, 1858-07-30

DELIVERED IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 25, 1858.
The House being in Committe Of the Whole on the
State Of the Union
Mr.. STEVENS, of Washington said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: Ny object in addressing
the committee is to present some observa-
tions in regard to the Pacific railroad.
am not impelled to speak because l have
been connected with the explorations. l
am not here the explorer; nor do rise
here to speak as the explorer, but as the
representative of the most distant people
Of our country, situated on the shores of
that great ocean soon trust, to be Joined
with the shores Of the ocean hitherward by
roads Of iron. This is a great national
question, and should not be- discussed in a
sectional point Of view. As western-coa
man, dear as is to my heart the home of my
adoption-Puget Sound and the Territory
Of Washington-I see not Puget Sound, !
see not the Territory Of Washington, but
Puget Sound, the Columbia entrance, San
Francisco, San Diego, and the other ports
Of that extended coast see'Wushington
and Oregon, and California. As a nation
al man, crossing the Rocky Mountains, /
see both our water lines Northwards, the
line. af the great lakes, the New York can
ais, the river St. Lawrence, It's vast and
rapidly Increasing commerce; great grain
ports, from which vessels without breaking
bulk, pass on to Europe; grain ports sur
passing the grain ports OF the olden world;
and the line Of railroads on the northern
and the southern shore; and southward,
the Mexican Gulf and the Caribbean stretch
ing not half way across the continent, but
reducing that continent to narrow 18th
mus, from whose heights one hears the
roaring surges Of either ocean. From her
ports, Galveston, Matagorda, New Orleans
Mobile, and Pensacola, issues forth the
great bulk Of our foreign exports; and there
We have q commerce rivaing the com.
merce of the most favored seas.
Such is our rounded and ample domain,
magnificent water lines, and q teeming
commerce, north and SOUTHWEST ocean
coasts east and west. making our country
the natural center of the Communication,
population, and civilization Of this habitable
globe.
From this stand point, national and com
prehensiVe, l will now proceed to take
survey Of our country. First, l will glance
at our western coast, show its resources,
and ultimate developement; then will en-
deavor to grasp aud present the very gen
ius Of our interior; then l will dwell upou
the tendencies of population, and eommuni-
cations from our line Of frontier States,
moving onwards to the peaceful conquest
of that interior, and that slope, by occupa-
tiOu and settlement; which done, will en-
deavor to deduce the governmental action
required by the spirit Of the age in which
we live, demanded by the exigences Of the
public service, looking to the national de-
lenses; looking to the business Of the Gov
ernment, as a great landed proprietor; as
q carrier Of the mails; as having to tran
sport troops, supplies, and munitions of
war; and endeavor to show that all these
REQUIRE that we should carve our way, not
on one, but at least on three routes, to the
shores Of the great western ocean. And
first the western slope.
1t is scarcely ten years since we had a
western coast. We have aquired Califor-
mia only within about ten years; Oregon
became ours by the treaty of IS49-nine
years ago; and yet, in this space Of nine or
ten years, we find that we have planted
upon that coast, civilization and empire !;
and six hundred thousand American free
men, whose hearts beat responsive to the
hearts Of their brethren on this side of the
mountains, have there made known the
arts and arms and future destinies Of this
great country-all this in the short space
Of nine or ten years. Look at the obstruc-
tion in the way Of this development of the
western coast One half the time the emi-
grant routes have been blocked up, death
was upon the route, savage foes, calamity,
and dire Vicisstudes, and our hardy pion-
esrs found their way to the Pacific coast
by the waters Of two oceans, and across the
isthmus, ct great expense, not simply OF
money, but of health, and ofIentimss OF
life.
Eight years ugo, when the cry of Califcr-
MIA gold gave such an impulse to emigrati-
on, California was regarded as worthless
as an agricultural State. 1t was predicted
Of her, that but little Of her land was ara
bls--that there would be severe droughts,
which would always make her crops uncer,