The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-06

Europe and Asia IL IS not merely by the Isthmus
OF Suez, by ths Red Sea- that heuceorth the trade
with the East is going to be carried on The east
ern continent of Asia will be walked up to a new
commercial activity from other ports, and especially
from the several ports OF the Chinese Empire Com
sequently, the empire OF the world, in commercial
point of view will henceforth belong to that of
the two powers of England and America which
shall be the first to find means to establish direct
road across the continent of America whereby to
communicate most rapidly with the great
East on the Pacific side, and with Europe
on the Atlantic side. This will be the
great highway by which the products of the Old
World will have to be carried to the Eastern world
Such road is wanted in order to transport with
abundance and CELEBRITY both the multitude of emil
grants and the abundance OF the products demanded
by civilization.
Hence it is that the victory which is to give the
empire of the world will be gained by that Power
which shall be the first to establish the first line of
railroad across regions and countries which as yet
are unknown and UNEMPLOYED. The struggle for the
attainment of this great victory is well worth the
trouble and expense which it win cost; for the en-
pire of the seas and the commercial dominion over
the whole world are the great stakes which are
being played for. There can be no doubt but that
the English expedition to which we have referred
has no other object in view but that of preparing for
the construction OF great transit road to pass d.
rectly through the English possessions in America,
by which road the Asiatc and European worlds will
be- as it were, united together.
The expedition, it is said, will land at Chagres
from thence it will cross the lsthmus OF Panama it
will then penetrate into llfornia, and then, passing
through unknown and III heard of defles over ter
rble and craegy mountains it will pierce into terri
tories yet UNEMPLOYED, which lie on the borders Of
the Pacific Ocean, and then proceed throu n
vast deserts and virgin forests to some port of Ca
NADIA on the Pacific. -Four years have been fixed
upon the calculation OF the time which will be re-
quired to accomplish the purposes of the expedition
No dangers which they Lay encounter can alright or
appal these bold and adve,!r cus travellers regu-
lar post communities ion will be established by means
of Canadian trappcfs and travellers. These are
at mn W French ancestors.
still speak angua and retain the traditions Of
our country. By me- Us Of them, rs running post,
established at different and suitable stations, news
from the expedition will be regularly given to the
English government as IL progresses IN its march.
The British government will then, no doubt, imme-
diatey set to work according. to the information
communicated by the expedition, and begin the
railroad at the several points pointed out by the en-
gneers of the expedition. In this way it il nat we
shall be witnesses OF one OF those grand and
peaceful revolutions which, in all ages OF the world
have played greater part in deciding the fate of
the human than all thc great and most decisive
battles that have ever been fought, all the COM
pletcst conquests that have ever been made.
For several years past, with that energy and
the Canadian peoples iSble trait Of character,
which no doubt is to be attributed to the French
! blood which flows in their veins-the Canadian
, government has been engaged in making every pos
sible effort in aid of the gigantic development OF the
commerce Of the Western country. The sacrihces
which this enlightened government has made in order
TO draw all the Western trade to its own rivers and
seas and to lead it to concentrate at some port on
| its own coast, have been enormous, involving an
| immense expenditure Of money. Its labors in pur-
suance also of the immutabe laws of trade and COM
merce, c9nA1 & !, eventua - OF being crowned with
complete success let Us never forget that Canada,
| without any stance whatever from the mother
country, I'D wholly and entirely out OF her own
local resource. las contributed in the course OF a
| compai lively trti period Of time as much as
three millions steiing for the construction OF rail-
road of such immense magnitude and Importance
ElrOpp
| This railroad will be four thousand miles long, and
| in the course Of its passage will be carried across
great rivers, compared with which even the Danube
itself would only be looked upon a little rvulet OF
| shallow water
| This vast railroad is called the Grand Trunk. Az
it is completed to- terminus called Sarnia, it
will az that place intercept and take up for the bene.
! fit Of Canada, trace which even in 1855 exceeded
! in value sjxtytwo millions sterling. This trade,
which is 10 be intercepted by the Cana 1ian people,
was formerly carried on by way of Buffalo, with,
| however, a maritime loss annually of more than a
million Of dollars, without reckoning the stoppages
and serious delays caused by the frequent transpo
sitions of cargo which were necessary. Even al
ready the opening of single section OF the Great
Trunk line of railroad, which took place this year,
has intercepted and diverted into the Canadian
I channel all the local trade of the old
| line on that section. 1t has already done this
TO such an extent that il has caused several steam
| ers to be withdrawn from the line, and the
/ panies which owned them TO give up all COMPETE
| iion The Ontario and st. Lawrence lines Of
! steamers, which bad nine boats engaged in the
/ trade have given up and declared themselves in
solvent and their boats are to be sold to pay their
debts. The employment of great ocean steamers
between Liverpool and Quebec, for the carrying of
emigrants and merchandise 10 America, with return
cgrgoes of grain aud -four To Europe, is now in con,
temptation and will shortly be carried into effect
/ by the use for this purpose Of the various great
steamers which are at present engaged in carrying
| troops 20 India There are many able and expe-
ricnced merchants who predict that in very short
time Sarnia will take the place of Buffalo, and
Montreal that Of New York, plotting out, COM
mercially both these places from the high position
they now occupy as trading cities
| The American journals Themselves begin to ex-
! hibt some alarm "a 90 the turn which things
liking, and one of them especially has pointed out
ery clearly the advantages OF the situation and the
fl at interests which are nj stake. II We take ex-
perence a. the guide of our judgment in this mat
| ter, we may affirm that the commercial products OF
! the West, after having passed through Lake 81.
Clair on arriving Buffalo on the eastern shore Of
| Lake Erie must be transported 10 New York by the
\ Erie canal Consequently IN order to intercept all
this trade and 10 direct II into another channel the
| diversion OF this commercial stream must be made
| az some point west Of the city of Buffalo, Now,
Sarna Is precisely the spot which nature has pre-
prepared for this purpose. The navigation Of Lake
-. Clair and Lake Erie il more difficult aud dam
gerous than that OF the whole line of the River st.
Lawrence.
In n report made 10 the Congress of the United
States by committee 80 the House on this subject
IL is shown that there three great and imminent
dangers TO which tits route is exposed. These are
shipwreck collision, and the danger of running upon
shoals and breakers These dangers on this special
| line arise from the space 10 which the nav
| cation of vessels of all kinds il restricted, well
also az from the storms 10 which the lakes sub
ject the exposed condition Of their shores, and the
total absence of harbors in which vessels might be
| able 10 take refuge from any impending hurricane.
| The losses from all these various causes which
| have occurred on Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron,
/ Michigan and st. Clair within the period Of eight
years wiz from 1s4s % 1855, amounted TO the sum
Of Is s2s SAC, being 81 ,as20s6 per annum l. ses
| Ontario and Michigan are four times larger han
Lake st. Clair, and three times larger than Lake
Eric. The low depth of watet in this last men
toned lake renders tine storms which 40 frequently
occur upon il much more dangerous, operating as a
sort Of drawback TO the extent Of its area. Conse
uuently IL is affirmed that OF the amount Of the
losses arising TO the shipping from marine disasters
which we have lust given, the sum OF sl,l32,Osd
ont Of the whole amount il 70 be laid TO the ac-