Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-10-20
the Standard.

4 ne SldVVdTV.
THE GREAT OVERLAND MAIL-LETTER
SENATOR GWIN TO THE PRESIDENT.
We give place to-day to an interesting and 40
letter from Mr.. Senator Gwinn on the subject OF u
great overland mail and the necessity OF pro'ec1,
that and other routes to the PACING ocean a:I :,
tant matter. and have distinctly urged that the 60.
eminent should decide by its policy that tney W
not any more recognise lndan suP'ema .au
preat interior But we need not ado ho'l.''s W
nervous and most admirable expose VI oe"H'u
Gv;nn whose letter will command universal read
ing: r..,. ~. 70 1850
To his Ercellsncy JAMES BUCHANAN,
President Of tho United States:
SIR: Immediately after your Inauguration it be-
came my duty as senator from California to call
vour attention to the condition of the overland COM
munication between that State and her sister States
Separated by two long ranges of lofty mountains
and by vast plains roamed over only by hostile In
dian tribes no land mail or other regular co"'nu'
nications existed Congress, few days previously
had authorized the establishment OF regular line
of letter mail by fourh horse stage coaches between
San Francisco and the Mississippi river; thus pac-
ing it in the discretionary power of the Executive to
ipaupurate this important policy. Alter an elaoor-
ate examination of the subject, you informed me
that YOU had resolved to meet the views OF the peo
pie Of California. Oregon, Washington AI'sona'
New Mexico, Western Texas, and Utah. and open
regular maistage lines by all practicable routes
across the plains and mountains and, by thus al
fordng an easy means of regular communication,
extend the settlements from the Mississippi valley
westward continuously to the Pacific ocean. Inc
prime necessity was certain, quick, punctuai, ano
safe means of travelling from settlement to settle
ment The execution of your resolve would accom-
plsh that object and thus largely aid in nsurlng
an early settlement of the valleys and other fertile
land scattered distant intervals between Ca tor
MIA and the States bordering on the Mississippi
river.
The plan recommended by the Postmaster Gener.
al, and adopted by you as being the whole pref
cradle to any other to locate the great overland
mail authorized by the act Of the Sd of March, 1857,
from San Francisco along such route to the Misss-
sppi river as could be readily travelled by passen-
gers and emigrants at all seasons of the year. That
route you finally concluded after careful examna-
ton Of the surveys of the eng ineers, vas the one
which led southeast from San Francisco to the
mouth of the ella river and thence along the 32nd
parallel, BY Ell Paso, to Fort Belknap, in Texas
Then commenced the delicate duty Of locating the
remainder of the route to the Mississippi river
Every town upon that river from St Paul to New
Dreams desired to be the eastern terminus OF so I'M
porant tboroughfare, and the difficulties were IN
creased by the fact that any one Of these points
could be readily approached from Fort Belknap.-
Your final decision was to extend the route TO Fort
Smith, on the Arkansas, and thence dlverge to st.
Louis and Memphis. At ST. Louis the overland
mail from California would connect with all mail
and railroad lines of the western and northwestern,
central and eastern States. At Memphis this great
mail would connect not only with all the river routes,
but also with the great railroad lines to New o.
leans, to Mobile, to Savannah, to Charleston. to
Norfolk, Richmond and Washington city, and thus
all the States of the Union would be accommodated
The conveyance of the mail twice week each
way was intrusted to the leading expressmen of the
country-Mr John Butterfield and his associates,
nearly all of whom had great experience. The con-
tract was executed in the month Of September after
your Inauguration. The contractors were allowed
BY law one year to locate the route and commence
the enterprise Precisely twelve months thereafter,
to wit, on the 18th of September last-the stages
started from San Francisco, St Louis and Memphis.
The great experiment of running four-horse post
coaches between these points in twenty-five days,
route 2,651 miles long, was commenced on
the very day named in the contract, and has been
successfully accomplished The first stage-Ioad of
passengers ever driven between San Francisco and
St. Louis made the journey in twenty three days
and four hours, thus exceeding not only your own
hopes but those of my most sanguine constituents.
1t is great achievement, and iraught with the
most important consequences. This Will no doubt
call to your memory the origin of mail communica-
ton, and regular travel by coaches over the noun
tains of your native State first by pack mules and
horses then by stages, over the rough mountain
routes, requiring week from Philadelphia to Pitts
burg; subsequently by turnpkes, and now by rail-
road in few hours The blue mountains, the sid
ling HILL the Aleghaney the Chestnut and Laurel
ridges constituted more serious obstacles at that
day than those that have heretofore separated Cali
fornia from the Mississippi river Upon this auspi-
cious commencement of an enterprise whose object
is to connect the eastern settlements of California
with those of the Mississippi valley and thus render
diverse interests homogeneous, allow me to ten
der you my hearty congratulations. Permit me to
thank you, in behalf of my constituents, for the
courage with which you marched up to wants
and supplied them to the extent of your power
The success already accomplished on this route
we'll as on that from St. Joseph, via Salt Lake to
Placervile, San Antonio, via Ell Passo to San Diego
to be followed by that from Independence,
via Albuquerque, to Stockton, indicates the certain
triumph of your whole policy.
1t is obvious now, throughout our national car
eer, that emigration and settlements will follow the
regularly carried there will the pioneer settlers
make their farms and secure their pre- emptons.-
From this time forth Jorever regular overland COM
munications will exist between California and the
Mississippi States. Neither hostile Indians nor SUBJ
sequent government neglect can undo what has
been so wisely accomplished. The path is revealed
to the settler and every fertile spot along these long
lines, enterprising citizens will Immediately occupy,
to furnish the requisite supplies for horses and trav-
ellers. Shall these fearless pioneers be protected
from the Indians? shall they be left exposed to
the tomahawk and scalping knife, as was so often
the in the earlier history of our country, when
the government was destitute of troops and money
You have now some $4,000 troops under your
command. Shall a sufficient number be detailed to
insure safety and confidence to the traveller on these
routes? Ifso, then the early extension of our ives
tern settlements to the Pacific, the development Of
California, of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, Of
Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Oregon. and Washington
so long closed by serious obstacles and by the dom
nation OF savage tribes will be assured. As an il.
lustration of the effect on all the routes. a line o
temporary posts from Fort Smith, via Fort BeIknap
and FL Paso to the mouth of the ella river thus ex
Guiding all hostile Indians would double the value
Of the lands the population and travel On all thu