The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-08-08
Memorial of the Southern Pacific Railroad
TO CONGRESS


of the United States IN Congress dSSSembted our
memoralists, the resident directors and company of
of the Southern Pacific railroad, would respectfully
show that they the corporation, chartered n 1852
by the Legislature of the State of Texas for the pur
pose of building railroad from the eastern iiue of
said State to the Pacific coast; that said road to
be built along, nearly practicable along, the 32d
parallel of latitude seeking such outlet the Pacific
coast should best subseve the purposes of commerce
and travel. I our memoralists would further show
that the State of Texas with high appreciation of
the Importance and national character Of said work.
endowed the same with magnificent land grant, far
exceeding in extent and value any grant made by
an American State to work of internal Improvement
and furthermore guaranteed loan in money to the
amount of So 900 per mile for every mile of said road
to be built on the territory of said State, extending
from the eastern boundary thereof to Ell Paso the
west-a distance of nearly 500 miles.
In the organization of the Southern Pacific railroad
under this liberal charter the public and national char
ter of the work still manifested, for on the stock
books to be found the OF citizens resident OF
more than twenty States of the Union, who have uni
ted their efforts and contributed their to the sup
port of work which all the States might enjoy and be
| enriched by.
/ Your memorialists need not remind your honorable
bodies of the fact that the national government has
always regarded the route of the proposed Southern
Pacific railroad of prime Importance in view of the
future military and political wants of the country
that has in past years caused repeated and thorough
surveys to be made and that the testimony OF all its
engineers has been that only is the topography of
the route favorable but the territory to be penetrated
either fertile in soil rich in minerals and-what
cannot be said of other surveyed route across the
contnent-the climate so mild and the falls so
slight that nothing could impede the easy and econo
mical operation of the roads through all seasons of the
year
Your memorialists gratifed to remember that
not the executive department of the government Alone
but the legislative Also have examined and admitted
the commanding merits of the Southern Pacific rail-
road. The journals of the seth congress record the
fact that that body both and house of repre
sentatiyes passed bill largely endowiug, in land
grants and money, the said railroad. disagreement
between the senate and house, on some immaterial
point of detail delayed the consummaton of the meas
ure into law and, the rebellion intervening, for the
time destroyed the hopes of the enterprise. But your
memorialsts claim, as slight tribute to the unques
tionable value and feasibility Of their proposed rail-
way to the Pacific, that, with all the slowness and hes
taton with which the national congress approached the
policy of constructing railways across the continent by
government aid amid the eager competition between
rival routes in the narrow view then prevailing that
pacific road would ever be built the Southern Pa
ciic railroad was the to win its way in popular
confidence so far to overcome the doubts of con-
gress and the favorable legislation that has at
this late day, been granted to only one road.
Your memoriasts therefore claim that they are
in some sense pioneers in the great plan of developing
the entire resources of the continental highways. They
were the first to organize the first to begin work. the
first to pave the way for the legislation in aid of such
works that congress has since adopted In these early
labors your memoralists have expended years OF pa.
tient toll and a very large amount of money and
though previously disappointed in the very moment Of
success when congress had endorsed their scheme and
almost agreed to aid in its execution, they have not
abated iot in heart or hope, but still working
to maintain the enterprise which the nation will yet
come to acknowledge of the chief arms OF its
strength and sources of its wealth and power. They
already have fortywo miles of road nearly completely
by the first of August 1866, the this dis
tance will be in full operation About twenty miles
more are graded, and in every department the enter
prise is in full hopefulness and vigor.
Your memorialists need only cite, without dwelling
upon, the disintegration rapidly going on in the
forms of government in northern Mexico whether of
the republic or empire. No matter what may be the
immediate course of events the ultimate result can
not mistake. The ascendency of American IDEAS cap
tal, and enterprise if not govo'nn1on will coon be-
established in the States of northern Mexco and the
port of Guyamas in the beautiful State of Sonora, will
furnish the natural southern outlet the Pacific coast
of the Southern Pacific railroad and thus indssolubly
unite the airest and richest portion of northern Mex
co with the American Union In view of the impor-
tant events to transpre in Mexico the advana
ges of highway leading from the Mississippi valley
directly to the door of the northern Mexican States
would be of incacuable value to the United States,
and would bring to bear pressure quite as potent as
that of arms money in the establishment of politi
cal rule there in harmony with American IDEAS and in
erests It is therefore in the light of national mis-
fortune that may regard the defeat of the legisa-
ton of the seth congress in behalf ct the Southern
Pacific railroad.
Your memorialists therefore pray your honorable
bodies to revive and re-enact the carefully
matured BY the thirty-sixth congress in aid of the
Southern Pacific railroad with such notifications as
the changed condition of the country may render e&-
pedent The fact that State of the Union has SC
literally endowed the proposed road and that the cit-
zens of many States have contributed to sustain IT.
give it the stronger claims the government Tor AID,
for these facts afford proof that the friends OF this road
do not wish the government to take the burden wholly
upon itself although the enterprise is truly NATIONAL
but that they are willing to do and doing, all that
liberal and patriotic people should do to enhance the
common interest and power of the nation.
Your memorialsts will close this appeal with the
avowal that in earnestly pressing it upon the atten.
ton of congress- they do not wish to be understood as
opposing the claims of any company who are propos.
ing to build railway to the Pacific over any other
route. On the contrary your memorasts wish 90 see
congress adopt the principle that the construction 81
railways between the Mississippi valley ana the facnc
should be encouraged over every practicable route,
knowing that all will be needed to develop fully the
agricultural and mineral wealth of the tableands the
mountains and valleys Of great western territories
stretching they do from the waters of the Columbia
river to the mouths of the Colorado and Rio GrandG
How great would be the folly of supposng that only
one line of railroad would the purposes of cons
merce and travel between the Mississippi valley and
the Atlantic seaboard Should its western terminus
be at ST. Paul st. Louis or New Orleans? And should
its eastern outlet be Boston, New York, or Savannah
Or would the compromise be any wiser of building the
single line from Cairo to Baltimore and requiring the
travel and commerce from ST. Paul to New Orleans to
concentrate Cairo and from Boston to Savannah to
concentrate at Baltimore before starting its eastern
and western journey?
This illustration will serve to fix attention on the
manifest impossibility of any line, accommodating
the wants of the nation in the transit between the Mis-
sissppi valley and the Pacific seaboard. No one line
of railroad will develop the territory of Montana and
at the time that of Arizona draw wealth from
the British possessions and at the same time establish
American institutions in the northern States OF Mexico
It's because these territories so vast and so remote
from each other that they require separate highways
to develop them and they have equal right to the o
tering and helping hand Of government And the adj
dition their development will bring to the natona
wealth and power will amply justify the government
in the most liberal gifts of the public domain to aid il
the construction Of railways over every feasible route
across the continent
The number of these routes is necessarily limited
and each one proposed must stand fall by the test
of experienced engineering. Wishing well to all
: your memoralsts can without arrogance claim tha
tO Tho