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

eosnmcrre bat of our political power in that re-
goa Then England would but little about the
eight Of way through Nicaragua on Mexico.
Under such circumstances the apprehension suggested
by the senator from New York to the political
uono neglectng this work night receive great force
and phsusibilty. He said
The Pacnc question: whether capital,
Pride, proIse, shall facilities for inter
s hs sa sas Of h Sa uSs s. ~ a aas Or
whether capital United
many traditions become eas4'a
capital Of the Pacific States Of American
Whilst am not willing 60 anticipate consequences
momcntous the result OF noglectng the proper
protect fellow stissns the Pacific coast and 10
extend to them Lat support to which they 30 justly
entitled under H.e compacts Of the constitution, do
think IT great moral and political wrong 10 ne
elect them and to put their loyalty to te tess by
a wcll-tundcd of complaint, on 10 excite that
measure Of discomfort which aieht by possibility
Iced to alienation l am for promoting commerce and
maternal affection with them, cost what il may What
could compensate the nation for the loss OF California
for the humiliation the nation would feel at having
her cut OF and hcmmed in by foreign power Gentle
startled at the idea of 500 900 80g construct
aailroaG to protect California Oegon Washington and
all the other interests that grow up the Pacific
aud yet they would vote hundreds of millions to chasc
Tuba, Or ~ s, war 70 %antan ogy t$st transit route
already sending fifty sixty millions of gold annually
10 the Atlantic States and that amount is gradually
the increase The adoption of protect fully
by railroad communication and needs be- by additional
naval power, is my mode Of practising the Monroe doc
trine. 1t is the best means of influencing surrounding
States and far better agency of gaining additional pos
sessions than weak and lawess flbustering expeditions
But 1t is argued objection TO the proposed road
that will not only fail to pay fas dividends the cap
aal necessary to construct it, but that tho business viii
not bc sufficient to the expenses working 1t when
built aud it is admitted that ii the estimate of its income
is to be based upon the present commerce
trade between the Atlantic and paehc divisions of the
country the objection would to be well taken But
no reasoning could DC aoe unfair and at the same time
futile, than this. Who maintains that the present
amount OF pas'.ess is sufficient to fairly reward the
eessary amount of capitalY This is not claimed,
need IL re- by the friends of the 1t Is not
cessp to establish that position In order demonstrate
thu utility of the work The great in favor of it
hre that it will increase not only the domestic but the
foreign the country that will beget
and travel that it will develop the material wealth of
the country through which ii is to pass and that popula
ton and all the operations of a civilized community will
follow in its wake Nor does any contend that we
can have a railroad Immediately Its construction
under the most favorable circumstances, will
qurc much time--six eight years at least In
deed, the pending bills propose to give the con-
tractors from ten to twelve years TO complete the
work; and who, among the objcctors will undertake
tell what the condition of the country will be ten
years hence 7 What will be the population on the At
iantic and Pacific Sides and what the demands for such
n channel OF commerce may be, tell with
curacy but the lessons of experience the best index
of the future The past growth of country is there
tore, the safest basis upon which rely and any
that that ratio of increase especially when
applied to the Pacic region the result would be almost
fabulous. 1t is easy to show that the commerce and
trade between people the Pacific and those the
Atlantic meagre compared with those of the whole
country but it must be remembered that the Pacific
gOn has been for only brief period that the
American population within the last ten years has in
creased fifty fold having swced up from about ten thou
sand inhabitants to five hundred thousand. The
number Of passengers passing to and fro is rapidly
preaching the respectable number of hundred thousand
per annum, which, at fifty dollars each, amounts to the
respectable income of IS 900 600 But it must be
te ALSO that each section of the road 1t approaches
the centre from the east and the west would bcget to
great extent, its business from region unoccu-
pied and unproductivu.
But the objection with which dealing it will be
seen is not strictly applicable to the proposed action of
Congress- 1t not claimed that the road however
cessfu is to be source of TO the government
nor it be drain upon its property beyond
very limited extent The objection that the road will
not pay would certainly be fair subject capitalists
to consider. 1t Is question for the decision of those
who may weigh the question Of constructing the road
If satisfied that they lose the money which will be
required for the work. it is scarcely necessary to say that
they will not undertake to construct it and if the law
we about to pass not executed surely the
men cannot suffer The reasons for government aid to
the work stand far above question of dollars cents
az have already shown That the road may not pay
the stockholders Is why the government should
not have the Of it to transmit les mails its agents
its armies, and oil the munitions and paraphernala
OF war But ! must confess, Mr.. President the OBJ
lection which / combating had at one
time made strong impression my mind against
the utility of the scheme but fuller reflection upon
all its objects and tendencies, and especially upon
its political Influence, and the necessities for it in
military point of view has made its advocate !
never have had any doubt of the prcticabity of the
work always believed it possible to construct rail
road across domain to the Pacific but had great
DOUBTS to its successful operation when built and
must not be astonshed that there those who doubt
well the other Of these points and that there
Others who resist the enterprise the broad ground
that there is necessity for it, Railroad improvement
has always encountered inveterate fogy, which has
hung its Skirts and industously predicted disaster
and failure at every STEP Why sir il but few years
since, in the senate of my State found it easy
task to combat the impression that railroad from the
eastern TO the western extremity Of that State Wis
ionary and impracticabe scheme The construction of
the Pennsylvania railroad resisted distinctly and
and most successful roads in the world.
But object entirely to this mode of asccrtaning the
value of railroads 1t not to be estimated by dividends
TO stockholders Great as have been the benefits confer
red upon the country by railroads there but few that
could stand such test Their real value to the
try through which they extend consists not much In
income to their in their tendency to develop
natural elements of wealth. to attract population and to
facilitate trade and travel Why sir the time saved to
the travelling public is in itself Of great wealth
to the country. If productive labor is the wealth of a
nation, the time OF each individual is capital to him
We all know how much time by coming to
The capital in railroad cars instead of horseback
in coaches have II estimated that the time saved
to the travelling community by railroad facilities as
against former modes Is sufficient if well employed to