The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-01


81 the state of the Union
Mr.. BLAIR said:
MIR. CHAIRMAN: | have risen to offer
my views on what conceive TO be SUBJ
Ject OF transcendent interest to the whole
country, and especially TO my own con-
stItuents. | allude to the question Of a
great continental railroad, from the Mis-
sissippi valley TO the Pacific ocean. And
m the outset, desire to meet an objection
which is much insisted on by those even
who hold themselves out as the friends OF
This great work; but which, if admitted,
rs fatal to any work which will fulfil the
conditions Of a continental railroad, in its
broad and national sense, and compel us
TO content ourselves with a road sectional,
and not national, i'm its location, and which,
whilst it will subserve the interests of that
section of the country in which il is To-
Gated, is but little, if any, better than the
transit routes across the Central American
Isthmus; IL will be useless to the country
at large, and therefore cannot In any sense
be considered national enterprise worthy
of being undertaken by the Federal Gov
eminent.
The objection 10 which | refer, and
which has been insisted upon so much by
those who hold themselves forth as the
fIiends of continental road, is, that il is
Impracticable to construct railroad north
of the thirty-fiflh parallel of latitude, be-
tween the Mississippi river and the Pacific
ocean; and there are those who 90 so far
as TO assert the impracticability of any
route north of the thirty-second parallel
The alleged impracticability Of any route
north of the lines | have named, is based
upon the difficulties said to exist in the
face Of the country TO be traversed, and
the obstacles interposed by the climate.
hope to be able to dispose Of both of these
objections in a way that will be entilely
satisfactory to the country, and to show
that there is no natural obstacle, which
may not be easily overcome, TO the con-
struction of a road which will traverse the
centre of the continent, upon line sus-
ceptible of settlement and cultivation
throughout It's whole extent, and which
will equally accommodate the people OF
all sections of the Union, and thus fulfil
every condition required 10 make 1t a
great continental highway, which can
its construction.
contend that there is no greater fall
lacy than the assertion that the line known
as the central route is impracticable for d
railroad, or, indeed, that any OF the routes
which have been spoken of in the last few
years are impractcable. The assertion
originated, doubtless, in the rivalry between
the various routes proposed, and has been
prOpagated, as | shall show, unfairly by
those whose duty IT was to examine and
report truthfully In regard TO all. So far
from IFS being true that there is any natu-
raj obstacle which renders the central
route impracticable, it is perfectly notori-
Gus thai from the time that a route TO the
Pacific became necessity, il has been the
only route which has been used. Ii was
the route by which the emigrants to Ore
gon reached that Territory and by it the
golden State of California was peopled
with such unexampled rapiditv that it has
been regarded as a marvel of progress.
Never, ln the history of mankind, has
such an empire arisen from the wilderness
as has grown up in the last decade upon
The shores OF the Pacific; and the living
stream OF population which has made this
empire has poured across the continent
upon that belt of territory known as the
central route" without aid or protection
from the General Government, and indeed
without road except that which was
made by nature. More recently, our armies
have marched across, and found no OBJ
stacle; even the army of Colonel John
ston might have proceeded to its destina-
ton, but for the destruction of the grass
by the Mormons, and the artificial barri-
cades with which they have defended the
passes OF the mountains. Where were
The obstacles so much spoken of when
these thousands OF unprotected emigrants,
without other food for their horses and
cattle than the natural forage Of the coun.
Try, us grasses, crossed these plains and
the passes which pierce its chains OF
mountains? and why did they roll across
the central route, IN preference to the
undetermined routes on the thrty-fifih
and thirty-second parallels? Because the,
only wished TO accomplish their journey.
and had no political objects to accomplish.
But II may be, and indeed has been.
answered, that those emigrants crossed the
central route IN the summer season; and
that few have undertaken it in winter
when, as IL is alleged it is utterly jimpass
able on account Of snow. I'm comparing
this route with those of the thirty fifth and
thiry-second parallels, it might be suffi-
Gent to reply that no emigrant has passed
over either of these routes, either In win
ter or summer; and the condemnation
would thus apply TO all alike. But bet
Ter renly Is that The summer Season &c tho
best for the overland journey; and for
that reason the emigration selects that
season, aud the central as the best route
The objection to this route on the ground
that it is obstructed by SHOWS has, how
ever, been so industriously and persist
emily urged as 10 require some attention.
i call the attention of the House TO the
fact that the climate Of the western part
OF this continent, like the western parts of
the continent of Europe is much milder
than that OF the eastern part. Italy, which
is seIni-uopical in its climate, is in the
same latitude as New England and the
winter climate of Oregon, on the Pacific.
which is i'm the latitude of Maine. is as
mild as the winter climate Of the Caro-
linas on the Atlantic. In forming iudq
Ihent, therefore, of the climate of the
mountain regions on the western part of
this continent, there are many circum-
stances to be considered, and which must
enter into our calculations, without which,
our conclusions will necessarily be erro-
neous.
AT this point / shall call the attention
of the House to a map of the " isothermal
a L. 4.