Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-01-08
Add 81, 900 for the Tehauntepec route
when the contractors choose to carry mails

The ocean service by the Isthmus of Pan
anna, starts from New York and New Orleans,
and communicates with Oregon as well as
California, and is not exclusively local in its
character. Deducting, therefore, the sum
first above stated, and also the payment on
account of the Tehauntepec route (Which
would be an aggregate of 81 ,O24, ,25O,) and 1t
leaves . total annual expenditure tor man ser
vice over American territory between iati-
tudes 81 and 40 deg. of 81 1876 ,448, while
the area between attitudes 40 and 49 deg. IS
without any overland mail service whatever.
These facts warrant the present applica-
ton to Congress, for the establishment OF an
overland semi-weekly mail on or near the for
ty-seventh paralll Of north latitude, and that
the same legislative and other provision in its
behalf shall be made, which now exists IN
favor of the overland route near the southern
frontier. More, the citizens of the Lake States
are not disposed to ask; so much the govern
ment should be prompt to concede.
The late annual report of the Post Master
General contains favorable intimation on this
subject. In regard to the overland connection
with California and the other Pacific States
and Territories " that officer remarks. Ex-
cept one other route. commonly called the
Northern route, from Saint Paul, in Mmneso-
ia to Seattle, in Washington Territory, no
other is now thought of as being likely to be-
come necessary" In q schedule of mail con-
tracts, for which the Post Office Department
has invited proposals, semi-monthly mail
service between the points named above, was
advertised. But q semi.monthly mail is en-
tirely inadequate to meet the public emergen-
cy, while the necessary expenditure for stock.
vehicles, stations facilities of transit and pro-
lection to the employed will be nearly the same
under a semi-monthly as semi-weekly con-
tract No proposition. which responsible and
competent parties would tender is likely to be
accepted, without the intervention of Con-
gress. Hence bills have already been pre-
sented at Washington, by Hon. h. N. Rice,
Senator from Minnesota, and by Hon. E. B.
Washburne. Representative from Illinois, eth
er of which, If enacted by Congress, would
be satisfactory to the MemsFialists, We re-
peat and urge the request that one Of these
bills may speedily become law.
penditures for Pacific Mail Service is pro.
duced with no invidious motive. We disclaim
all sectional prejudice on this subject. The
connexion of the Gulf of Mexico with the Pa
cific, are objects Of such importance, political
and commercial, as fully to justify the appro-
priations in question. The citizens Of Mime
sofa are accustomed to regard the debouchure
of the Mississippi upon the Gulf of Mexico :-
the junction Of the Ohio and the Missouri in
mid channel of the Mississippi, and the head
of navigation upon the Mississippi, as the
prominent points Of departure and distribu-
ton to the Great Plains Of the Continent; and
they will advocate in behalf Of routes from
New Orleans to San Diego, and from Saint
Louis to San Francisco, the identical meas
ures which they ask for an Overland Mail
Route from Minnesota to Oregon and Wash
ington. Safe and speedy communications be-
tween the Gulfof Mexico and California should
be and have been established, but why not
join, by similar enterprise, the converging
Mediterraneans of the Northern Lakes and
Puget Sound? Not subscriber to this Me-
mortal, but would rejoice il, at the present ses-
sion of Congress, three millions per annum
were appropriated to open three great post
routes, as already delineated, an expenditure,
which, in connection with the extinction Of
Indian title along the lines, corresponding
extension of land surveys and -emptiOns,
and some aid in the construction of roads and
bridges, would accomplish more to advance
the Pacific Railway interest, than the passage
of any of the measures now pending at Wash
ington. Indeed any or all routes of a Pacific
Railroad mnst be opened in their whole ex-
tent to settlement-must be made accessible
to emigrants-must be transferred to the
postal and political protection of the Govern
ment, as completely as the settled districts of
Minnesota, before any substantial progress is
made upon the question of Pacific Railroad.
The undersigned need not enlarge upon re-
cent events, which have made it impossible
for an American statesman longer to ignore
the importance of the overland route to the
North Pacific. The discovery of the exten-
sive gold fields upon Frazer and Thompson
Rivers-the organization of British Columbia
the withdrawal of the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny, to the districts of British America north
of latitude IS o-the abundant evidence that
there is an inhabitable district northwest of
Minnesota and beyond the international from
tier, fertile. rich in coal and minerals, and
which, including Vancouver Island and Brit
ish Columbia, has an area of five hundred
thousand square miles-the late treaties with
Japan and China, opening to our commerce
and manufactures (even to the lumber of Or
egon,) an illimitable market-the rising power
Of Russia in Asia with the well known
friendly disposition to the people of the United
States-the annexation by Russia of the nav
igable Amoor River, with its tributory valleys
full three hundred thousand square miles in
extent, and constituting most attractive field
of adventure and speculation arrange
ments made and making by Russia and Eng
land to cover the North Pacific with war and
postal Steamers British scheme of Pa
cihc Naval Station at Victoria on Vancouver
Island-a similar scheme of Russian aggran-
disement upon the sea of Japan-a project
believed eminently practicable for telegraphic
and perhaps railway extension from Moscow
to Japan, and a telegraph thence by the Alen-
tan Islands across the North Pacific to Sitka,
in Russian America-these, and other events
of no less significance have transpired within
the half year just closed, almost within the
Congressional recess. Certainly Senators
and Representatives cannot be insensible to
the Importance of direct connection between
the leading Atlantic cities and the scenes of
such imposing events.
Passing from the topics thus enumerated,
and whose relation to the immediate subject
may seem rather remote, we urge upon the
attention of Congress some additional consid
erations in favor of a semi-weekly mail on the
proposed route.
1st The southern boundary of Minnesota
is in latitude 43 deg. 80 min. Extend that
parallel to the Pacific, and the belt of territory
inclosed by the British boundary on the North
would be traversed by the mail route under
consideration. The river systems revealed
by the map within these limits, afford the
best evidence that the entire area has fall
of Water, ample for all the purposes of agr-
culture. With this important fact fully con-
sidered, the basins ofthe Columbia, the upper
Missouri, the Yellow Stone, the James, the
Sioux, the Sheyenne and other tributaries of
the Red River of the North, are unquestiona-
bly, adequate for the organization of eight first
class States. While the great plains between
Minnesota and the Falls of the Missouri, and
also the interior valleys of the Columbia, will
constitntea xast orazinor rannas. The Rocky