The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-26
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY.

obl luStAour VI tue iAue VI tno AdltWay
known as the Southern Pacific. During
that winter, as will be remembered, the.
Central Pacific line was, for nearly an
entire month, completely closed by
snow blockades. For period of fifteen
days, at one interval, not single car
passed ON that road in either direction.
And we read thrilling accounts of trains
"snowed up" in the Rocky mountains
how the passengers narrowly escaped
starvation, and how they broke up the
cars 10 furnish fuel to keep themselves
from freezing. These circumstances, as
well as other considerations more gen.
eral, but not less important. induced us
then to take ground in favor of prose-
cutting the great enterprise Of construct
ing another and more southerly line Of
railway to the Pacific.
Entertaining these views from that
time forward, we have now been regard
ing with great interest the proceedings
of the Southern Pacific Railroad Con-
yention, held at st. Louis, and which
has just adjourned. The general tenor
of those proceedings have been given in
our telegraph columns, and are fully
known TO our readers. Hence no de-
tailed recapitulation here is needed.
We look upon tlat Convention as one
OF the most important assemblages OF the
kind that has ever convened In
America. 1t met for the purpose
of taking counsel upon one of the
grandest enterprises ever submitted
for the consideration of the American
people. And it was singularly fortunate
in being composed of men in every
respect equal to the great questions
taken under it's advisement. Men, all
of them, prominent for wisdom OF pur-
pose and promptitude of action. Men
from every section of the country, and
from all the professions and pursuits OF
life. Some of them men who but a few
short years ago were in arms against
each other, and leaders OF opposing
armies, but now clasping each others
hands in brotherly embrace and sitting
uOWn bOSCbuGA III ii1IhAtJ SVahSAA NpNh
the great questions of their common
country's common good.
Their deliberations were not greatly
prolonged; but their proceedings show a
terseness OF argument, direein3ss OF
statement, and afixedness of conclusion,
that could proceed only from an uncom-
mon degree of unanimity of sentiment,
ciearness of views, and certainty of re-
machy was needed to explain the OBJ
yious nor to demonstrate the self-eyi-
dent. For surely 1t can not be less than
a self-evident proposition that this
country mast haze a railroad connection
wfththe Pacific by the Southern route.
The considerations that lie most upon
the surface, leading TO this conclusion,
proceed chiefly from the physical and
climatic conditions in relation to the
present road, to which we have alluded,
These conditions are permanent. They
are subseryient to natural laws that
legislation can not change. They are
lhht III lPANSoutiOhS sAtN" sAN
science or wisdom OF man can obviate.
There may be occasional winters OF Pc
culiar exemption from such obstruction ;
yet the SHOWS OF the latitude and the
altitude of the present route must for
ever remain formidable; oftimes insur-
mountable, sometimes destructive. All
this is avoided by the Southern route as
proposed by this Convention. And it is
much to secure that exemption from eli.
matte hindranees.
But that is not the only, nor by any
means the greatest consideration that
arises to demand the construction Of a
road upon a parallel of latitude where
snow blockades are unknown. The abso.
lutte necessity OF a competing line be-
tween the two great oceans is becoming
perfectly obvious. The tyranny of the
one line at present existing is such as
torouse the people of the whole country
to the determination that their own rights
rs well as the prerogatiVes OF the Govern.
ment shall no longer be set at defiance
ny u COl pOAdtiOuAh WhOSC SuiS 40 shS NV
of the only gateway between the Attain
tic and the Pacific. Another avenue
must be opened, in order that seii-in.
terest, the only altar before which cor
porations we're ever known to bow, may
teach the present Pacific Railroad Com
pany that the world was not made alone
for them.
Moreover, the shortest route between
The navigable waters of the two oceans
is by the Southern line. Whether the
line run, as is recommended by the
Convention precisely ON the 32d par
allel of latitude, or not, is immaterial
It.is understood by that that the 32d de-
cree is to be the base-line of direction
That line would extend from Savannah OF
the Atlantic, TO San Diego, on the Pacif
ie; and in its course would be altogether
on our own soil, touching the northeast
ernmost corner Of Mexico on Texas al
El Paso, on the Rio Grande. From E.
Paso to San Diego is but about
seven hundred miles. And about the
same distance eastward from FL Past