The Nevada journal., 1858-01-08


Britain, France and Russia. Fortify
our coast, which should be done now,
and before railroad can be built for
military purposes, the valiant sons of
California will be invincible to any force
either or all of the three great powers
of the earth will find it convenient to
dispatch to these shores. a State that
can furnish ten thousand men to march
on Utah is in little danger of an inva-
sion and will hardly beseech the older
States for help. The road is not asked
by the people of this State for defense.
We do not need it for such purpose.
We want it for commerce and to connect
us more nearly with the paternal States
on the other side of the continent. Be-
sides, should hostile armament make
descent upon California, the great en-
deavor would be to get possession of the
harbor Of San Francisco. The Presi-
dent makes no mention of any other
than the extreme southern route. Build
road there and how much are the peo-
pie of the State advantaged, in time of
need or any other time? Where are
the men to come from on the Atlantic
side to defend our coast 1t is well
known that during the war with Mexico,
the South was ready to officer the whole
army, but was compelled to open re-
cruiting Offices in the Northern States to
obtain their quota of troops. The body
of the population is in the Northern and
Eastern States. If the route for emil
itary road" indicated by Mr.. Buchanan
be selected, a majority of all the soldiers
passing over it must be compelled to
perform long southern detour over bar
ren, waterless plains, finally to arrive at
San Diego, almost as remote from where
they are wanted as the place from
whence they enlisted.
But the Democratic doctrine is, the
general government has only the right
to build even a military road through
her own territories: The railroad de-
signed for the defense and benefit of
California must be stopped therefore in
the region of Fort Yuma, What poweris
to construct it from that point to San
Francisco where nature designed it to
come ? If the people of this State,
they are assisted and defended with q
vengeance,
The Road for military purposes is the
sheerest humbug. A road will one day
be built hut not for such purposes. To
succeed, it must be the instrument of a
great work of interior colonization. 1t
must be built along a route that offers
resources of character to invite emf
grafton. 1t must pass the homes of
people. 1t must follow in the line of
emigration across the continent. To se-
lect route solely from engineering con-
siderations is to pervert work from one
of its highest and noblest purposes-that
of opening up an interior to civilization.
Neither is it certain that the Southern
route presents the most favorable engi-
neering advantages. Its course for the
most part is over desert. where no wood
is TO be found for hundreds of miles in
length, and water perhaps as many hun
dreds in depth. There can be no set
Elements along the route. How the To-
comotiye is to be fed on this route, should
the road by any possibility be construc-
ted, no one has yet determined. While
other members of the confederacy ale
noisy On the subject of State rights, we
suppose we have rights also. If the gen.
eral government has so tender a care of
us to deem it imperitive to construct a
railroad for our protection, we claim the
right to insist it shall enter the State
where the protection it affords may be
made effective. To fix the Pacific ter
minus at San Diego, is to mock us in
our dangers said to exist.
We are done with the Message. The
sentiments of the major part of it are
well enough. There is not sentence
in it to create an enthusiastic remark.
All is commonplace, plain and prosy.
The style is of the dryest. The mes
sage in fact is remarkable for nothing
but want of spirit.
Official Reporters.-The Sacramento
Unaon again puts in its protest against
the State employing official reporters at