Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-04-02

ny mountain range, along each base of which
and up the slopes If which, teeming popu
latOn may hereafter live; but we arc tlividct
hy asystcm Of mountains; and in addition {,
this system OfmountainS we have intermrdiat
desert plains, whrrc, save here and there SOM
iriigablc spot, agricultural man can never re
side. Then the qui Sti0n Jr,srntS itself Shal
We share the fate which history points to nj
nations which preceded Us! Shall we allow
our territory to be divided! Shall the United
States commence her downward step by los
ing the rich possessions she now holds on IN,
Pacific as the inevitable consequence Of tina
separation whirlI inountuirH aud drsrrts rit,
innnd? Or shall VIC use the power whicI
Science and art and the progress Ofciviizatior
have conferred upon man, overcome the phys
Ical obstacle, bind these two pnrtS together
aud holt this country one and indiviSiblc for
ever! These arc questions which think il
belong to the stat sIIIan to consider. Though
IT may he easy in cant phrase to speak of thu
imprOprirty Of using the power Of the Gov.
eminent to maxi railroad, and Of leaving il
to he done as such have been mn,lc from here
to Baltimore, and from here to Frcdcricks
burg; is there man Of sound judmrnt and
patient inquiry who does not know that h.
speaks Of that which is an npo>Sibllty and
that, wait as long as we may, he will see the
'lay when separation will occur long b. fore he
sees the population which can build that road
from its own resources!
But, Mr.. President, point has been Spcci.
ally directed against myself in the course Oi
this debate; aud may say here that il has
been my misfortune, Of those with whom
generally act, and those who represent tn.
same population with myself, to stand alone.
| believe ! stand upon the und,i rock oi
truth. believe stand upon the int, rests oi
the country. believe am propelled by a
high duty dcvolvcd upon me; and though as.
sailed by my friends on one side, and hy INV
old political opponents on the other, trust
shall stand unmovcd. What, sir, is the argu.
Incnt so constantly directed against the militia.
ry necessity 6f this road? 1t is that the pc.
ri"d is rapidly arriving when the reputation
on the shores Of the Pacific can offend itself
that the ocean and isthmlis routes afford now
the means Of transporting by Sca what VIC
propose To transport by land. Unless they
shall develop an agricultural capacity moi yet
believed TO exist there. unless the people there
shall tie drawn into diff rent pursuit, and, it,
stead OF b ing tributary to the wealth of the
Atlantic Slope aud the Mississippi valley by
CONSUMING the products Of agriculture, shall
hccom" an AGRICULTURAL people themselves. tho
day cah navtr arrive whea they will maintain
from their own agricultural resources the pop
nail"n Which will be Necessary to defend that
coast.
Take the most remote period to which the
eye ct prophecy may think proper to look, and
/ still you find staring you in the face the neccs-
slty that You must draw YOUR resources from
the valley Of the Mississippi In any contu-
| nj al Ic.I. 4 A
1t would be impossible IL draw thoS" re sources
from that vale y by sea. ! say it is impossible
III any condition Of the country that can fore
scr | grant that tbs in the power nf the
American pt Ople to construct a navy to sweep
the ocean down to the cape, and up the ocean
hyOnd the POSs, ssionS of the United States /;
but this would cost millions, where thousands
would suffice with more economical mode of
transportation. Are we ready to invest the
whole Treasury Of the Cove rnncnt in vessels
as pe'i>lablc as those which 1t is proper for us
to construct: Or shall We employ but small
part OF that money in achieving for ourselves
the whole end which this vast navy would at
| tain?
Again, sir, upon those routes proposed to be
t'avcrScd by SEA and 10y short land conn, e.
ti"n, we pass into tropical climates on most
OF them We cross the equator twice. Within
the limits Of the United States, so FAR as I am
at pr'scnt informed We have thus far found
hut one kind of flour which could thus he
transported and delivered in good order. II
is not so bad with other supplies; hut some.
thing Of tli same Kind appritainS to NIL the
Suppli'S required for the Army and Navy on
the Pacific c0aSt. 1t is needless. therefore. to
speak OF the accumulation 0fvaSt stores, which
are to serve us in future contingencies; but
Il that could hr dom it would be easy to prove
nat the cost "l accumuinting and maintaining
these stores would exceed the cost Of cou-
-tructing the mtans o. transportation which
j. required.
Besides, under any condition which we can
ait ipat', those routes could not be kept open
III timv of war. Al the commencement Of a
war, We Sh"nld hc separated; our Pacific
coast, with its sparse population. with its in
tcri"r agricultural resources, would be thrown
upon its capacities fur Defense and it be- lost
To the United States. When Rome commen-
crd losing her teri TORY decline WAS set upon
her brow and raId!y followed until she sank
into that fall from which the Roman tmriie
never rOS" Whenever the United States be-
gin tn lose their territory, whenever nm nva-
ding army can land upon any portion Of our
coast and capture the territory Of the United
States aud hold it, the prestige, the pridr, the
power, and The progress Of the United States
are ut an end. Theme, forward the hand of
ages and decay will he lal upon us, and We
shall sink, the unworthy representatives of
the glorious institutions we inhuit
But. sir, there are 0thor relations. War is
not conducted merely by assembling men, and
furnishing munitions nnd provisions. That
wl'ic.I is termed the sncws OF war, the ability
oi the country to raise the means of supply,
lies behind all the military power Of the Gov.
crI'mcnt. NOW SubmH to dHy one, chethtr,
y MC hrmtmts Ct' goW .1iVm Cdh!t3rMid 0Mtt
thc Pdr.fc c"tSt ~crr arrested far SIXTY ddys,
there would be II banking institution in the
CnifW Suites which would net he hFceSmrilu
ctoSed? Whether credit woVhlnot b. paraIizcd! :!
whether the capacity of the Government 10
raise tAf mc0hs by ~hich IL cOwid maintain
its army WoWM not ,taH wih the prostratiun
of private credit AMI prir0fe property? II
c0nInHed communication, by ~hich Wc con-
s'anHy dcrire me precious mcfais irom that
r3'"h otthr great deposit is essential to retain,
fer sirfy day~, Mr prosperous condition. ~ 0n,'
country, how are we to look 10 all the hcnvy
burdens aud the preSsWrc Of ,cdr, in tho face
Of the lnSS Of that which, trcA IN time Of pcace,
'e0WM p1HIisr the country!
find myself unable to enter into the full
examination which proposed; I.must ncccs-
Sarilv ahridge ii hut ask Senators tO con-
slider for n mnInrnt the comparative advauta-
grs and cost Of the work on the basis which
propose. In timo oC national peace to nut
down rebellion, interrupted merely by fora
N, Il