Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-28
The PACIFIC Railroad aid California.

Z The California journals received by the
last regular mail from the Pacific coast, bring
to US the pruceedingsfof Il convention recent
ly held in that State for the purpose OF giving
expression to public sentiment i'll relation TO
the construction of railroad between the
Eastern and Western borders OF the tnlon.
1t is but natural that the people OF California
should take Il special interest III thlS great
enterprise, but it seems to u that some Vi
them are not pursuing course ilkely 10
facilitate or expedite the execution OF the
work. which they ask ut the hands OF ,oii-
gresS. III tones rather Of menace than IN words
OF respectful appeal, addressed 10 tie inteiiI-
gencc and judgement OF the National Legs
lature At "a meeting of the citizens q! Iu-
lare county, held 10 elect delegates to the
Convention designated, resolutions were pass
ed declaring that the enactment OF sultnhie
bill by Congress. authorizing the construction
of said road, will be only the performance OF
an act of delayed and reluctant justice TO
the States of California and Oregon, mt IL
Ge solicited IN sud .StutcS rs q Juror. b"t oe-
maa,led as riyH:" that Congress ought not
Ia define. limit, or control the location OF the
route: and that, "a the alternative To grant
Ing these demands. the people Of California
will assemble BY their Representatives. and
consider the proprety OF establishing a
free, separate, and sovereign nation on the
shores Of the Pacific We observe that the
San Francisco correspondent ot the Phlladcl-
phia American, IN communicating 10 that
journal u copy of these resolutions acc"mpa-
MES them with statement to the effect that
they '.are indicative OF the feeling throughout
the State
Passing by the threat conta ined in the al
tentative which looks To an Eastern and
Western division of the Union by the csta3-
lishment OF "iree, separate, and sovereign
nation on the shores Of the Pacific and
whose only merit consists i'll the fact that
it forms an agreeable diversion in the midst
of threats equally idle, portending division
between the North and the South, on cnnlunc-
lures the most hypothetical. we may simply
remark. with our Philadelphia contemporary,
that the people OF California, i'll holding such
language to the Representatives OF their
countrymcn in other States, seem to be
slightly obliyious of the liberal proceedings
which Congress has never failed TO take IN
all that concerns the welfare and prosperity
of our Pacific possessions. III the construc-
ton of Pacific railroad has not been IN
stantly undertaken at the wish of California
it would perhaps bs only fair to lind al ex-
PLANTATION Of the delay or hesitation III the
admitted magnitude and difficulty of that
gigantic work, rather than in any disposition
to neglect the Just interests OF the people IN
that remote region. ~ an earnest OF the
prevalent sentiment on this score, the Phlia-
delpha American recites the subjoincd cate
cory OF measures having more or less direct
" reference to the wants OF our telIow-cIti-
Gems in California and which we think,
should suffice to show that they have not been
entirely overlooked in the distribution OF Con
gressional legislation:
Have Congress, the National Govern
ment, or the people been neslectiul OF the
interests Of the Pacific coasD They have
established there branch mint and navy
yard: industriously prosecuted the survey oi
the coast; planted lighthouses on the danger.
Gus points of navigation; maintained there
in command Of the military forces, such SUI
perior officers as Generals Wool and Harvey;
provided for the aboriginal Indians by pla-
eng them Oh reservations with able officers
to improve them in the arts OF civilized HE:
made costly efforts to colonize the Colorado
region; negotiated important commercial
treaties with China and Japan; admitted Or
egon as State without the requisite popu-
laton TO strengthen the representation OF
the Pacific coast i'll Congress: expended large
sums for ocean mail contracts: maintained
an expensive overland mail seml-wcek'y;
made costly surveys of all the routes projected
for Pacific railways: and laid out and i'm
proved wagon roads over Il large portion OF
the unoccupicd Territories. Tho people of
the Atlantic States have pushed their settle
mentS out rapidly westward and are build
ing railways IN the same direction 10y the
dozen, through Texas, Missouri, Iowa and
Minnesota. Iowa alone has four. And to
all of these Congress has given most liberal
grants of land from the public domain, with
out which they could not be built.
In view of all this what have the Caiitor-
mans themselves done? With 50 much
wealth. they should at least have buSt thcirend
of the railroad within their own borders. but
they have done nothing of the KIND. Nor
is it likely they will d. it for some year,
hence. They have constructed hundreds ot
miles of canals 10 carry water to Soiu dis
gingS. but money comes forth very slowly 10
build railways. If the United States Govern
ment could build the Pacific railway to-m"r-
row. to the border Of California, there would
he no line there to connect with it, and none
could be made in less than = year. Under
such circumstances the indignation OF the
Calfornians seems to Us perfectly cauSeicss
and their threats gratuitous in the extreme
III III