Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-02-16
OREGON.
FROM 4 LECTURE BY A. II. DAVIDSON.

I 4 A. IT.
CooScLUDrD)
! Churches, schooIhouses, mills, good roads.
/ bridges ferries dtc abound throughout the land:
stores taverns busines housess Of every eass-rne-
chanics, lawyers preachers, farmers and the bold
miners. No new country presents more energy,
more talents, more fine Improvements, more taste
and bold enterprise than the lower region Of Ore
gon-the willamette, Umpqua and Rogue river
valleys; with gold Mines rich land, fine climate
healtly-and where nature works on the vast and
the sublime-with towering mountains, entrenched
valleys and fine streans-nO5le forests Of timber
the great Pacific washing the entire length of it
offering commercial intercourse with all nations :
showing, at once that God and nature have done all
that could be done for this lovely land. But enough;
now for the
MIDDLE REGIoN-This region is east Of the Cas-
eade mountains, embracing all that portion Of
country lying between the Cascade mountains and
the Blue mountains scope of country $50 by 400
miles long A country warmer and colder than the
lower portion, and with every grade and kind Of soil,
from the bald Rocky mountains brow down through
sand gravel, clay and rich mould This is pre-em-
Tently stOcl-raising country cattle, horses sheep
and goats may be raised by the thousand, by feed
ing only two months out Of the year. This region
is beginning to settle. Tie Dalles a fine flourish
ing town on the Columbia river, is the chief place
of trade.
Nearly all this vast region is yet to be settled
and it invites the enterprising farmer, mechanic,
and energetic man to its bosom. 1t is a bold and
noble country, opening fine field for the geOOgist
botanst mineralOgist hOrtieulturist, agricuturist
and enterprising stockFaisers. Mules may be rais-
ed almost without feeding.
Grain Of all kinds, and garden vegetables, may be
grown in great perfection. Contiguous to California
a market is afforded in her mines Here, the
emgrant may come and make home, and by even
ordinary attention to business become rich.
Its rivers are De Shortes, John Days, Umitala and
Walla Walla. A great portion De Shoots and
John Days rivers Is scarce of timber, but is pre-
eminently calculated for a stOck-rasing country.
Thus much Of the middle portion.
The third or upper region is like the middle and
need be described farther than to say is more
mountainous and colder, because of its greater at
tude. 1t would be great country for rearing the
Cashmere goats and sheep. and is unsurpassed for
health; and in the grand the awful and sublime is
unequaled.
RAmR0AD.-And now. a word about a railroad
Could the people Of the States their brothers on
the Pacific, and know how lonely and isolated they
are, and how long a letter must be in going to
and from the Eastern States; and in all conmunica
tions Of business nature, how much time and
money is lost in consequence Of the slow and tardy
means of communication between the East and the
West something far our relief would certainly be
attempted.
The advantages that would arise from railroad
are immense.
First, the easy transportation of the government
troops ammunition and provisions In case OF a
war, the same troops who may fight in the East !
And secondly, the quick aid Of the Government |
in giving her protection to California Oregon, and
the Territory of Washington and all other portions
in that distant regiOn the custOmhOuses the Pacific
naval Offices, the protection of commerce, the cX-
tension of tl'ade-all these demand a ready and /
quick communication and railroad would af-
ford it.
Had railroad have been in operation during the
war with Utah, the government would have saved I
milOns and have quelled the insurrectiOn instant
~ But tins is not all. 1t would bind the East and I
West and by the great intercourse with the North I
and the South claiming all interests, make the 4
and moneyed interestsgreater than any
mere local or political course of disruption to our
glorious Union The great trade that would be on
that roadthe great national interests 1t would de-
cOmmlngling of all portion Of our cOun-
trythe interchange Of OpiniOns-the great trade of
China, the Islands of the Pacific, even Australia
in a word, the commerce of half of the world would
be carried BY that great international thoroughfare
uniting with the bands of iron the North the South
the East and the West-binding Oregon, California
and all the Pacific to the Atlantic, giving to eur
whole land impetus in business, throwing open to
every State in the Union the gold of California /
and Oregon, affordng basis and bank Of God own.
and one that StpeRds. California has given to
The world S45O0OO00O, and Oregon has given mil
ions also.
The capital Of the Pacific would 90 towards
building a railroad. As to any particular route,
we advocate none. Give us road. Give us one
rom Texas to San Diego, or to San Francisco |
II up Platte river. through to the South Pass;
through Salt Lake City and down to Oregon, at the
Dailes, or, to Vancouver. in Washington Territory
,r, to Puget's Sound. Or give us one up the Mis-
ouri, and through the mo untains down to Olympia
,r any other place on the Sound, 'Where the naves
If the world may float as has justly been observed
Give a road, or two if better Give us an
Easy, quick communication ask no more. We
will aid, and we hope the entire land plll aid
Bound, We viii become one great united people,
wing under the same common laws, in the same
common country, the same common Constitution
md the same common Union, firm as creation, inn
NJ liable rs Gods own ;nterminable nights.