Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-04-19
Speech Of Hon. A. A. Sargent on the Pacific
Railroad Bill,

Weregrct that our limited space will not
permit us to pablish the speech of Hon. A. A.
Sargent delivered in the us. House of Rep
resentatives, Jan. 3lst, on the military ncccs-
sity of the Pacific Railroad. The bearing of
his argument is shown in the following state
ment Of the position of tho Pacific coast in the
event of war with any foreign power:
Now, what would be the position of Cali
fornia in the event of war with a foreign
maritime Powerl The first stroke would be
n blockade Of the harbor Of San Francisco,
the result of which wonld be the entire dcs-
truction of our commence, and consequently
complete paralyzation of business. Our
commercial intercourse with the outward
world would be completely annihilated-
What followsl Thepricrs Of every article Of
food, clothing, usefulness, or luxury would
leap suddenly up to starvation rates. Sir,
the people of the Atlantic States do not UNI
derstand what high prices mean with U.s.
Prices with us depend upon the foreign sup
ply; and many needy man, in the early
DAYS Of California, when the ocean was free,
and ships were arriving day by day with full
cargoes of provisions, has had to pay his $500
per Dbl. for -four, and dollar pound for ba-
con- How will it be when a blockade of San
Francisco shuts the door to all future supplies
when every holder knows that his stock OH
hand can never be replenishcd God forbid
that l shall ever live to see that day! You
of the Atlantic States will never be compelled
by the exigcncics of war, to cry out for bread
You will never realize the mscrics of Ant
werp, for your granary is at hand, and will
always be full and inaccessible to your enc
mics. But where are the lalf-millon of Cali
forna to procure their bread! We have sent
relief to the suffering, starving poor Of Ireland
Who will send relief to the starving men, wo-
men and children of California! BE your ill.,
tcn,ion ever SO good, be your symwsthies ever
so great. be yonr supplies ever 50 adequate.
you will undertake to convey those supplies
to them, and how will they reach them!
1t may be said tha: blockade of the har-
Dor Of San Francisco will not prevent the ag
,cu,uris, from pursuing his labors in the
field and valleys. and that there We must look
for supplies. Let no one deceive himself
with thai idea. have spoken Of the block
aslc rs the tirsi blow which will probably be
struck The next viii De- a forced entrance
into San Fraucisco bay. 1t is no, TO be con-
c.iv.d thu, powerful enemy will bc content
with simply hlockading the port Of San Fran
cisco. California il too rich prize to Ios.,
by inactio:. and history teaches that the firs,-
class powers Of Europe do not dcspise the
acquisition Of valuable territory. They are
not nrg.cciful of any favorable opportunity TO
add 10 those wide douninions on which the
sun never sets.
Let us see what are III. inducements TO a
campaign for conquest. We have there in
the ccnier of the Pacific coast port and har.
hor hardly cquall-d by that 81 any other
country on the globc-a noble bay, stretching
away as have said, forty miles to the south
ward and twenty to the norihwar,l. co,.a-
ple:elv l,n,llocksd. in which the navie< Of the
world might ride ia safety. This harbos, ac-
cessibl.. only by HARROW entrance. and form
ing tl,c key which unlocks Or locks the inland
navigation tn a rich valley tour hundred
mile. in l~ng,h and fifty in width-;he key
which holds possession of the richest mining
territory Of gold and silver in the known
world. whose annual yield of the pnciuD
metals is M. far sholt Of 81 90 900 OOO-a err
ritory which employs hall million Of people
in It's development; a magnificent city Of
nearly one hundred Thousand inhabitants ly-
in- at it's -atrancc. with its wharves and
docks, i;s C.,s.o,a lIonsc sni Mint. iss costly