The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-24

| ferred by Congress, be exercised? If 30, by what
routel Shall other overland routes than the one spe-
cay provided for by Congress be established by the
Postmaster General under his general authority 10
do so2 The first question the President, after most
searching investigation Of the subject decided in the
Affirmative The other two were referred to the Post
master General for examination andreport That Off
GER anxious to accommodate the several jarrng inter
ests finally that the location of the route
should be from San Francisco to point ON the Ar
kansas river and that there the route should branch
one branch should run to ST. Louis to accommodate
the central and northwestern States, and the other
should run to Memphis, to accommodate the south
ern States. This recommendation was closely ex-
amined by the President and adopted, as at once
wise and exceedingly just, because convenient to
both the North and the South. 1t was comprehen-
sive and satesmanlike. IL was movement which
benefited aR instead of yielding to the interested
views of either one of the contending sections
So, also, with the recommendation TO carry the
mails through the sparse mountain settlements from
Arkansas, from Missouri Iowa. or Minnesota to Cali
fornia, Oregon, Washington, Dacotah, Utah, New
Mexico and Arizona. 1t was a recommendation
ttat government should keep up wih The people, instead
of falling behind in the business of furnishing those
desirable things which the governments of civilized
| nations always furnish its citizens
The object, then, of the overland mail was to Set
tie every fertile spot along its route from San Fran
cisco to St Louis aud to Memphis. That was, and
is its great object. And it will surely be accom-
pshed if yet another thing is done-if the route is
.
thoroughly protected from the incursions of the
tribes. Not the occupants and drivers Of stages,
not the carriers of the great overland mail of the
government, merely, should be protected, but the
country they traverse and the settlers who till the
land dig the silver and gold extend the settlements
increase the wealth and multiply the power of their
and wisely arranged projections.
But this sudden adoption of new and compre-
hensve plan to push forward our settlements west
wardly, In order to connect them with the long and
narrow line of settlements upon the Pacific coast,
has entirely changed the condition of things. As
the army is small, of course little tn.e is neces
sary to devise effective system Of defence suitable
to present circumstances, Take the case Of Texas
This immense State--an empire in itself-has been
partially protected by erecting sixteen or eighteen
temporary military posts at points most exposed to
Indian incursions. Suddenly mail-line has been
ordered to cross it from northeast to southwest
nearly eight hundred miles in length, the settle
ments under the protection Of the military posts,
have gradually extended quite up to it, and in many
places, beyond it. "A chain Of living Americans
which never be broken will follow the course Of
the famous Chinese Wall, aconuous line Of temporary
military posts, no Indian can go south across that
line into Texas to rob and murder. Such line of
posts would, Immediately after its establishment,
open all Texas to peaceful settlement itwould cause
its population to double in three or four years it
would insure peace and security over an immense
country where heretofore Indian murders and STAN
common occurrences.
But to accomplish what it is easy to indicate
requires large military experience and skill 1t also
requires time. So of the other routes across the
continent To devise and execute large plans of
military defence along long lines of travel and set
tlement requires time and men, and money.
Original methods of protection wanted, and
original methods will be found. In conclusion, we
are glad to believe that measures have been initiated
by this administration which cannot fall in their I'LL
innate effects to connect together the present wide
ly-scattered settlements of the whole country.
OF the many sagacious acts of this administration,
its energetic attempt to connect and consolidate the
settlements of the country is of the wisest and
most comprehensive. Among its many good results
may be- as Gov. Brown suggests possible the de-
velopment of mot only but several CALIFORNIA;
on this side the shores of the Pacific"