial powers, and they
are constructed through countries that are subject TO
Ocefsant barge, revolution and Insecurity Is there
adv greater motive needed TO inpel Government TO
act I And ss the work is gigantic, 80 much the more
need OF early ano eff lent eoh. 1t will not do to wait
for war to augment the necessity" because war
With any great power would inevitably separate the
P,cho set. from hose east Of the Rocky houc-
t,ins by cutting ssurder the commercial lines taa
low unite u.s. And these, too, are the hnes that now
.utsn our finances. So remote, unprotected and e1-
po,ed are the lines that unite us with the Pachc, and
such too is the peril of our financial system, that
"pec.ssy" for an interior central line cf railroad Is
of vital importance in military or conservative view
have rome experience in rair bad matters, and nave
reteaedly ubished estimates Of the cost Concedlng
an that your writsx as TO cost it viii cost iron
one hundred and fifty 10 two hundred millions oil dol
l,r TIE Mexican war cost as toat and, q though
most Of the money went abroad instead OF being spent
in cur sn country, vet AJAX who has felt the burden
Of the Mexican wsri How much lees wonli we feel
the expenditure of mesDs il our own country, when
would aid in the development Of the nch prslTles hi
cnn, Of be rendered available without railroads. For
in the Wet We make the Railroad the precursor, the
OIL er for the Settlement They do DOT and should uot
= await the progress Of settlement They must ana
will 60 With, or IN advance of, the settlement Tue
railroad TO those great prairies necessary agrlcu'
iursl goeAi.s t. cary forward fuel fencing aui build
ING materials and TO bring out the farmers Product
that or, immediately produced by the application OF
other stwly discovered machinery Railroads seem to
be the pecolar invention adapted to the West, and
would Ike to know Of any road ruoning toward the
Pacific that does not encourage prolongsdon by pay.
ing well
H. December, 1855, there was an article Pubhsaed
in The National IsteAigescer, witch took up The
question OF cost AID probable income and although
,, ID. trrors may be conc, ded IN the hgates See 10
r.ssop 10 doubt III. reasnsblenese Of tn eetnstee
They chow that when made the railroad viii cauy the
,rti. bit ard passenger because at rstes exosedDe
tr..ent raroad changes the coet Of travel and tram
pOrtatiun will be les by railroad. 1t costs mao about
1900 TO go from the Mississippi via New-fort and s'n
Frspcisco, t. Sacramento. A railroad from toe h--
,i..,ppi TO Sacramento by the central or emlgraot
rome would be about 600 miles long. The passage,
nj four cents per mile by ralr ad would then be "oly
$50. Decide q saving Of ct least tweoty dave "a De
This is enough TO chow airy man that, when made An
int,rior raiIoad is sure to take oil the travel, and
hence ar there is more than land ,bopg in Wash
;peop. appreb.nd some opposition from those for
,irn lines that new mobopolre this travel That
eul,tors and rsilrosd men wstchiog the progress
q, thi- Pacific R.lioad question should not depnags
THE Object or discourage tboee who honestly de're The
d,v, lcpn,-n Of our great c. nnn-ut II !" nc ne
thing t find men banging round the halls OF Coogress
rreire the mo,t important measures relating 10 the
3;s,.sl md DEVELOPMENT Of our Western domain.
II commenced 10 the settlement OF the NJrth'' e't
T.rrtry and the very first bill MSS carried tnroHS1
Co,sr,s, by outsde efforts and by making 10 instsad
Of or, giant 10 this way the Ohio O~npany pro-
c,eded aud 90 it has been ever since, al - ieN
,l-sys oil be viii = men Of nous morals st ION
van, Ne motives No one has deplored moe teaa
the accumulation Of complicated nHhve surrounding
this subject, Bot l sse 10 rcRou 10 defpaH oeeA'''