The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-02-21
lTrom the Washington nspubli5
The Pacific Railroad.

Yesterday will be remembered as
white day in tho history Of the Repub-
lie The President signed the bill for
the admission Of Kansas, the thirty
fourth State in our glorious and perpet- !
ual Union and the Senate, by the i'm
posing majority Of thirty-seveu 60 four
teen, passed the Pacific Railroad Bill
sent up from the House, but amended,
so as to provide for three roads, instead
Of two, from the Valley of the Missis-
sippi to the Pacific Ocean. The BILL os
passed by the Senate, was amended in
many of its details; but under the press.
ure Of the great public necessitios which
call for It's passage, the disagreeing votes
ia the two branches of Congress will be
brought into accord by Committees Of
Conference, or in some other Of the par
liamentqry modes II is impossible that
a measure should fail which is urged
forward by such an overwhelming pub
lie sentiment, and which is forced by
such pressing motives Of national pol
icy
The progress Of this discussion has,
we believe, satisfied the country, that
the idea Of single road TO the Pacific
is inadequate and imperfect Our coast
upon that ocean is so long, and we are
50 advancing upon it, not in column,
but by our whole latitudinal line of EN-.
| pire, that one road must be partial and
unsatisfactory. The true idea is, not
| that Of a bridge to the Pacific, but Of
a complete occupation, from the North
to the South, Of the whole territory
which separates us from it. The two
road bill Of the House was q good one,
but the three road bill Of the Senate is
better still The magnitude of the
measure, instead of being an objection
to it, is, at this juncture, its best recon
mendation. 1t is just what is needed
to steady mems minds and attach them
to the Government, by stroke Of ener.
gy and yigor, at great crisis 1t H.
illustrates and enfOrces, to the dulcsJ ap.
prehension, the beneficial power of O
united national Government, in contrast
with the leeblcness of separated and
petty States. 1t iuvigoratos the scnti
ment Of American nationality, inspires
pride in the resources Of the country
and divcrts the public attention from
baIeful discords by the contemplation
of great achievements of peace and civ.
ilization, which better be6t this new
continent and this new age.
But while in this sense, and for such
purposes, the bill, as passed by the Sen,
ate, is large one, it is not Of a magni.
tude which need inspire alarm The
total maximum money appropriation of
the bill is only Sl2l,OOO, 900, a mere
bagatelle, when it is considered that il
Is to be spread over a term Of fifteen
years nt the least, and that it is not q
gift, but loan, or an investment, pay,
ing abundantIy in direct postal and mil
; itary services to the Government, in ad
dtion to its indirect development of
national resources 1t is not quite tht
5 fourth part Of the sum expended by tho
, English i'm the Crimean war, to avert
danger to their East Indian possessions
which was contingent, and at all events
. remote. 1t does not compare with th
sum paid for Louisiana, making allow
- uuce for our increase Of wealth within
e sixty years.
G 1t is less than the sum which its con
C spicuous opposers have repeatedly of
s fered within the last thirteen years t.
- pay for Cuba, which was desired for sec
% tiOnal aggrandzomont, but which woulD
be for the nation an apple of discord
t and a source of weakness, rather tho
t Of strength It is not quite double tn
amount which has been invested in rail
S roads by the single State of Massachu
y sctts. Il is only an eighth part Of who
r. the whole country has already iuveste
in this greatest Of modern Improve
J. ments..
The fnal passage Of this bin will b
= hailed with ucclamatiou. 1t will ltimu
v late business, by making a market lo
d iron, for machinery, for labor and fo
e the food and clothing of laborers.
:. will restore confidence and revive th
f dropping industrial energies Of tn
h country. Tho scheme Of development
d which it effectuatas has been long ma
a tured in the public mind, and has bee
adopted in the platforms of all nation,
70 parties. 1t is now the fuluoss of tim
for its realization.
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