Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-05-13
The ArOoStoOk Railroad.
Speech Of Mr.. McCrillis Of Bangor

Speech Of Mr.. McCrillis Of Bangor.
Defbered in ne House of Representatives. dur
ing The discussion of the Aroostook RAT
! road Bill.
Mn SPEAKER THE gentleman from Augusta,
(Mr. Blaine,) has generously said that this large
audience have come hither not TO hear him but
myself But, sir, in truth it is neither of us, but
the subject of the debate-the Aroostook RAIL
road-wh has attracted this unusual crowd
around US, and accept II as an indication ot the
interest which Is 'elt among the people of Maine
in the success Of this great work of internal i'm
provement. feel the responsibility which | as
sumo in undertaking to occupy a portion OF tho
public mind. and especially that of the Represen-
tatives of tho people, even in the discussion oi
this important question only for a brief period of
time. My object will not be mnch to enlist
your opinions in favor Of or win your support to
the particular provisi Of this bill, to secure
your earnest attention and thorough investiga-
ton into the present position and resources OF the
Northern and Eastern sections of our state, for
! am sensible that when the minds of you all are
turned to this subject, IL will result in the adop-
ton Of some measures sui ted to the necessities of
the case. and ons which will exert great and
lasting influence upon the prosperity aud welfare
of the State.
The ma gnitude Of the proposed measure and
the results which it5 friends claim will flow from
its adoption will also, | doubt not, claim from
your hands careful aud searching examination.
Our Eastern boundary is cotermino with that
of the territory of a foreign power, from the
ocean to the extreme northern point in the state.
At the time Maine was admitted into the Union,
her territorial limits recognized by the general
government and claimed by her, extended midway
between Englands Provinces Of the Canadas
northwest, and her maritime Provinces east Of
This portion of our territory all situated in
single valley, that of the river st. John, and
was drained by its w.ters, which How through
New Brunswick to the ocean Our territory in
that valley contained about fourteen thousand
square miles, nearly one-half of the entire
of the state. Great Brita in also claimed il, and
it was denominated the disputed territory. A.
early as lolj, treat Britain attempted to negot-
ate for the purchase of portion of it, but fiins
in this -he afterwards endeavored to obtain the
right of way it, and failing in this also, she
boldly set up title to the whole Of it.
The dispute terminated by the Ashburton
treaty Of 1872, which divided the territory be-
tween tae Coz tending patties-Great Britain OBJ
tanning the Northern, and the United States the
southern portion Of it. Tho part which we re-
,anei contains about seven thousand square miles,
an equal to the commonwealth of Massachu-
setts, ana now forms tle county of Aroostook.-
The uataral chann.l and thoroughfare Of its COM
merce and trade is By the st. John river. Ert
ish enterprise, energy and capital have recently
tion. This territory Is separated from the other
settled portions Ut the State by belt of country
inferior in quality of SOIL aud likely to remain II
long time in wilderness state. This position of
Aroostook, a ID its relations to the other settled
portions of our state is analogous to that of the
, valley Of the upper Mississippi to the country be-
fore the purchase of Louisiana, that Of the up
per st. Lawrence and the great lakes before the
construction of the Erie canal.
desire to sp'ak to you to-day of the duties
and responsibilities i'm pp scd upon the people Of
Maine by this isolated position uf that great val
ley, aui tie great dfant, ges to be derived from
connecting it by railroad with the other settled
portions OF the state.
Thousands and tens of thousands Of cur people
within the past few years have left own state
t. seek new homes IN distant sta aHd territo-
ries, to add To their population aud wealth, while
our own fertile lands, from c,uses somewhat with
in our own control, have remained unpruluc
tive aud uncutIyatei wilderness In the entire
rause of our legislative duties, nothing is really
of much Importance AS the adoption of measures
to secure the occupation aud cuitiya ion OF our
wild lands. drsirc also 10 s5eak to You to-day
of the necessity OF adopting some measure to re-
tain our population at home and the great value
Of their labor to this still new and unculti. atcd
State.
While the geographical position of Maine is
eminently favorable, its confguratiou must be
regarded in many RESPECTS unfortunate. Our
500 ''e' '""'''7 ''iett iisc IA tio t'''"i az"
flowing to the ocean, have divided our : ate from
its western to it. eastern boundary into successive
vaIlcys-that OF the >aco, the AndrOscokgin the
kcnnebec the penubScot, the st. Croix and the
St > John-each valley having its own separate and
Instinct interests, ana each ITS own considerable
tuwh AT Tue water, "tiefe It's eNchan5eiare maze
without ehhneratin- all the various disadyanta-
ges ot such hh5urntlon, one fact Is obvious that
with 1t our contiguitY to Boston and the facilities
OF communication with that city by ocean navig
tlnn forbid the idea OF any great commercial cap
ltal within our own borders created by our own
trade an commerce, unless these natural disad-
santagcs are modified and controlled by artificial
communications. desire to speak to you to-day
Of the vast influence which n trunk railroad line
would exert. running through the State fton bor
der t. border across and athwart these valleys
A new river, more safe, rapid and commodiuus
than the natural river, and one which neither the
heat. nor dreught' OF summer nor the cold and
Ice of winter can interrupt or obstruct, bringing
Us iuto near ncishborhood to each other--an iron
, river binding us together socially and CONNER
cialiy and giving unity to the state-strength,
power, solidity and compactness.
/ HE maritime Provinces OF England which lie
east of Us, contain an area neatly equal to both
the great states of New ork and Pennsy wanna,
the former sG,0OOsl miles and the latter
about 10000 square miles. They number about
100000 inhabitants, Their resources are equa |,
if not superior to our own. Their commerce trade
and intcrcommuncation, under the influence of
the reciprocal treaty, with commercial cities,
Is AS intimate our own. When this road is
completed to our frontier, they will be ready to
unite with il three hundred and thirty miles of
railroad extending east through their own coun-
try. ! desire to speak to you tO-iay Of the ad-
vantages to Us OF bringing their inland trade and