The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-10

by offering to us, within our own territorial linn
its, safer and more expeditions method of COM
municating with the Pacific, is not only eminently
deserving of public attention, but should meet
with popular favor from all sections of the UNION.
1t must be evident to all who have watched the
current of events, during the past few years. that
new and lucrative fields for commercial enterprise
have already been partially opened on the Asiatic
shore of the Pacific; that old monopolies, with
their exclusive rights of trade, have been broken
up; tina. vast Empires such as China and Japan,
are relaxing their respective commercial policies;
that the claims set up by the Netherlanders, to an
absolute control over the traffic with the thousand
Islands of Malaysia-the far-famed Indian Archi-
pelago-have been successfully disputed that
Australasia now exchanges an immense amount
of gold for foreign commodities, and that the
trade with Mongolia and Chinese-Tartary has been
thrown open TO commercial competition, since the
occupation of the Amoor river by the Russians
From all the points enumerated, Railway to the
Pacific would draw its continual supplies of freight
and passengers, and would thus constitute the
UNITED STATES the entrepot of large proportion
of the commerce carried on between the various
countries of Europe and Eastern and Southern
Asia. But its social and political value would be
scarcely less than its commercial, inasmuch as it
would strengthen and consolidate the bonds of
union between the Confederated States
facilitate the settlement of new territories
extend rapidly the area of production,
and abate the popular passion for schemes of
Southern conquest by tempting restless and row
ing fellow countrymen to engagein enterprises more
useful and legitimate Such we conceive to be
among the advantages which would accrue to
us from the construction of this great Commercial
artery between Europe and Asia; though is doubt
full whether sectional interests will not be brought
to bear too heavily upon the question to admit of
selection, at the present time, of any one of the
three routes which have been reported upon by the
Engineers appointed by Government. Yet, if we
really desire to seize the golden opportunity pre-
sented to us, there should be unity of action in
Congress, and rivalry of effort in pressing the
work to a speedy completion. Already England
has similar project under advisement. The
abrogation of the charter of the Hudson's Bay
Company, will place her in possession Of an i'm
mense territory contentious, on our Northern
boundary, with our own. This territory extend
| ing Westward from Lake Superior to the base of
the Rocky Mountains, she proposes to erect into a
Colony, the nucleus of which already exists in
the halfbreed settlements at Pembina, and in
the Valley of Red river of the North. 1t has been
proposed, moreover, and the plan is said to have
met with the approval of the Government, to build
Railway from Lake Superior across the inter-
venng plains to the Rocky Mountains, and
through remarkable depression in those noun
tains to a specified point on the Pacific. The
Canadian Government are also moving in the mat
ter, and have offered the Grand Trunk Railway
Company grants of land proportionate to the ex-
tension of their Railway Westward. The primary
object of all this activity is the Commerce of the
Pacific. 1t behooves u.s. therefore, by prompt and
vigorous exertion, to anticipate the designs of
Great Britain, and thus assure to ourselves the
full advantage of our geographical position.