Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-01-14
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
WELLINGTON, n. o.. MONDAY, JAN. 10. 1859.


The Pacific Railroah-Hritlsh American: ii
It is attempted to scare the people of the United
States or the Congress thereof into building up great
Pacific Railroad monopoly, by threatening them with
rival road to be built through the British possessions
Now, this is all for effect No sound geographer
perienced engineer knowing the character of the SOIL
and the length and intensity of the winters in the high
ATTITUDES and elevations over which railroad construct
ed through the British domnions would have to pass
would seriously contemplate recommend its con-
structon expect it to succeed A correspondent of
the Hamilton canada Vest Spectator says, and We
think with truth that if railroad should be built
through the British dominions to the Pacific, it would
cost e50O00000 and for six months OF the year the
track would be covered with snow, and with water
for four more months. A cheering prospect
We do not think that the idea of running railroad
through the central portions Of this Continent north OF
40 degrees Of latitude s be seriously entertained
1t certainly could not hope to compete with one more
aYourably located We look upon the bugbear OF the
British Railroad, then, of very little Importance IN
deed Upon the whole we cannot but regard the build
ing Of works ahead Of the necessities of business and the
resources of a country, bad policy We think that
the history of Railroad enterprises in the United States
will prove this to demonstration. We really think
that business should call for facilities and not facilities
for business Whether any railroad can be built
THROUGH the unnhabited and comparatively uninhabta-
bic central plateau of the American Continent that will
pay its own expenses is very doubtful question We
think that no such road could succeed, commercially
speaking for the next fifty years. If made now it would
be worn out before it could be used Freight could not
be carried from San Francisco to New York for less
than $50 per ton taking the average less than three
cents per ton per me which of too low. Fine
goods would cost twice as much When the trade be-
tween Asia and Europe takes this route people must be
prepared to pay enormously high prices for few days
saving in time. Who thinks that they will ever do so
to this extent
It is evident that the President in his message puts
this matter upon its only just ground, if there be just
ground for it, which we not prepared to admit 1t
cannot be pausiby sustained upon any other than mill
tary grounds essential to the safety of the country
and requisite to make the Atlantic and Pacific portions
really parts of one whole mutually assistant to each 9TH
in case of emergency Whether in that case 1t
would not cost too much is matter which admits of
discussion. We think it would. What the real cost
of Pacific Railroad is to be- man can tell, however
many there may be who pretend to tell Still less could
the disturbing influences of such monster job be cucu
lated or the interests it might draw around it, and the
power it might WELD the politics of the country be
foreseen or estimated if completed must
mainly be- if done within the next fifty years, by the
General Government.
How population may grow within fifty years-how
the resources of the Pacific slope and the Western half
Of the Mississippi valley may advance as to narrow
down the uninhabited country through which road
10,
and sustenance for it, we cannot pretend to say If
things keep on without accident for that length of tme
we mag have use for Pacific Railroad-at the most it
can only be claimed that we may, in emergen-
cy, have need for one.
We might adduce one little fact to illustrate posi-
ton, that the most trifng comparatively traing
portage is sufficient to drive off from any route the great
majority and bulk of reighs when they have been
put on board ship, and if So how much portage
of thousands of miles, portions Of it through difficult,
barren and inhospitahle waste The fact to which we
refer is the hatdipomatic haftradng difficulty between
England and France relative to the opening of ship
canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,
through the sthmus of Suez. Now across that shmus
there is postage and very fair one and any sort of
additional railroad facilities easily be obtained The
French wish to cut ship canal-the British fear that
it is likely to place the French ports on tie Mediterra
mean favorable position to command the trade
of the East Indies and China than the ports of Great
Britain. Yet fearing the canal, the British have
dread of railroad over the isthmus for they know that
goods will continue to go round the Cape of Good Hope
rather than for the sake of little saving of tme bear
the risk expense and contingent delay of the unloading
and loading at each end of the Railroad and its
uuent COST and ANNOYANCE The overland route to India
brings only mails and passengers across the narrow
isthmus of Suez Who expects that overland route
all America through the barren seppes of the
trail DESERT and the wild gorges of the Rocky Mountains
would in the highfown language of its advocates
mand the trade of Europe and Of Asia?
BS~The agony is certainly over in Illinois, and the
triumph achieved by Judge Douglas in the has
received its complete fufment by his election by the
Legislature of Illinois to six years term in the Senate
of the United States We are glad at the defeat of Mr.
Lincoln and cannot but admire the bodness and ability
which Mr. Douglas brought into the contest still,
neither pleasure nor admiration are anaoyed We
could have much preferred that Mr. Lincoln had been
defeated without resort the part of Mr. Douglas
the advocacy of squatters the assertion of the pow
er of Territory to exclude slavery, while Congress-
which erec the territory has such powers. We do
not regard Mr.. Douglas at all inclined to Abolition
ism or Free SoiEsm but do say that in order to
carry his point he has made concessions to the sentiment
of Aboltionism or Freesoism, that are inconsistent
with his record and rreconceable with his other avow-
ais ofprincple.
BE- Mr. Robinson retires from the editorial control
of the Godsboro Tribune, which comes out this week