The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1857-1858, 1857-08-05
(From the London News, July 6.)
A Tribute TO Amer enM EM.errrise.

=
Europe certainly owes not a little just now to
the energy and enterprise of the sober, practic.
al business men OF the United States, AS contra
distinguished from the tIbustering portion of
the population of the great republic, whose av-
ocation has happily received check in the dis.
asiers which have driven Gen. Walker out of
Central America, and in the summary ven
leance which the Mexicans have inflicted on
Colonel Crabbe aud his followers in the province
Of sonora. Unfortunately, however, for a bet
ter u Outstanding between the two continents,
the exccsses Of lawless American brigandage at
tract more tention than the success of honest
aud lawful American enterprise. Thanks to the
latter spirit, the West India steamer recently
arrived at Southampton has brought consider
able amount OF the fine wool of Peru, transport
ed across the Isthmus OF Panama on the Ameri-
can railway. Nor is the legitimate enterprise
Of the United States content with this route be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 1t is too
far from the busy scenes of American commerce
to satisfy wants SO vigorous as theirs. So, while
Mr.. Squer is surveying new though longer line
nearer home, across the State OF Honduras, a
third set OF American spectators have actually
completed an ordinary road still nearer, thro'
the lsthmus OF Tehuantepec, in the republic OF
Mexico. And, if we leave the Americans alone,
il is more than likely that the present century
will see tour lines of road connecting the two
oceans
On the Mexican route across Tehuantepec,
stages not locomotives. will ply. Mexico is
country peculiarly unsuited for railways. 1t 10
perhaps the only state in the world whose gov.
eminent has apparently never seriously thought
of railways. Ii IL, indeed, tar more owing to
the frmness of American policy and the deter
mination Of American enterprise than TO the
zeal of the Mexican government that even now
a good interoceasc common road has been es.
tablished across the more accessible part OF the
republic. Successive Mexican governments
have tried to inyalldate the grant originally
made. At one time rival concession was CIV
en- ; at another the validity Of the grant first
made was contested; but through every diff
Guilty and obstacle the Americans have perse-
vered. aud 1t last tie Tehuantepec route is fin
isned and about To be opened. OF course we
shall be warned against Ambition. which has
thus far firmly planted its foot in Southern Mex
leo.
But surely there are worse things in the world
than that sort of ambition which thus connects
two oceans. To our mind, the native apathy
which could never be reused to such an under
taking is u far greater misfortune TO the world
than the ambition which commences by execu-
ting so useful work. Do what we please, the
United States will have policy in America and
the sooner we fall in aud accommodate ourselves
10 that policy, in what it contains Of good and
Just, the better shall we be able to repress that
spirit of Las lessness which has sometimes been
associated with it. The policy which forces q
route across the Isthmas Of Tehuantepec win,
ct no distant date, open the ports on the Pacific
coast Of Mexico to the commerce of the world !;
and how England is to be injured by their
trade Is not very obvious Away, then with
such weak apprchensions. The time has come
to cooperate with, and not try to Illustrate such
| policy.