The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-09
SPEECH or bfR BIGLER ON THE PACIFIC
RAfLPDAB


contract for the transportation Of the mails troops,
men, munitions of war and all other government service,
by railroad from the Missouri river TO San francisco, IN
the State of California
Mr.. BIGIER. Mr. President have for some days de-
sired To give expression my views the subject of
railroad to the Pacific ocean not indeed that am vain
enough 10 believe that can advance new or effective
Argument in favor Of Tie reasre for the subject has
been exhausted by ADLER hands OF that tan IN any way
influence the action OF the Senate OH the question
My main purpose is to give form to nay own views on the
gcne subject before voting the various and somewhat
dssimar propositions pending before the Senate so
that my true position may be known to my constituents
There to be- am happy to discover but little diver
sty Of opinion TO the main object All or nearly all,
anxious for lhe construction Of railroad across the
public domain to the Pacific ocean The convection seems
to be general well in the Senate throughout the
States that such improvement would be of vast advan
tsse to the country Tie main dietcnccs are ahoat the
proper means to accomplish the desired end about the
and character Of the aid which Congress may right
fully extend to the proposed work. and to its proper To-
cation
For myself, shall not be tenacious minor points.
My object is to secure the construction of grand chan
mel OF intercourse between the Atlantic States and our
Pacific possessions not much means OF develop
ing the material wealth Of the Intermediate country and
of extending commerce Of maintaining our rights
dhd protecting our citizens the Iacilc side. The
whereabouts of the road with secondary consider
alton not that it be few degrees further north
further south that it be great national highway
open TO ALL and of capacity sufficient to answer all the
mercc, trade aud travel Though believing only rail
road necessary and that the construction Of one will be
task requiring quite all the aid the government will be
willing 10 extend aud anxious that that road should
be fair representative and agent of the government aud
be- nits location and construction satisfactory to the great
of the people am STILL in view Of the peculiar
ture of the question: willing to give to those who may
undertake the work liberal discretion to its location
Certainly will contend that il should be forced
where Nature did not intend it be- 1t should be on
the best location and for one, willing to leave the
decision of that question to the results of scientific nves
tgation and to those business considerations which may
properly influence such issue Those who to con-
strc own and manage the road will be most interested
in the location they will look for the cheapest and best
Mr. Benton said 'rhey will look before they leap,
aud If they do not they will not leap long 1t Is true
Prefer GENITAL rotite and hope somewhat central
may prove acceptabc but go for road, however far
north SOUTH rather than none. But attach serious
importance only the location of the main trunk which
is to extend the mountain range As for
tions with the main trunk the eastern well as
the western side of the mountains, occasion
for jealousy or conflict among the friends of the measure
as to these.
The eastern terminus will be accessible by railroad
communication to all the Atlantic cities, and if found
anywhere the Missouri river, above St Louis, the
difference in distance between it and those great cities
would not be material If fxed at the mouth of Kansas
river it would be about fourteen hundred and fifty miles
from Boston twelve hundred and fifty miles from New
York eleven hundred and fifty miles from Philadelphia;
ten hundred and fifty miles from Charleston, and nine
hundred miles from New Orleans Besides, the country
the eastern SLOPE for several hundred miles is sscept
ibe of high cultivation and best with genial climate,
being capable of sustaining large population engaged
IN agriculture mining manufacturing and the other arts
of peace This region, like the Atlantic States, WILL in
due time, and with wonderful rapidity be checkered
over all its parts with railroads. extending north SOUTH
and east and leading to all the principal points the
Atlantic side OF the Union serving feeders to the main
trunk and receiving in turn much of their patronage
| from its ample stores You might terminus
anywhere--New York, Philadelphia, st. Louis, at
the mouth of the Kansas rivcr-but such terminus, in
point of practical operation, would be but nominal.
The road would be tapped at every point west where
the business Of the country might require it, and the
practical terminus would be at the side of the
mountain range. The South Pacific the Jefferson the
Hannibal and st. Joseph the st. Joseph and Atchson,
the several roads the State OF Iowa. and that UP
the Platte river and that from Atchson in Kansas, to
Fort Keaney each intended to reach the Pacific road
and will do so at time matter where it may be
located The main trunk through the mountain region
is the desideratu This should be properly located re-
gardless of every other consideration and in deciding
this question: due reference should be had to the cost OF
the work. the heights of the grades and the character
of the curvatures WE'LL also TO the nature of the
climate and the depths of the SHOWS.
The road should not only be efficient one when
built, but if possible it should be every week and
day in the year This could not be the it To-
Gated in region where the falls to great depths
for there fatal impediment TO railroad travel
and greater hazard to the travelling public rail-
roads, than snow drifts in severe climate. However
ecey the iron horse may snort and smoke AMI thunder
along on clear track he is readily tanned in snow
drift have seen him completely subdued by this
element in few hours that he could go neither back
forward The Russians have attempted to avoid this diff
cuIty by placing their roads enlankments but this
could be done am undulatng surface where cuts
and fills follow each other in such rapid
/ for the cuts necessarily fill up.
But let dgress from the main subject for a few
mens to- notice the progress of railroads and their nhu
upon the growth of the United States Thirty year.
ago railroads we're unknown in this country Now about
thirty thousand miles in operation, extending from
State State and from city city, the Atlantic sd
of the continent; and it is proposed TO constiuc
two thousand miles to connect all these with thu
Pacific OF their happy effect upon the trade and
| as also upon the physical Improvement and matera
wealth of the naton need not speak this IL appaen
to ALL But their influence upon the political growth
strength of the Union though less obvious the
less mind has been still wonderful and if possible
more benefcent. When that Union composed o
thirteen States the of intercourse and communica
tion tween them tedious inefficient and uncertain
and far rs all these concerned the confederao
was already very large the States seemed widely
separated and their people strangers to each other Ever
ordinary mail communication tedious process Fo
instance, the of the battle of Bunker Hill was no
known to the Continental Congress- at Philadelphia for
week after it occurred when the Declaration of fndepend
lated many weeks elapsed before the
was known in a parts of the infant republic and, a
late 1914 the Capitol at Washington had long beei
in ashes before the startling known in all tn
States Then Union, measuring its proportions b.
the time necessary TO communicate with its dif1eren
parts seemed extended and unwieldy. Then it require,
many days TO communicate between principa
Atlantic cities and weeks to send the orders of tn
government its military forces the frontier, ans
months TO army from the interior or west to th
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