Daily national Republican., 1863-12-05

establishing It's domestic interests. For this
reason can reply TO your Invitation only very
hastily, and very briefly. or course, canuot
go TO Nebraska, and therefore l must decline.
With your brave help, and that OF your armed
compatriots on sea and land, hope we shall
soon put down this wretchcd and wicked In.
surrection against the Union. With tho help
Of our capitalists and our free and loyal labor.
ing men, the Union Pacific railroad can, end !
hope will, be extended TO the Pacidc ocean.
When this shall have been done. disunlon will
he rendered FOREVER afterwava n4DPseses1es
There will be no fulcrum for the leyer. Of trea.
son to rest upon. .L.3AAtLhG
Faithfully yours, wILLiAM II. SkwARp---
SECRETARY cnAsE's LsrrEH. 2TC D
TREAsuRy DRPA RrMgNT,l
November 25, 1868
Mr. DEAR SIR; Your kind invitation to write
something that may be read at the breaking OF
ground on the Union Pacific Railroad In Ne
braska, found me In the midst Of engagements
so cxacting that It has been impossible to write
anything worth the reading. could not, how
ever, omit writing altogether, for that would
imply an indifference to the work, which no
American feels.
It Is among my most pleasing recollections
Of service as q Senator from Ohio that the first
practical measure looking to the construction
Of Union Pacific Railroad which received the
sanction of Congress, was moved by me. That
measure was nn amendment to the Army,Ap
preparation bill, placing at the disposal Of tho
Secretary of War one hundred and my thous-
and dollars, to be expended In surveys and ex-
plorations OF routes for the road. II was adopt
ed by the Senate in February, 1853, and suhse.
quently concurred In by the House. Its results
are embodied in the volumes known as the
Pacific Railroad Report, printed by order Of
Congress.
1t is another pleasing recollection that had
the honor, In March, 1850, Of presenting and
commanding to the Senate, the memorial of
DR.. Pulte. an intelligent physician OF Cincin-
natl, praying that measures might be taken for
the connection Of New York with London, BY
extending the existing lines Of telegraph to the
Pacific, by way Of the coast and Behring's
Straits, through Northern Asia to St. Peters-
burgh, and there forming connections with the
lines to the cities of Western Europe.
The great work has since been completed to
the Pacific by the inIomitable energy Of Hiram
Sibley, private citizen OF New York, aided by
the simple promise of employment and COM
pensation by the Governpent. On the other
side of the Pacific, the Russian telegraph lines
from st. Pctersburgh, constructed by the I'm
perial Government, approach, If they have not
already reached the Pacific; and American en-
terprise is earnestly enlisted In the task now
certain TO be accomplished of completing the
wonderful work which the Cincinnati physi-
clan suggested more than thirteen years ago.
Steam moves more slewly than by tightening.
The progress OF the railroad has been necessa-
rily slower than that of the telegraph. When
the surveys and explorations for a route had
been partially reported, the subject of the rail-
road was again brought before Congress, and
again had connection with ii, now, however,
OF less pleasant, though still significant char
acter. Solicitous for the progress of the work,
! submitted q resolution In January, 1884, In
structing the Committee on Railroads and Ca
nails to inquire into and report upon the con-
struction Of a railroad from some point on the
western line of the Western States, to some
point on the eastern line of California. On
the motion of Mr.. Gwinn, the reference to the
Committee on Roads and Canals was stricken
out, and the whole subject referred to q select
committee of nine Senators. from which CON.
mittee ! was excluded because then held
about the same relations to the Democratic
party on the subject Of slavery, as the Wai
Democrats now hold on the question OF the re-
bcllion.
Mr.. Gwinn's Committee reported bill which
after much discussion and suDdry amendments
passed theSenale in 1855, hut falling to receive
the santion of the House, did not become a law
Nothing further was done Of Importance in
relation to the Pacific Railroad during the mex
seven years. The attention Of the country wa,
absorbed by other questions, and 1t remained
for the Thirty-seventh Congress to give . grand
proof ofthe stability of the Republic and the
worth Of Democratic Republic In institutions,
by taking up the great measure in the midst OF
our terrible civil war, ana framing 1t Into a
law. The Thirty. seventh Congress- will be for.
ever memorable in history as the author OF
many acts OF legislation OF transcendent i'm
portance and far.reachiny consequences.
Among these great acts the Pacific kailrood
bill will remain as one of the most illust, ious
monuments OF the wisdom and courage Of Its
members.
l shall not attempt any discussion of Its I'm
portance TO our industry or commerce, or our
Union. have elsewhere said something on
these themes; but now the road Is Its own most
eloquent advocate. rejoice In the belief that,
under your charge and that of the other emf
nent citizens associated with you, It will &c
steadily forward to completion, and vindicats
| by perfect success the most sanguine predic.
tions and hopes OF It's advocates and promoters
Very truly, yours, s. p. CHASE.
GEN. JoHN A. DIX, President Union Paci6t
Railroad Company. .,s.r
Letters were also received from the Secretary
Of the Interior, Gov. Yates, of Illinois, Mayor
opdyke, Maj. Gen. Dix, John ]. Cisco, ESQ.
of New York, and Others. . ....-., 'l' 49,. y
In the evening the Mayor of the city gave .
banquet, and the city was illuminated. s..i'