The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-06-27

built for the accommodation Of the traveller
and the emigrant, and to secure the means
of prompt communication in times of peril.
The traveller on this road may still see,
standing by the wayside, not far from the
city of Wheeling, implSmonument, which
comnemorates the services of Henry Clay
in the formation Of this then important
bond and ligament of Union between the
Atlantic States and the interior. The monu-
ment will crumble-the road itself may be
deserted and forgotten-but the name of
Clay will live while patriotism is henored
and genius finds shrine in the hearts Of
men.
Turnpikes and Macadamized roads, rivers
and canals still supply the indispensable IA
cilities of intercourse. But third period
has begun. The Railroad and the Tele-
graph now assert their claims to pre-emi-
nence, as the most important means Of rapid
communication, and the most beneficial
| agencies Of progress.
With this new era, the great work OF
which we now celebrate the accomplishment,
stands closely and prominently connected.
While yet youth, pursuing my profession
al studies in the City of Washington, re-
member to have witnessed the celebration
of the opening Of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad perhaps only to Endicott's Mills
perhaps, only to what is now the Washing
ton junction. 1t was great event, and de-
served to be appropriately celebrated. 1t
announced the earnest beginning OF work
/ then without rival in boldness of design
Fand grandeur Of conception. Through what
difficulties it has BEEN presecuted-what
marvels Of engineering skill it has evoked
how successfully obstacles seemingly insur-
mountable have been overcome, others may
tell better thanI. Irejoice to see among
you to-day, friend of my younger years,
to whose faithful and intelligent labors as
President of the Company, something, at
least, of its success is due. have no hear,
tier welcome to give to-day than that which
my heart offers, before my tongue can utter
| it, to Thomas Swami.
All those who faithfully labor in the COM
mencement of great undertakings, seeking
| to realize in material forms great ideas,
build far more wisely than they know
The projectors Of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad little imagined how much more
vast than even their great conception, were
to be the results Of the work they undertook.
They contemplated connection with the
Ohio and through the Ohio it's affiliated
rivers, with the immense territories watered
by them. But they did not dream of these
rivers, themselves, were to be half superce-
ded by other railroads, continuing their own
iron track further and further towards the
setting sun.
They did!not even contemplate, believe,
the construction of that Northwestern Vir-
glnia railroad, over which you have just
come hither. Still less did they anticipate
that, when that branch of their own road
should be completed to the Ohio, this Gin
cinnati and Marietta road would be here
to receive its passengers and freight, and
convey them westward. He would have
been counted insane who should have pre-
dicted it. The only hospitalities thought
to be due to him who might then have
hoped to participate in such a celebration as
this, would have been the hospitalities OF
the Lunatic Asylum.
To-day, gentlemen, you will have an op-
portunity of seeing how sober such an anti
cipation would have been. Tonight you
you will be welcomed to the ancient metrop-
oils of Ohio. Tomorrow you will be receiv-
ed by the Queen City of the Central Valley
still justly entitled to that proud distinc-
ton, though many ambitious asplrants are
eager to pluck the crown from her brow
There great wonder awaits you. The
Ohio and Mississippi Railway, forming still
another link of the Central American Rail-
way, stretches away still westward, and the
bear you on, beyond the ancient limits of
! hn -ba ha nF ba
Crusades, and of the French Empire, and
of French civilization are perpetuated by
the name of St. Louis.
There you may pause; but the Railroad,
the Locomotive, and the Telegraph-lron,
Genii of modern civilization, still press on
ward, and-I venture here to predict it
will know no lasting pause until the whole
vast line of railways shall be complete from
| the Atlantic to the Pacihc-from Baltimore
to San Francisco.
Gentlemen, must not detain you by re-
! Elections. 1t were idle, indeed, to attempt
to express the feelings which these themes
excite. God grant that we may have the
wisdom to understand that this our wonder
full heritage of liberty, prosperity, and ex-
! tended empire came from Him and can only
be preserved by obedience to His laws.-
God grant that the Union Of the States,
which this great railroad brings into such
intimate relations, and that larger Union,
which embraces all the States of the Con-
federacy, and which forms the best assu
rance and guaranty of the permanence and
enlargement of our precious heritage of
Free Institutions, may endure in all It's glo-
rious strength and beauty, while the noun
tains and the rivers, traversed by the road,
shall stand or flow.
Gen. Cass replied:
| l have listened with deep interest to the
address by your Excellency, in your recep-
ton of the strangers who have just landed
on the North bank Of the Ohio.
OF all persons on earth, none more than
myself can appreciate these passing scenes.
Within few feet of where we now stand,
| landed more than half century ago,
poor, young adventurer, seeking in this land
of promise to commence my first enterprise
in life. This to me was the land of promise
of my first trial-of my first sacrifce.-
Here commenced my career in lfe-my
hopes and my fears.
Your Excellency may judge, then, that
there could be nothing more strange than
the Ohio of the past and the Ohio of to-
day. The circumstances under which now
find myself, awaken sensations of more than
an ordinary character. Here was my first
school. l left this spot a scholar come
back now teacher. went out to fight the
great battle of life-I return with it fought.
The result is a glorious illustration Of the
popular character of our institutions. The
poor boy has represented the people in the
high places of the land, and as representa-
tive of the nation has been her minister be-
| fore Kings. No other nations present such
spectacles. ......
| Hold on, then, to the popular character
of the government as to ship when night
and tempests come. No such prosperous
land can be found under the sun. Our lines
have indeed been east in pleasant places.
Fifty-seven years ago, all the Northwest
Territory contained only &c, 900 people; now
its limits include 6,0O0,000. The man is
now living whose axe felled the first tree of
these forests, and there are men now alive
who will not pass away until the United
States has attained population OF lOO,-
100000. The triumphs of the past are
wondrOus From n land without cultiya-