Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-29
DAILY COMMERCIAL.
BALTfNORE, NJ D.
THURSDAY MORNING. DEC. Is. 1888.
RATLgOADS-TEgEG IGaN-
TIC CHARACTER or THESE ENTER
G,DUzEG

TIC CHARACTER or THESE ENTER
PRIZES.
When men tak-aS some do--of sending
on of the country any portion of its labor,
because Of the troubles that have come of a
difference betwixt races in the past, let all
such reflect upon the vast works that vet claim
the best excrtionS Of all in the land. irrespec-
tive Of color, if the wants Of the nation are
to be met, and its progress to be assured
Possessed as we are Of a country almost limit
less in its bounds and resources when We re-
gard it as Il single great community, remem-
bcring the vast space, measurably moccupied,
which intervenes betwixt the States of the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts. every hand is
needed to bind more closely these communi-
ties in close fraternity; aborS herculean and
hardly to be imagined are yet to be under
cone, before we can be united indeed in the
material bonds OF Il single great nationality
Aud how many Of our people are fairly alive
TO the progress already made towards bridging
by railway the great gap we have noted n,
existing betwiXt the States?
We have been reminded of all this by u
glance at the Report of the Commissioner OF
the General Land Office, in which he deals
with these matters SO far as they have ad-
vanced; and if there is anything of surprising
interest to This nation, when we regard the
splendid future tlat now apparently opens be-
fore it. this is it, full surely. Thus far in our
history, we have been in the habit of consider
ing such enterprises as the New \ DIRK Central,
the Pennsylvania Central, the Illinois Central
and our own Baltimore and Ohio railroad, a,
marvels in magnitude and importance, and 50
indeed they urc for our past and It's oppoltu-
nities but when We think of the amazing cX-
pansion of that great West which is now com
pretended in the vast empire which stretches
away beyond the Mississippi river. we are
compelled to the study Of problems connected
with our national greatness, which like sums
extending beyond billions. throw the mind
back upon itself in Il vain attempt to grasp
tho extent of the future of the nation. Nay.
the mere statement OF the points to be made
in these contemplated roads, tests and puzzles
the geographical requirements Of most Of our
people for so rapid have been The changes
on the maps within the pnsi few years as new
boundaries have been laid down. nov routes
opened and towns established. that very fyw
are familiar with them who have not been
called upon for peculiar reasons 10 make a
speciality of this branch Of general knowledge
From the Report in question, it will be
found that two great routes to the Pacific arr,
contemplated the first of which laid down
with particular reference 10 "centraIity ol
position, starts from Omaha, Nebraska, and
Is 10 be lormcd-'.by the MON Pacific on the
Eastern or Missouri side. linked to the Ccn-
IRA Pacific on the Western or Pacific side.
"constiiul,yg one srca, national route. iii
road takes in H., course, Denver, the capital
Of Colorado, Salt Lake City, trayeraes Nevada
near the silver region, laying a course for Sac
ramento city and san Francisco, constituting
the latter city centre OF .radc for The Pacific
coasl-when is considered It's commanding
position with reference to the commerce ol
Asia. -dazzling TO contemplate. Branches in
various directions are provided for. bul none
of such importance rs the one through Law
renee in Kansas TO the southern boundary ol
that State, and to terminate at Galveston Bay
in Texas. travcrsiug thus one Of the richest
agricultural regions ON the continent. The
land concessions ordered by Congress in aid
of the Union Central route, WI, - = estimate.
.'embracc some thirty millions OF acres.
The second of these great roads, ''thc
} l
important when we consider its Immediate
felatOnS TO the vast NUrInN est. tHu greutc-r
and most promising grain growing region on
the continent; and inasmuch us striking oui
from n point on Lake Superior in Minnesota.
in latitude 470 North, we have no noted point,
like the towEs on the other route to mark It's
course, we may state from the Report referred
TO, and in general way, that it takes II
''serpentine line to Olympia, at the southern
most point Of Pugct's Sound. III Washington
'Territory. with Il branch road along the
valley of the Columbia river to Portland.
''Oregon. in latitude 40 30/,'' the land grant
by Congress to accomplish this great work.
comprising ''by estimate, forty seven millions
three hundred and sixty thousand acres
Such are two Of the marvellous enterprises
which amidst The turmoils and pcrplcxities OF
the past five years, have been mapped out by
the statesmen of the nation; and nothing could
demonstrate more conclusively the sef:poise.
the brave dependence in the future which char
acterizes our times and our people, than the
unyielding faith in the strength of the nation
atty these projects exhibit. Like the steady
advance to completion of our National Cap-
tai daring the very agony Of the struggle which
has recently terminated, such undertakings
show the temper of the people; that the latter
recognize nothing as standing in the way of
that splendid destiny upon which they have
set their hearts. More than anything else
should the exhibition of such brave purpose
teach other nations how idle must attempts be
to thwart our advance: whilst the most timd
or dIstrustful Of our own people should learn
a lesson of faith from the sturdier of purpose