The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-04


and issues in Congress and among the political
parties of the day. We shall await the appear
ance of the document, therefore, with no little
anxiety, but with the fullest confidence in the
wisdom and sagacity of its author.
The Pacific Railroad-The Presidents Plan.
We published few days since, in the
HERALD's annual message to Congress and the
country, synopsis of the various schemes, pro-
jects and propositions that have thus far been
exhibited in relation to the building Of the great
Pacific Railroad. Few, very few, of the people
of the United States had, up to that time, any
thorough comprehension of these various schemes,
or of the immense grants in lands and money
that all of them required, to greater or less
extent, from Congress. 1t is not our fault if the
whole question is not now thoroughly under
stood by the country, and if the people and their
representatives in Congress are not now fully
competent to render fair, wise and impartial
verdict on the facts presented.
That very strong effort will be made at the
approaching session to have some plan for Pa
ci6c Railroad adopted by Congress there is not
the slightest doubt. Whether that effort will or
will not be successful, it is impossible to say;
but, Judging from the legitimate and the ilegiti
mate influences that will be at work in its favor,
We should not be surprised to have Pacific rail
road bill passed before the fourth of March next
Among the legitimate influences we class of
course, the recommendation which it is under
stood the President will make to Congress, to
pass some such measure, while among the oppo-
site class of influences will be chat very powerful
one exercised by the land pirates of the lobby.
The plan which it is said Mr.. Buchanan will
recommend to Congress in his annual message is
simply this
Let the general government provide for the
building of such portion Of the line as will
pass through the Territories leaving to the
States through which the other portions of it are
to pass to complete the connection. This plan is
much less liable to objection than any of the
others, which devolve on the general govern
ment not only the cost of the construction of the
road through the Territories, but also, to GER
tain extent through the States. 1t is but fair, if
the road is to be built at all, that the general
government, which stands to the Territories IN
the relation of guardian to ward, should defray
the entire expense Of the line through the Terrific
res and is also but fair to expect that the States
which are sovereign and Independent, should
defray the entire cost of those portions Of the
line that will run within their boundaries On fair,
equitable and common sense principles, there
FORE the proposition ofthe President ought to meet
with the approval Of Congress and the country;
NJ he Da;lvnal 10 IN ha h,,il nj Ill
it should be built upon some such plan. The fair
assumption, of course, is that the States through
which the line is to run would very willingly do
their part in this great national work; but to in
sure their cooperation no part OF the work should
be done at the expense of the general govern
ment until provision had been made by the States
concerned to do their share in completing the
connection; and operations in both States and
Territories should be carried on at the same time
and in corresponding proportion.
IL this recommendation of the President
should meet with the approval of both branches
Of Congress, it would then be their duty, as pru-
dent legislators, to select that route that
would present the narrowest extent of
territory to be traversed. We assume that
III one utNONt DH gene
raj government the cost of constructing
two thousand miles of road, while by another
route only five hundred miles Of territory would
have to be travcrsed Congress would undoubt-
eddy select the latter Taking this common sense
view Of the action of Congress in the matter, IL
would necessarily follow that the route through
the Territory Of Arizona would be chosen.
Texas would carry the line TO her western limit
at FL Paso, and California would carry ii 10 her
southeastern limit at Fort Yuma. on the junction
Of the ella and Colorado rivers The general
government would only have TO complete the
junction through the southern portion Of New
Mexico, or, as it il more generally DESIGNATED,
Arizona III Paso il about the 10th parallel Of
longitude. and Fort Yuma about the ll5th while
there are not two degrees of latitude difference
between them The distance from point TO point
would not exceed by railroad five hundred miles:
whereas the distance from st. Josephs on the
Missouri river, directly west to the eastern line
Of California, Is not less than two thousand
miles. The one route would, therefore all other
things being equal-impose upon the general
government an outlay four times greater than
would be required for the other We think then.
that we are justified in saying that If the Prcsi-
dents recommendation be adopted by Coagrcss,
the route selected will be through Arizona
Considered from other points of view, that
route i also most likely to commend ITSELF The
engineering difficulties to be overcome are less
by Il than by any Northern route The road will
no, be liable to be blocked up by snow storms;
the desert tracts Of Utah and of Western Kansas
will be avoided; there are no dangers to be ap-
pretended from Indians-and finally, that route
will traverse the richest mineral lands on the
American continent These arguments will not
be without their due weight on Congress,
altbouob thev NAV not have an ,nucb efact "A a