Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-01-21

nence, are all intimately dependent upon
good roads, An enlightened appreci-
alton of mans best temporal interests
will always be seen in the pains taken in
their construction. In no other mode
whatever can a wise political economy be
exercised to better advantage. These
are truths which the least reflection will
make evident will not enlarge upon
them but will merely observe that itwas to
the correct understanding ofthcse truths,
in social economy, that imperial Rome
was able to command the world from her
seven hilled throne upon the banks Of the
Tiber, and to transmit to present ages
a reputation for wise aud practical in
dustry which time can never Destroy
No such reputation belongs to the vast
empires of un earlier day. If you were
to go to Asiatic Turkey, with volume
of Ancient history in your hands, you
might in Imagination behold the won
drous scenes of past ages. You might
paint the Assyrian on the banks of the
Tigris-the Chaldean on those of the
Euphrates the Persian reignng from
Indus to the Mediterranean. You might
number the Kingdoms of Damascus and
Idumea--of Jerusalem and Samaria--
the warlike States of the Philstines, and
the commercial republic of ?hnnicia. A
hundred powerful cities would rise to
your view, and everywhere the expand
ing field would be covered with towns,
villages and hamlets. But let the vision
of fancy fade from your sight, let the ac-
tual present take the place of the past,
and you will see before you abandoned
fields, deserted villages and cities in ru-
ms the remains Of temples, of palaces,
and of fortresses--of pillars, aqueducts,
and tombs; but no such evidences of a
wise national forethought which Italy
would now present to your view. There
you would see that the roads Of both tue
republic and empire of Rome were car
ried to the highest perfection. Center
ing in the city, you notice that five
branches extended to the remotest from
tier of her vast domain You see that
all obstacles were removed that rocks
were levelled, ravines arched ever, that
the route might be the most direct, level
and commodious. You observe in their
construction, that large blocks of stone
were wedged together, SO rs to resemble
fiat surface, and that such was the du-
rability produced that, after the lapse Of
two thousand years, several large por-
tons remain in as entire a state as at their
first formation. You will finally notice
that the lines Of these great roads are
still preserved, and that your travelling
carriage passes over tho same track worn
by the chariot wheels Of Augustus and
Trajan.
The example thus SC. by the ancient
Romans, was for the most part disregard
ed by modern nations until within the
last fifty years. Then only the mind of
man was awakened to the great import
ancc of safe and expeditions intor-
communication, and throughout Europe
and America, attention was directed to
the making of roads and highways. -
And here Switzerland deserves to be no.
ticcd among the noblest patrons of this
art. A land of mountains, covered with
perpetual snow, whose castellated peaks
and ycarning chasms are described us
constituting region "where the vivify-
ing and ordering syllables Of Creation
seem never to have passed realm Of
chaos reserved to the primeval empire Of
the formlcss and the void; where there
is brllance without warmth, and SUM-
mer without foliage, and days but no
duties where, through every opening,
the front of Death seems to start up in
the aspect of living rock mantled in
CLASSY ice where the sun rolls his pur-
Pile tides of life through tho air that SUR
rounds these submits, but his beams
awaken no seed time and ripen no bar
vests; where the moon and the stars rise
and move and decline along the horizon,
century after century, but TIE sweet vi
cissitudcs of the seasons and Of time
move not the sympathies of these pale,
stern peaks, over which broods one etcr-
nal winter TO the senses---one visionary
night of gloom to the soul" And yet,
even here, wonderful combination of
industry and boldness has been displayed
in carrying roads across the most rugged
and precipitous Alpine barriers. The
great military road constructed BY Ma
poicon across the Simplon, is exceeded in
the boldness Of its details by that which
crosses the river Rcuss to Altdorf, the
scene Of the exploits of tho patriot,
William Tell. There, above the regions
Of the clouds, you will approach spot
where the'sublimity Of nature is met and
mastered by the higher sublinity of the
mind Of man. A huge rock, coming
athwart the valley, juts over the very
edge Of the torrent The road pierces
it by tunnel, winds back along gal
lery on its outer surface, aud by couple
Of arches, not unfitly named the Devils
Bridge, spans the Reuss just below It's
terrific cascade, and within the full sweep
of its foaming spray. With both ease
and safety the traveller may pass through
this dangerous deiile upon solid high
way, which for its admirable grade, for
the arrangement of It's route, and for tho
solidity Of its masonry is not surpassed
by any similar structure Of this age Of
stupendous industrial achievements. 10
England and the United States. within
the last thirty years, road making has
taken direction unknown to the an
cients, and is made subordinate TO the
wonder working powers Of team But,