Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-28
PACIFIC RAILROAD.

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Communicated for III. National Intell!cenccr.l
OBSERVATORY, WAsHIxGroS, Jan. 4. ls5!.
Ny DEAR SHINY las, WIS dated abou, two weeks
| have often wished that the question. pure and
simple. railroad or 10 railroad 10 the Pacinc, couid DC
pm; 10 the popular vote Of the nation. Never, since
the Memphi, Convention OF lsi!, should l have mad
any Goub, as TO tho result: the vote woul1 be largely
Tor the read.
While all admit the importance OF one or more
such railways, there has been such L diversity, o'
opinion as 10 routes aud plans that no one route has
Us We, met with friends enough to carry it through IN
spite Of lis rivals, and l do not think ever Will.
Two roads ut f,stSt are necessary. Al EslSt TWO
roaGs, one ~ the North and the other 1T the South,
are required for the common defence. At least two
roads, one al the South and the other ut the North,
are necessary socially and commercially: for BY two
roads so placed the market, Of China and Japan. and
the Amoor will be brough; neurcr to us by many
DAYS sail than it it is possible FOR one road to bring
thea. This may sound paradoxie"I, !et l nope DC
fore | am done. to explain the paradox to your salts
faction.
Let us first consider the importance Of two ronds
III their military aspect.
Vancouver Island commands the shores OF !" ash
inytou and Oregon Territories: and, whether the Ter
minus OF the Northern road he NJ Pngets Sound OF
nj the mouth OF the Columbia river, the munitions
sent there il. wal could be used for no other part Oh
the coast. for Vancouver ovcrlooks them.
Thcy could not, on account OF |ancouvcr IN us
! military aspects, be sent from the Northern terminus
to San Francisco and the South nor could the
Scathern road, supposing only one, and that u th'
South. send supplies in war from its terminus, whe'
ther u; san Diego. san Pedro, or San Francisco, 10y
sea either 10 oregon or Washington. vnncouvei
would prevent: for Vancouver commands their coasts
"a completely H. England commands those of Franco
OIL the Atlantic. SO complete is the military curtalt
which u juNta island affords 10 q coast that you nevel
heard of France on the Atlantic sending succor 10y
sca TO France on the Mediterranean or the reverse in /,
war with England. The Straits OF France are rs close
a. the Straits Of Gibraltar.
In preparing for the national lcirnccs of tho Pa
citic this fact, and the circumstance That Vancouver
Island is in the hands OF II foreign Power. are wei
calculated TO Impress peculiar features upon any sys'
tom that may be adopted for that coast.
But | promised 10 explain why two roads-one al
,bc Sou,h. the other Mt the North-will bring thS
n,,rLets OF Asia much nearer 10 nS than either road
.;n,I,. xould make them. Before, however, | go in
10 that explanation, let us clear away some OF ti'
ideal Obstacles which error has placed IN the way o
u Northern route to the Paclhc..
Mos, men of our aye were educated under the be
lief ,h,; uarsllcls of latitude and terrestrial climates
arr correia,ivc,: that We might tell the Temperature
OF any unknown country or region OF eonhtr! II We
knew It's latitude. Humboldt and Dove explode
this idea with their isothcrnal lines. For example
they show that the mean annual temperature OF ->oi'i
Cape. hi. 20 deg. in Europe, is the same as that alonis
the north shore OF Lake Superior, i'll lat. So deg: %
here is u difference "i twenty degrees Of latitude
without any difference III the average annual tempe
nature of the two places. There is u difference i'll The
length OF day and night nj the Two places: and, &C
far ~ climate is affected 10y difference in the length
Of day and night, climate is to that extent and nc
farther an affair of latitude. But with differences If
length of day and night the relations between climat,
and latitude cease; the Thermometer and h~ydrometel
theu become the true eXponen,s OF climate. Ever.
REGION, indeed. tells the whole story OF its climates
by its fora.
,be relations of latitude TO climate, and with unbiased
minds lay ont this North temperate zone which VT