St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-01-20
NO. 25.


at Washington oy Hon. II. NJ Rice, Sen
ator from Minnesota, and by Hon. Il. B.
Washburn, Representative from. Illinois,
either OF which, if enacted by Congress,
would be satisfactory to the memorial ists.-
We repeat and urge the request, that one
OF these bills may speedily become a law,
The preceding statements Of the eur
rent expenditures for Pacific mail service.
is produced with no invidous motive. We
disclaim all sectional prejudice on this
subject. The transit Of Central America
and an overland connection ef the Gulf of.
Mexico with the Pacific, are objects Of
such Importance political and commercial,
as fully to justify the appropriation ia
question. The citizens Of Minnesota ans
accustomed to regard the debouchre Of tn.
Mississippi upon the Gulf Of Mexico; the
junction Of the Ohio and Missouri in mid
channel Of the Mississippi, and the head
OF navigation upon the Mississippi, as the.
prominent points Of departure and distri-
button to the great plains Of the centl,,cut:
and they will advocate in behalf OF lv,.trs
from New Orleans to San Diego, and from
st. Louis to San Francisco, the identical
measure which they ask for an Overland
| Mail Route from Minnesota to Oreyou
and Washington. Safe and speedy COM
munlcations between the Cults Of ilcxico
and California should be and have been
established, but why not join, by similar
enterprise the convcrging Mediteraneans
OF the Northern Lakes? Not subscri-
Der to this memorial, but would rejoice, ii
at the present session Of Congress, three
millions per annum were appropriated IT,
open three great post routes as already
dellneated-an expenditure, which, in
connection with the extinction of Indian
titles along the lines, corresponding cx-
tension Of land surveys and pre-emptinus,
and some aid in the construction of roads
and bridges, would accomplish more to ad-
vance the Pacific Railway interest, than
the passage Of any Of the measures now
pending at Washington Indeed, any vr
all Of the routes of Pacific Railroad must
be opened in their whole extent to SET
tlemcnt-must be made accessible to emf
grants-must be transferred to the roS al
and political protection Of the Government,
as completely as the settled districts e..
Minnesota, before any substantial prv-
sress is made upon the question OF Pa
cifc Railroad
The undersi gned need not enlarge upon
recent events, which have made it iiupo<-
sible for all American statesman longer to
ignore the importance Of the Overland
iioute to the North Pacific The d!scov-
cry Of the extensive Gold Fields upon
frazer and Thompson rivers-thc or4ani--
zation Of British Columbia with
drawel Of the Hudson's Bay Company,
to the Districts Of British America north
Of latitude 55o-thc abundant evidence,
that there is an inhabitablc district.
North West Of Minnesota and beyond
the international frontier, fertile, ,ich iu
coal and minerals, and which, including
Vancouver Island and British Columbus,
has an area Of five hundred thousand
square miles-the late treaties with Japan
and China, opening to the commerce and
manufactures even to the lumber &c ,io;l
of Oregon,) an illimitable markct-t!l.
rising power ,ot Russia in Asia with the
we'll known friendly disposition To the
people of the United States-the annex
alton by Russia of the navigable Amoor
river, with its tributary valleys fully,
three hundred thousand square miles III
extent, and constituting most attractive
field Of adventure and speculation-,h
arrangements, made and making, by Rus:
sia and England to cover the North Pac.tc
with war and postal steameas-the British
scheme Of Pacific naval station at Vic
toria on Vancouver lsland-a simil.r
scheme of Russian aggrandiscment upon
the sea Of Japan-a project believed c.n-
inetly practicable for telegraph and per-
haps railway extension from Moscow to
Japan, and a telegraph thence by the
Aleutian Islands across the North Pacific
to Sitka in Russian America-these, and
other events Of no less significance have
transpired within the half year closed,
almost within the Congressional recess
Certainly, Senators and Representatives
cannot be insensible to the Importance
direct connection between the leading
Atlantic cities and the scenes Of such
imposing events.
Passing from the topics thus enumcra-s
ted, and whose relation to the immediate
subject may seem rather remote, we urge
upon the attention of Congress some sd-.
ditional considerations in favor ot a semi
weekly Mail on the proposed route. -
1st The southern boundary OF Minne-
sofa is in Latitude 43 degrees aud 80 min
utes. Extend that parallel to the Pacific,
and the belt of the territory enclosed by
the British boundary on the north, would
be traversed by the Mail Route under
consideration. The river systems reveal
ed by the maps within these limits afford
the best evidence, that the entire area has
!. Ho1) rs ,voto, .mnlo for al n1IrnnsnS of>