The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-06

It is hard to believe that the Pacific Rail-
read,-at one moment denounced as gi-
gantic swindle, and the next lauded as the
great work which is to ell the measure of
national prosperity,-was deliberately con-
structed 30 far north as to be Of compara-
lively little value to the South, or that Sec
tional feeling and hatred of the Southern
people dictated its unfavorable situation.
And yet, if reliance may be placed upon the
statements of trustworthy Radical jour-
nal-the Cincinnati Commercial-we can
hardly come to any other conclusion. The
Commercial says that Pacific Railroad, to
be central, must run in latitude $50 3O.
But the Pacific Railroad begins at Omaha,
in latitude 41o 2O/, crosses Nebraska, Wyo-
ming, Dakotah aad Utah north of latitude
APO, trends to the southwest in Nevada, and
diverges from its meridian about two hun
dred miles, in order to reach San Francisco.
The Commercial then riddles the whole
scheme in this wise:
For four-fitths of its entire length it is far
north of the meridian of San Francisco. 1t
must be subject to violent snow storms for
several months every year. 1t trayerses
desert across western Nebraska, across Wyo-
ming, across Dakota, across Utah. and thence
passes into the Great Basin, one Of the most
absolute alkaline wastes on the globe.a pla-
teau whereall the streams sink into the bar
rem sands, whero the wretched Indians live on
grass seed, and decent drinking water is un-
known. Crossing Nevada, the railroad threads
the Sierra range, winding through Donner
Lake Pass where wet soggy snow falls nine
OF ten feet in single storm; and where the
writer last August stood beside the track MAX
ing snow balls from huge banks that never
examined the route will say that the perils OF
winter travel over the Central Pacific Railroad
of California through Donner Pass, are 30 pal
pably great that no man will incur them who
is not foolhardy. The Nebraska end of the road
has icy terrors to contend with that arc only
less repusive than those pertaining to travel
across the Sierra during the average winter.
The California end is building snow sheds and
the Nebraska end snow walls. Neither snow
shed nor snow wall can stand before the noun
tain avalanches that sweep down giant troes
and hugo masses of stone as If they were Tag
OTIS and pebbles.
These being facts, it is not strange that
the Commercial declares that the Congress
of the United States has spent fifty million
dollars and given away twenty-one nillien
acres of land to build q Pacific Railroad
that is inconvenient for oil the country
south of the Lake cities, which is indirect
in reaching San Francisco, and unquestion-
ably unsafe for nearly half the year.
Radical though it be in its politics, the
Commercial does not hesitate to intimate
that the Southern States will be called upon
to aid in rightins these wrongs. "Three-
.feurths of the Stat are said to lie
south of the worthless road. And, says
the Commercial, "whatever may have
"been the status of the Southern States
"during the war, it will hardly be de-
''nied that they are in the nation now.
"The Northern States that adjsiu them are
'not disposed to view the South as region
permanently given over to poverty, po-
s.litical intolerance, and hateful social ex-
'sclusiveness. Time is msnding these evils,
s'ana the chain Of central States are no
"longer willing to be considered as bound
''ing the republic on the south. That, hap
"pily, is once more the function Of the Gulf
sof Mexico"
These are cheering words; and we con-
tinue our quotation:
We have not heard that grass is growing IN
the streets OF Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pitts
burg, Cincinnati, Louisville, st. Louis, New
Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Charleston,
Richmond, Savannah and Mobile; but we are
sure these cities are not content TO be sneered
at by Chicago because they must pour into
that petted entrepol in order to journey over
government enterprise to reach the metropolis
o the Pacific that is in about tho Same latl-
tudo as Norfolk, Va. AS well might the gov
ernment in former days have built railroad
beginning at Buffalo, to accommodate the ma
tional travel to Norfolk, as to have planted the
great route to Sun Francisco in the latitude of
the lakes. The country at large would have
been as conveniently served in one instance as
it will be in the other, and good deal securer
against tho death OF passengers by freezing or
starvation.
Our FIRST Pacific Railway is mor.ifying geo.
graphical blunder. To sanction another still
further north would be crime against COM
mon sense, decent fairness, and human life
itself. To refus, to construct central and
competing Pacific Railroad that can be run all
the year round, and along meridian where
snow seldom falls, and never to great depth,
will be to make as damaging sectional error
as Was ever committed under the old reign OF
tho shareholders. What we advocate is road
to which all the States, North and South, may
equally stretch out their iron arms. and so
keep the cadence step of natio 1al progress un-
broken. We feel no jealousy Of the Northwest:
What we want is justice aad impartiality to oil
sections OF our reknitted republic; aud under
those conditions may the best States and the
best cities win.
The only Pacific Railroad project that has
the merit OF bein, central to the whole country,
is the continuation of the Union Pacific Rail
way, eastern division, which is Row completed
to the western line of Kansas, and has sur
veyed the rest Of its route to California uia
New Mexico and Arizona. That road must 60
through for many and most conclusive reasons.