Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-10-25
TENNESSEE PACIFIC OR CENTRAL
RAEIRoAD
A southern Route 90 Che Pacific.
MP DFRoW's LETTERs-No. VII.

| merit OF supplying an important INK 10 Ih'
chain of connections, by the easiest most di
rect and shortest line between the cities o
the Atlantic, By tckdteUer Southern route MAJ
be selected, 10 1te Pacific Ocean.
For many years the people Of the Souti
eyinced the liveliest interest on the subjec
of a road to the Pacific through It's own ter
ritory, and it was the foremost object Of dis
| custom at the first Memphis Convention il
| 1916, over which Mr.. CALHOUN presided
as it has been at almost every convention
that has since been held. Arguments
amounting to demonstration were urged
showing that il was by many hundred mile,
the most feasible route; but the energy, the
! enterprise, the management and combina
| ton Of the North, in this as in most Other
measures, succeeded, and route through IL
territories is being actively prosecuted, aid
| ed bv the most munifcent offerings Of the
Federal Government.
Truth, however, though "crushed to earth
will rise again" and the scheme of South
ern connection is attracting the attention Of
capitalists and men Of enterprise, and is
likely soon to be put in a practicable way Of
accom- lishment.
1t will not do to limit the capacities Of a
country like ours. If there be one road
across the continent, there will be room for
two. Population and wealth 60 hand in
hand with railroad extension, and Arkansas,
Texas, Western Louisiana, Arizona, and
Northern Mexico, under American auspices,
will develop themselves in degree proper
tionate with the Northwest.
The American Railroad Journal for April
9TH, 1866, remarks: another route, known as
the Southern Pacific, to pass from the Bay
of San Francisco, to San Diego, and thence
10 the Mississippi river, is being discussed
in California, with much zeal and with a
great show Of argument and necessity. Con-
gress is already appealed to for its fostering
care" At the head of this enterprise, it is
understood is JNO. CHARLES FREMONT, who
is said to be in connection with wealthy
capitalists of the North.
The Journal adds in regard to the new
route: each road will have a terminus of
its own, and all will command a special
trade while interior connections will deve-
lop interior centres of great value" 1t is
believed we are to see as a certain result the
growth of magnificent empire on the Pa
cifc and our country obtain the control of
the commerce of Asia. "More than this
we shall see an entire change in the CONNER
tendency Of the United States" "The plains
are certainly to be populated by an indus
trious race, who viii be as quick to improve
their advantages as we have BEEN"
The same journal Of the date of March
31st, 1866, says: "a memorial has been pre-
pared asking lands from Congress for route
which will develop Arizona, New Mexico,
West Texas, Indian Territory, etc, and be
the shortest across American soil, being free
from snow and easy grade. The length will
not be more than 200 or 1850 miles from
San Diego to ports on the Mexican Gulf"
Referring to the Texas route to the Pacific,
A. NJ. LEA, the author of the survey, to
which / referred to in my last, from Knox
vile to the Mississippi, and in pamphlet
published in 1857: "The distance from
New Orleans to Mazatlan is L. 40 miles. Of
this eighty miles to Berwick's Bay are fin
ished as much more graded, iron purchased
for one hundred and sixty-three miles, and
the means secured for still another hundred
miles. Only eight hundred more remain to
be provided for, of easy construction and no
serious difficulties. The route to the Rio
Grande is covered by the charter of the
Aranzas Company, and that to the Pacific
by grants under DEGREES of the Supreme
Government of Mexico. By steamship the
time from Mazatlan to San Diego would be
four days."
In the report of 1857, Captain MARCY,
of the United States Army, Northern man,
refers to the Southern route to Fort Smith,
Arkansas, united with route from the Rio
Grande to San Diego, which would give
great national highway in a very direct and
practicable line, and easily to be accom-
plished."
Col. GADsDEN, distinguished citizen of
South Carolina, in his report of 1916, may
almost be said to have originated the idea
of a Southern route, in which he was ably
seconded by Mr.. PATTERSON, of Vidalia,
Louisiana. "A road" said Col G., twill in
time traverse the newly acquired territory
Of Texas, and by the Mexican provinces
terminate at Mazatlan in the Bay of Cali
fornia, or, more northerly, by the Red and
Arkansas rivers, by the Southern gorges in
the Stony mountains, to find a more i'm
posing terminus in the Bay of San Francis
CO." Prof FoNHAY, of Louisiana, esti-
mated the distance on this route from
Natchez to Mazatlan at 1871 miles, 'in a
country so feasible that the cost of construc-
ton would not exceed 81, 200 per mile. The
route from Memphis to San Diego would
not exceed 1900 miles" THE Northern
routes range from 1000 to 2,400 miles,
In reference to this Southern road, the
author of these notes, as Chairman of the
Committee Of the Memphis Convention, in
1S49, prepared an address, from which the
following is extracted:
"This route intercepts in its course the
regions upon Red river, the whole of North
ern Texas, chihuahua, Coahuila, ETC., now
almost entirely without market 1t leaves
the Mississippi at point always navigable
by large vessels from the ocean, and is very
nearly central to the whole Union, Mem
phis being about that central point. 1t is
south of the Ohio river, and its tributaries
from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky,
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee and
on that account, within easy control of the
immense flatboat commerce of these regions.
The great Mobile railroad, the Georgia,
Carolina and Virginia railroads all strike
for the Mississippi valley near these points.
1t is in a medium climate throughout, not
likely to be disturbed by frosts and SHOWS of
northern regions. 1t is several hundred
miles shorter than any other route, and can
be built for greatly less expense. 1t has no
physical distractions and, for the most of
4
try, supplied with every variety and abbn-
dance of timber, fertile in soil, but without
access to market; peopled in half its extent
and capable of dense population for three |
fourths of the whole distance. 1t is through |
a healthy region after leaving the Red river, |
and connects Texas with the heart of the |
Union. Should the road in any part of its |
course necessarily cross the ella river, the |
case is provided for in our treaty of purchase
from Mexico"
Having thus referred historically to the |
subject of Southern route to the Pacific, |
il will only be necessary to ask citizens of |
Tennessee TO refer TO the map 10 discover |
hat at whatever point the road may strike /
he Mississippi from Memphis down, the |
1ast travel which it will engender, must pass
% great erterf over the Central Road Of Ten /
lcSsce from Knoxville to Memphis. The |
States of North Carolina and Virginia by |
heir western connections at or near Knox |
Tille, and all of the States to the north and |
,ast Of them, will find the interior diagonal
inc 10 the Southwest, on the plainest princi-
lles of mathematics, the shortest and most de-
'eot. Charleston, by the Blue Ridge Road,
must take this route, and when Cincinnati
her road TO Northern Georgia, or
We build a road to Cincinnati, the intersec-
ion which must necessarily be formed with
his road will throw upon it the Southwest
I'm travel from that quarter.
The immense passage and freight traffic
which our road would enjoy in the sup
= i 4. -. l. ]