The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-12
nIc Communication by Ship
Canal.
lntrr0ceanlc

/
Canal.
| II has been amply demonstrated that ship
canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific would
secure results Of incalculable commercial and
political Importance. The capitalists, political
economists and statesmen of the present day
unite in endorsing the enlightened views OF
William Paterson, the founder Of colony at
Caledonia Harbor, and subsequently of the
Bank Of England. That extraordinary man
anticipated one hundred and seventy flour
years ago-as it were, with Scottish "secend
sight"-the possibility of removing distances
and drawing nations nearer to each Other"-of
lessening more than one-half the time and
expense of navigation to China, Japan, the
Spice Islands and the greater part of the East
Indies, and of more than doubling the con-
sumption Of European commodities and manu-
features by means Of the Isthmus Of Darien,
which he called "the door Of the seas and key
of the universe" The arguments by which
Paterson supported his theory have now
acquired tenfold strength. othor arguments
have been yearly multiplied by the develop
ment OF American commerce, aud to both
the latter and the former additional weight
and urgency have recently been given by the
mission of the late Mr.. Burlingame from the
Chinese Emperor to the United States and to
the great European Powers, and by the rising
flood of Chinese immigration to this country.
The HERALD has lost no opportunity of in
sisting upon the cosmopolitan Importance of
ship canal across the isthmus. It has heartily
encouraged the scientific explorations which
have been recently made under the
auspices of the United States Navy in order
to discover feasible route for canal,
which would be tenth wonder of the world.
While we have faithfully chronicled the pro-
gress Of the Darien Expedition of 1870, its
the fact that, were 1t only by proving the inn
practicabilty of the several routes examined
at Caledonia and Sassardi and San Bias, this
expedition has rendered great service to
science and to commerce by eliminating so
large portion of tue isthmus from future in
quiry. Even if the explorations to be under
taken during the next dry season should prove
that all the other proposed routes from the
Atrato to the line of the Panama Railway are
equally impracticable, we should not abandon
the hope that what the London Times calls
"the grandest physical work the world can
witness" will yet be accomplished, and the
prediction of the London Sun may be verified,
that ''ere long Darien will be the great inter-
oceanic portal, the door of the seas, the
entrep5t of the Id, the storehouse of ma
lions, tho grand highway of nations" Not
withstanding the formidable array Of names of
prominent capitalists and politicians of Now
York city in favor of rowling the old project of
an interoceanlo canal via Nicaragua, we
cannot easily believe that American enterprise
will be reduced to 80 forlorn hope as this
route, all the conceded advantages Of which
would seem to be neutralized by its great
length, its startling cost, it's almost insuperable
difficulties, and the wretched harbors at both
ends of it. Nevertheless we are confident that
whatever route may ultimately be decided
upon ship canal will yet connect the At
lsntic and the Pacific. The nineteenth century
must add this jewel to her crown.