Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-01-18
SIOUX CITY, IOWA, SATURDAY, JANUARY IS, 1862

political than commercial Importance
Such is this road.
Nis necessary for the preserration Of
the Union-In California and Oregon is
. large, and hitherto dominant party op-
posed to the Union. They sympathize
with the present rebellion, and though At
pre.snt they yield to the patriotic impulse
Of the people, they do not love the Union
nor are they idle. The danger is immi.
ncnt that these traitors will again obtain
control of the Pacific, aud if by our hlun-
ders or by foreign aid secession becomes
successful, what is 10 hinder them, by
such coup de etdts as We have Of late wit.
messed from snatching from US our Pacific
possessions A railroad to the Pacific
would render i. impossible. 1t would
operate TO that end,
First-By drawing the two sections to-
gether. The practical distance would be
so diminished as to make California nearer
the Atlantic seaboard than was Illinois
when admitted into the Union.
Second-The road would make the in.
teres,s Of our Pacific brothers ours. Tho
passion or principle will often overcome
interest yet, it is the most powerful bond
that holds people together
Third-Such a road would enable US to
crush treason before i, could make head.
1t is hardly likely that traitors will again
obtain possession Of our Federal Govern.
ment, or that it will again tritle with arm
ed treason. 1t will be met at the thresh
hold Bat this would be impossible with
out greater facilities of intercourse than
we row have.
II is necessary for Public transporta.
tioa-The extra expenses Of Buchauan's
expedition to Utah would almost pay the
interest on the cost Of the road. The con-
stant and increasing necessity for heavy
transportation Of troops, stores, mails,
Indian supplies. &c. makes the road of i'm
mense national importance. How many
millions have We already paid for ocean
mail service and every trip takes Us thro'
= foreign country. How much for trans.
porting troops by the same route, and at
the danger Of involving US in foreign war !!
The Indian tribes Of tie n. w. will doubt
less ere long be concentrated upon some
large reserve near the Rocky Mountains
They are being pressed upon either side,
aud we believe greater attention than
heretofore will he paid to their civilization
and elevation. The great family Of Sioux,
the most warlike, energetic and tempe
rate of our wilder nations, shall we suffer
them to fade away under the old policy,
or will we not rather gather the various
tribes together in some genial locality near
this road and perpetuate the grea, name
and race Of the Dakotas ? What immense
sums will be yearly saved to the Nation,
in its Indian intercourse, BY such road,
whether under the old or an improved
system
If when this war closes, we shall be
able to aggregate the expense to the Gov,
ernment. arising from rents, freighls and
passage money upon the various railroads
of the country, we shall see more clearly
the force of some of the above sugges-
tons. Mr. Benton, whose views enlarged
as be was closing his ever active life, con.
stanily insisted upon this being made a
great government work. Indeed, if built
at all, it must be by the Government. The
work is too immense for private enter.
prise The only alternative to building it
under superiutendance of our army engi-
ncers, i, to make heavy grants Of land
and money to some corporation. This
mode is doubtless practicable and the
evils attending it are greatly less than
those we experience for want of the road.
| may hereafter suggest mode OF grant
| ing lands that shall avoid the evils Of cor.
pora,ion land monopoly, so disastrous to a
new country.