The New York herald., 1870-11-16
TEE WORLDS HIGHWAY.
The lsthmus OF Tehuantepec as New Route
Of Ccmnerce-The Wealth, the Beauties
and the Traditions of Central
Americs-Is Biographies!
Features and Common
cial Advantages.

deeply interested In lecture by Mr. simon stevens
on the .'Isthmus OF Iehuantepec as q New Route OF
Commerce.
Mr.. stevens began by saying that 1.-The history OF
commerce ls the history o the world. Radiaring
from the centres OF wealth and civilization,
the paths OF trade have always been
the channels through which the mental and
moral wealth Of nations and peoples have been dis
seminatea.n Aner illustrating the general thesis by
historical survey OF the routes opened by con-
querors to the East-as the East was defined in
ancient times ana In the Middle Ages--the lecturer
showed that Columbus and the other dscoverers
who Immediately succeeded him sought by no means
anew world, but only u new route. whereby Europe
might once more enjoy the wealth. giving commerce
OF Asia beyond the Ganges. Even at the present
day ali goes to confirm the primeval law OF human
commerce. that 'rhe trade OF Asia Is the wealth OF
nations" But n seeking 10 secure this grand oh.
Ject Western Europe has regarded manly her own
interests, losing sight Of the peculiar interests
which We In America have in II, and of the
peculiar relations OF the American continent
to the commercial geography OF the world.
Ever since the nations OF Western Europe
have found IN the fast expanding trade OF America
still another ''Orient' from which to drain wealth
for their capacous cofers. they utterly ignored
or failed to comprehend the fact that America is
after oil, truly the central Continent and must here
after hold the keys to the trade Of the world.
Mr.. Stevens then proceeded TO justify the predic-
ton by unfolding considerations drawn from the
physical structure OF the two continents OF North
ana South America. He indicated the large share
which South America, with her untold and undevel-
Oped wealth, is bound TO have In the western CON-
mercal system. He then entered upon the subject
Of the attempts which have been made from the
days OF the early Spanish explorers OF America
TO discover feasible route from the Atlantic
to the Pacific. When, he said, the slow
and arucns task OF ascertainng the true nature OF
the geography OF the Americas was accomplished
and the great fact was unwiIlinpy accepted that ma
turc hai left break in the rugged barrier which
extended from the frozen sea or the North to the
Straits OF Magellan, and even sooner, the quick ana
fertile brains OF the early navigators grasped the
conclusion that what nature had omitted must
be supplied by the ingenuity and courage OF man.
The thought was promptly supplemented by deeds
Of exploration and investigation, so daring, so judi
cious exhaustive, that the records Of their
observations now in Madrid should ut this day be
| examined we should require but little additional
| Information on the American Canal question.
mental nature OF the regions which widened
away onS TO ,.us the north and soun, though
veys TO the long and irregular reach OF narrow land
which extends from Southern Mexico to the north.
ferent points In this 700 miles OF forest lake and
| mountain enthusiastic explorers were positive that
consirti zion Of transifs nom sea to sea by ship
| canal o., or otherwise otherwise Then as now, how.
rapidly conccntraled and before long The names OF
the Tehuantepec, Honduras Nicaragua Panama
Daaen nt ana o @ ArasS ,Sst Sate were as familiar IN me
however, but one question to answer,
ONE PROBLEM TO SOLVE,
"What ls best for SpdinY BY which OF these routes
Il more than one ls practicable can the commerce OF
Spain reach the ndiesg There could be reference
system which had not yet been called into ex.
slence, or any consideration OF political nature
West. So far as American interests are Concerned
the Europe OF to-day Is as contemptnously regard
less as were the Spanish explorers and The only
cogntion we may look for Is the negative one which
shall put the locality Of the proposed enterprise
as far as possible beyond our Jurisdiction.
The reason Of the neglect Is obvious when we con-
| slider that hitherto q route Tor cana has been
sought by or through European eyes, ana tho merits
OF each locality have been considered only with
renee TO
EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
ana the employment OF transatlantic capital.
THIS, too has permitted species OF judicial blind
ness which has failed to discern that only the route
which was best for the trade which needed 1t most
could be most advantageous for al. Any such
Work or enterprise must be vtally important 10 and
be protected by some ample ana Intelligent guardian
lost to the uses OF all the world Let US once more
turn TO the map Of North America AT the centre OF
coasts OF Cuba Florida, Yucatan and the ma nand. @
the Gulf OF Mexico. the Mediterranean OF America
mas Deen scOOped out Dy nature precisely where can
DeSC answer the demands OF American commerce.
The great interior river navigation OF North America
finds here Its outlet through the Mississippi while
region larger and richer Than all Europe west OF
the A1ratC slopes gently IN all directions towards
Its crcling coast line. It slimpossible to over-est
the importance this Inland sea- and it would
be something AKIN to insanity to dismiss it from
consideration In connection with such subject as
the development Of the American system of trade
Let us now draw north and south line, as nearly
as possible through the centre OF the habltabe Con
| n 0f n ~ t1c
ninsula OF Yucatan and a. about the narrovest pOr
ton Of The istnmus. II North America had been
been our southern extremity, our Cape OF Good
Hope. Here Is, truly, our southern cape,
Tehuantepecl pass through which the trade or the The
future between our Eastern and Western coasts is to
cbb and now. Here, and here only, Can
THE TRADE OF THE GULF
Of Mexico and our swarming interior, alike with
that Of The Atlantic and Pacific, as well as that Of
Asia % ana q Europe be fully aceonmodated. II flt
available passage for ships nothing but the discovery
OF something approaching to u natural strait should
carry further 10 the sou,hward, beyond the bold
promontory OF iucatan or through the dangerous
Navigation Of the Caribbean Sea In peace which
American national sstcrhood, ship canal
'ne me- ln%s no 0 resantepeG would
Dor Of San Francisco, by more than
$500 miles, than would similar work In connection
would here be attained in varied proportions, gov
erned by respective localities, Ior the Atlantic ports
OF the United States and the commercial cities OF
Western Europe and this continues true In
more or less marked degree, whether we compare
the Tehuantcpec with Daren, Nicaragua, Honduras
or any other proposed line OF nterOceanic transit.
The trade lines from either coast OF South America
with either coast Of North America and Of the enre
west coast OF our double continent with Europe, can
De pade advantaRe0uSly converge al this point.
Nowhere else can all that vast prepOnderance Of the
Asladc trade, which Is compelled by Pacific calms,
currents and trade winds TO follow what Is called
the northern passage. accomplish sucn a saving,
either In absolute distance In the specific facli-
ties Of ocean navigation. No more vivifyng stimu.
us could be given to the swift development OF our
Southern tier OF lStates no greater boon could be
conferred upon the Valley OF the Mississippi than
DIRECT CONNECTION BY WATER
With Pacific In lhnan daua nf