The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-18
Pacific Railroad Bill..How the North
west has been Sold Out. p

In the United States Senate, on the 7th
of January, the Pacific Railroad bill was
under consideration. Mr.. SEWARD made q
speech on the subject, in which be said so
have heretofore expressed the opinion
that the most feasible, and the most natural,
and the best route for q Pacific railroad is
the more northern one, to connect Mime
sofa with the northern ports OF the United
States on the Pacific. am also on record
as having entertained the opinion, which l
do now entertain, that it would be more
wise, financially, to construct one railroad
than two or more. This bill does not con.
form to these views. Itpresents two routes,
q northern and southern route, and while
the southern route is unobjectionable to me,
the northern route is less northern than l
would prefer. 1t will be proposed, I under
stand, to amend the bill, by substituting for
its northern route that one which l would
have preferred. I shall, under existing cir
cumstances, not vote for the amendment.
My reason is, that the bill 80 amended, l
apprehend, could not be passed, while 1 hope
that the bill, in its present shape, can be
passed. This reason, whether satisfactory
or not, must be my justification to those Sec
tions of the country which would prefer, as
do, the route which is proposed to be SUBJ
stituted by amendment.
After Senator SEWARD had concluded,
Mr.. RICE obtained the floor and said:
Mr.. President, have an amendment to
offer to this bill but after having listened
to the able, eloquent, and what appears to
me extraordinary speech of the distinguished
Senator from New York, I have no hope
that my amendment will meet with favor
upon this floor. I have no hopes that any
amendment, however just, however merito-
rious, that may be offered, will receive ia
vorable notice here.
The honorable Senator announces that, in
his opinion, the northern route is the best
route; yet be will sacrifice his preferences
for that and vote for two southern routes
He thinks one road preferable to two or
more yet he will vote fer, virtually, four
routes three commencing upon the western
border of the southern States, and one
branch commencing upon the western border
and going through the southern part of our
most southern free State.
am in favor of Pacific railroad and
l have no fault to find with the details of
this bill, with the exceptions of the lines
marked down; and in that respect do
complain. The bill passed the House of
Representatives with, l might say, indecent
haste. 1t passed under the operation of the
previous question, when no man favorable
to the northern route was able to obtain the
floor to express bis views upon it; and here,
again, I may be excused if l feel that we
have cause to complain. And, while I am
in favor of a Pacific railroad, I cannot, in
justice to myself and to my constituents,
vote for it $lOO,OOO,OOO at the outset.
How many more millions will be required
to complete the work, is not known to man.
l cannot consent to vote tor it millions OF
acres of the public lands, and to tax the
people of the North to that extent. We,
in my State, will have to pay our share
towards building these roads and we shall
receive not only no benefit, but positive
injury. immigration and capital will be
diverted from Minnesota and Wisconsin,
and from the entire lake country, to the
lines of these roads and the commerce OF
the great lakes will, to certain extent, be
sacrificed to build up interests that are in
imical to theirs.
The manner in which legislation has
heretofore been conducted has been ex-
tremely unfortunate for US in the Northwest.
The Government is now paying millions of
dollars for overland mail routes, all starting
from Southern States, and running to the
Paci6c-not to the centre of the Pacific
coast, but to the southern shore of our
possessions there. Upon two occasions the
Senate passed bill giving Us an overland
mail route in the North, at very small
expense compared with the amount given
to the southern route, but by some process
inexplicable to me, those bills failed in the
other branch of Congress. l find that there
is an ability in some quarters to make
combinations that prevent us from receiving
our rights, while at the same time we are
compelled to pay our share of the ex-
penses.
shall not detain the Senate long, for
presume it is foreg0ne conclusion, that
this bill is to pass without amendment.
have it from high authority. What strikes
me as remarkable in the speech of the Sen
dtOE IrOm INcW OIh lS, GudI NC 6uppOcCS
the passage of this bill will save the Union
1 am Union man would sacri6e any.
thing that any one could ask to save the
Union; and if be has found the means o.
doing it, I shall be very much grati6ed
The venerable President of the United
States, his able Cabinet, the Senate, thu
House of Representatives, the great mer
and the little men all over the country, thu
sane and the insane, have been rackiDe
their brains for months past to find some
way by which they could save thi
great and glorious Union but all t.
no avail. Every proposition that ha
been brought forward, no matter from wha
source, has received little, if any favor. Blu
the Senator from New York has at las
discovered the philosophers stone; be ha'
found the spring Of life, of which we used tt
read. He thinks that the Union can b.
saved if we give to the south two railroad
to the Pacific ocean! I am sorry that Their
are 80 few southern Senators in their seats
for wish to call their attention to thi
wondrous proposition. l wish to lear
from them if they are prepared to sacrifice
for money the principles for which the.