The Washington union., 1857-05-30
oyERLANp MAIL no CALIFORNIA.

through from some point the Mssssippiriyer toSan
francisco, in California win be awarded AS the time
,pproaches for closing the contract find that public
senton has been very strongly attracted to the sub.
ieet. The appropriation six hundred thousand dol
lars year-at first sight seems to be very liberal
one vet, when all the difficulties and enormous
penses Of such an enterprise are considered, il is
,ery Questionable whether the service can be per-
s,rmed for the whole amount of the annual apprt-
priation. We sincerely hope that il can be, and
that experienced, responsible, and enterprising
NAV be found 10 undertake it, and carry it through
suceessfuly We feel assured that the Postmaster
i,eperal and indeed, the whole administration,
dsepl interested in the success of the measure and
that the President and his cabinet viii do all that
NAV be lawfully done TO accomplish it.
some little difficulty to present itself in the
selection Of proper startingpoint on the Msss-
sppi river. TO our view, this difficulty is not
very serious one when considered in it's relations 10
all the interests concerned According to the pres
tut development of public opinion as indicated by
tae public press; Saint Louis is assumed unequyo-
caly, as the proper startingpoin
Upon drawing line east and west, passing over
Saint Louis, it will be found that the great mass of
populaton business wealth. railroads, and other IN
aaences lie to the north of it, within two hundred
miles ON the south side of it, Yet Notwithstanding
this all that region of country Judging from the in
dcations already spoken Of, seem perfectly agreed
that S. Louis shall be the starting point Points in
louisiana and Arkansas, lower down, and others in
Iowa. higher up the river, have been named pre-
seting some advantages, points of departures but
ll we think that it would be no difficult matter to
show upon taking an enlarged and national view of
this great enterprise that the central location of Saint
Louis, its commercial advantages, and its rapid ad-
yances in wealth and population, mark it emphati-
cay as the proper starting-point according to the
re1usitions of the law The fact that Saint Louis
happens to be situated in slaveholding State ought
10 have no influence whatever, either favorable or
otherwise
A strong northern sentiment would doubtless de-
mand the location of the overland mail route from
some town in the State of Iowa, through the South
Pass strong southern sentiment would, in like
manner, demand its location from point in Louis
lana or Arkansas, by way of Ell Paso Cannot both
Of these interests be accommodated by CENTRAL To-
cations We think they can
But we deem it proper to all concerned to say that
on this subject, the President and the whole cabinet
are wholly uncommtted except to do entire JUS
ce to all parties and to all interests connected with
this great public measure.
The New York Courier and Enquirer speaks of it
in this wise:
"ovKRLASp MAIL TO CALrroRsIA learn that lead
ing railroad men have become alarmed lest the national
administration instead Of locating the overland mail
along line beginning at some point on the Mississippi
river convenient and accessible to the bulk of the business
and the mass Of the population of the United States
shall allow itself to be persuaded TO terminate it at
town upon near the southern border.
When consider that the leading railroads of New
England, New York, New Jersey, pennsylwania Della
ware Maryland and Virginia designed principally
the trade and travel of the valley of the Ohio
and Of the Upper Mississippi and that the railroads of
those States and of the States lying to the west Of them
have aggregate length exceeding 10000 miles, and
were built and equipped at cost exceeding hun
ded millions of dollars, it excites wonder that their
owners should feel deep socitude that the national
overland mail to California should start from central and
easily accessible point, and not from town, situated
amid the swamps Of the Lower Mississippi five hundred
miles south of St Louis.
10 guard these large interests against surprise
we understand that the leading Offices and stockholders
Of the above mentioned railroads will send forward be-
tween this and Monday next, petitions to the President
OF the United States requesting that the route of the
overland mail shall not be fixed further south than St.
Louis but along line at central and accessible to
all the great interests Of the nation.
The following very reasonable and just remarks
are from the New York Tribune:
OVERLAND NAIL 10 CALIFORNIA We learn that the lead
M railroad men in New England New York, Pennsylva
MIA and Maryland and Of the States lying to the west of
them sending petitions to the President praying that
he overland mail to California shall be carried by route
commencing the Mississippi river at point which is
not only central to the nation but is easily reached by
travellers their roads The railroad fear that
thc SPECTATORS may succeed In causing the overland mail
route TO be located make it not only useless to
them, but absolutely injurious. Many think the mail
should start from Rock Island go Iowa. up the
plains along the Platte river through the South Pass
and by Salt Lake TO California; but all believe that it
should not start from point south of St Louis, that
uy lies considerably south of the central line of the pop
uation and business of the United States "
We give, also, one of the petitions to the Presi-
dent, to show the facts and the reasons which the
petitioners present in favor of St Louis being made
the sarting-point
NEw YORK, May 25 1857,
10 his Exccllency JAMES BUCHANAN,
President of the United States
sR We glad to notice the promritude and energy
upayed by your cxcellency in devisng to
e laws recently passed which will result in opening
Three good wagon roads TO California viz along
he Texas border through Nebraska and Utah and
he third from Southwest Missouri, westerly through AL
oaquerque and the Teon passes.
We are also pleased to advertisements inviting pro