The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-09

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over which pass the army Such use OF Inc puoin
money has constantly been made Was II not proper 10
construct road or the army from Vera Cruz 10 thc cy
of Mexico Was IT not proper 70 constructs road W
Utah and would it not be allowable, were we engaged
Ia war 30 exIend the money OF the government to Almost
any extent rapid transit OF the army from ono
point 10 another If these things may DO done, why
then may we not in time of peace, prepare to meet ex
igences that must inevitably arise In time of war 1t
could well be objected To the construction OF forts In
time of peace as 10 the work in view Gentlemen may
think lightly of this view the subject; for they bo
ready conclude that to have no wns; ana trust
In God name their impressions prove correct Tor
is always calamity but u Is not so great
calamity 10 nation submission to iasuIt and desra
dation nor need disguise the fact that our gov
ernnent Is present. greater less extent involved
in insbrogos with Bngland, Nicaragua Mexico. and
Spaln which such misfortune might readily arise
not specially man, nor do believe the pco-
pe Of the United States desire such struggle with any
other power but it cannot be disguised that their pa
tience s.s been seriously tested within the last twelve
months by indigiies offered to flag by tho British,
under various and to my mind, only specious pretences
never desired American captain TO violate law, OF
the instructions of the government, but must confess
that had OF -ofwar sunken the sfyx or bu~
zsfd any other offending vessel OF the British navy,
[ should have been slow To break the commission OF
the captain There at leaat enough in these thipgs
to suggest the possibility Of war and tell gentlemen
that when does with any respectable foreign
power the and most universal exclamation amongst
statesmen and military men will be, What misor-
tune it is that we have not railroad to the Pacihc
months of such did not cost US, for the want OF
such an avenue the price of its construction Who Will
talk about estimating our rights and possessions on me
Patc coast by dollars and cents Who can LOOK trouSh
the dim vista of tic future and the amount OF
commerce that is to be drawn to our country IRON our
possessions that scaboard Who will iN price upoh
California; State which, for the lapldy OF It's growth
and the facility with which wealth and power mas pseh
brought Into existence and all the ends OF civilization
Accomplished has parallel in the history OF this couh
try any otherY No longer ago than 1916 n was com
paratively unknown, with an Angiooaxoh popu'a,op
not exceeding ten or twenty thousand now its popula
ton is ro hundred thousand. Since the time that MO
ses passed through the wilderness there has never been
OF discovering, occupying and improving country
| with such rapdity.
suppose SIR will hardly be pretended that IN case
of war carly if not the first, assault ot the enemy
would not be upon possessions on the fdcine COAST
viii any say that in condition to fleicno
them think not, unless the attack is by feeble ma
val power. Then, sir with what propriety can we talk
abort the acquisition OF additional possessions iaik
about for Cuba and about protecorate over neigh
boring States while confess that have not the
promptly and thoroughly protecting the posses
sons have! Let establish this great protee
orate ourselves and shall then be in better cond
ton to influence the destiny of others How many Scna
tors are there opposed to the Pacific railroad who wouid
refuse to vote two or three hundred million dollars for
the purchase of Cuba2 presume not one; few q thc
would vote more than myself And will they not grant
portion of the public lands, (Which, without the raia
road will remain vaueloss, and the credit Oh the gov
ernment to moderate extent, as means OF securing
IA (nl ti,, nn.
4 u; ~ = y a. a,s ~ ;iliino TI,,h Tbe trutb is the
s,iated ost of th ovcnne 20 The Pacific IS a baratec
,,,od s.h tho yalc of the considerations involved
n m that i nrrnoaed bv the pendnr bill Il little more
in has h.en iora ~, ra,oa,s \, ali the new States
Ur s; M, on,, ao, 4 at n. ala nronosed il quite,
1 T., ,,,,eiic;o,,t ~ acco,,n,isl, ihe object
"a rn care 10 elaborate this idea OF military defence
bt il; IL, mo ael yon what would have been the fate
~ tb Enols AMI French ~ Sebastopol had the Rus,
,..ossaJ ! th,ro,. ,,i,,onl .o,nm,ncation from
e. ptoyhn,h ~ tb,t no;nt nv means Of which they
4 ,5 49,, t,lr,, thor ;,omensc army with the neces
@ nra;sinns III, Ia st,poclc in y few days' time
us ntavic had Lad ef.,cpi raIroad intercommuu
aat;n , ,b balls of ~, Montez,nas 70 ye,n Cruz
o,y ,,uI ,,,,,.r,l scott have effected n landing Or
oso Hos a;lr,,a facilities had exten6ed to the Rio
,snla .h.t ~. III l,,e Iaan tbe fate Of Gen Taylor
- p,Io ,,to anJ j,es,s, de la palma And sir what
atr stron,, cnono Ia meet ns on the Pacific coast ii
, IoJ .rl, rnoans of thing men and munitions
af r what noyer 50 weak that IL might not for
tno o,,,v ana DEGRADE ne without t? But sir find
th t st banniIv and clearly discussed by the late
sanyta f War pay tbe senator from Mississippi aud
+ ILL s t i,dnlgence of the senate whilst read Il
/ s,s tracts from, that admirable naper
~ - -, ~ la, thas. f,o,, The Inaup,,
W oini, "'eso 0N''1''' - I, 1'to ~ i NJ De-.
raj OF Mr. Buchanan, ana the speeches ol Mt Do.'on
\ - @
The value Of the proposed work as means o. increas
ing our commerce it is difficult to estimate WIFI ,naN
work completed, the direct route from Europe W ehs
4 and Japan would be through the United states anu
whilst ordinary merchandise would not pear tfanspora
ton through such it could not ii TO become
horoughare of travel between these distant points
Nor will any doubt that it would be the means OF Sc
curing for country very large commerce Wild to