The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-15

1,na laraat Mational Work,

. Ik Is the NOSE ff1 tSt - ~
msnt That has been brought before Con.
Rress since the war. In nil the railways OF
the United States there can be- when IT y
i built, not one OF equal value to that--yaiae
I to the people, to the Federal Government,
4 and the general commerce OF the country.
1T Il important as an auxiliary to the ma
sional defence aud TO the national integrity
and power. It cannot be sectional IN us
Y benefits. It's construction is positively ne
cessarv to reprcss sectionalism-ro repress
sectional complaints and to diffuse harmo-
nv: in short, to dispense in national way
blessings such as are too great to be limited
10 sections. They are boons that belong to
man, aud in this country cannot, with JUS
tice to the people or due respect to their
divine origin, be perverted by partial dis lis,
tribntian. ss.I ss
The Texas-Pacific railway pierces the
richest region that Is found upon the earth
. region, of course, that attracts at this time
a great amount OF public attention, and
which must In time to come be a theatre OF
immense enterprise and wealth ana the
area OF great political interest. .
The table-land between the Pacific, on the
west, and the. Mississippi Valley and The
Gulf. on. the east side, which formerly be-
longed TO Spain, and was called New Spain,
is not only unequalled in Its mineral wealth.
hut has no parallel in the fruitfulness OF its
soil. Baron HUMBOLDT, so remarkable Tor
his searching investigations and accurate
statements, made this wonderful land the
object or his most earnest study. His ex-
ploration extended from Central Mexico to
California. Speaking OF the wonderfully pro-
ductiye power Of the table-land in Mexico,
extending from Queretaro to Leon, Hum
} BoLDT says:
"The wheat harvest is thirty-fiye to forty
for one, aud several great farms can reckon
fifty OF sixty to one. at Cholula the COM
mon harvest is from thirty to forty, but 1t
frequently exceeds from seventy to eighty
for one. In the valley OF Mexico the maize
yields two hundred and the wheat eighteen
optwenty."
OF California, then part OF New Spain,
HUMBOLDT spoke as follows:
:. tn the northern extremity of the king
dom. on the coast of New California, the
produce OF wheat is from sixteen to seven
Teen lot one, LukluS tuC mCStu
the harvests Of eighteen villages for two
wears, believe that agriculturists will pc
ruse with pleasure the details OF these har-
vests in a country situated under the same
parallel as Algiers, Tunis, and Palestine"
After reviewing the wheat-growing ca
pacity Of new Spain he makes the following
contrast of it with that Of other lands:
@We shall collect into one table the
knowledge which we have acquired as to
the mean produce Of the cerealia OF the two
continents !" Europe and Americal "We
are not here adducing examples Of an ex-
traordinary fertility observable in a small
tract of ground" " But in treating OF
agriculture in general we speak merely of
extensive results, Of calculations in which
as the multiple of the quantity Of wheat
sown. It will be found that this null
tiple, which may ,be considered as one
of the first elements OF the prosperity of
nations varies in the following manner
Five to six grains for one in France, ac-
cording to Lavoisier and Nechar."
g This is also the mean produce ia north
OF Germany, Poland, and according to NJ.
Rhus in Sweden" - "Eight to ten
grains for one in Hungary, Croatia, and
ScIayonia, according to the researches OF
ID. SWartner. OeCeHteeD grains
for one in northern part Of Mexico" [Cali-
formal ssTwenty-four grains for
one in the equinoctiai region Of Mexico"
Since the United States acquired large
part of what was formerly Mexican terri
tory the results Of tillage have proved the
accuracy Of HUMBoLDT's statements. A
writer on the new California, under our
Government, describes field. unbroken,
which yielded volunteer crop OF wheat
that sprang from scattered seeds of the pre-
vious year, yielding forty or more bushels
to the acre. The productive wealth Of this
rich, acquired country is almost fabulous,
and its mineral resources are yet more as
tonishing. Such Is also the wealth OF
Mexico. It is to the TeXas-Paci6c railway
that the nation must look for the opening OF
vast portion of this country to the energy
and industry Of our people.
It is to strengthen the national means Of.
defence OF this great country that we must
lock to this trans Sentimental railway along
the 32d parallel. More important still is it
that that railway shall be constructed to IA
cilitate the policy OF. the United States in
assuming a position OF observation from
which movements that may be demanded
can be made with ceierity.
Mexico is possibly the wealthiest part of
the American continent. Its population
consists OF 100000 Castilians and near
100000 Of Indians, negroes, and half
breeds very unfortunate and inefficient
combination OF races to possess, govern,
and defend country that is most desirable,
and that will as time passes become more
and more the coveted object OF diplomacy
and power. No statesman who reflects upon
the subject can fail to be impressed with
the absolute necessity that this great repub-
lie should be near in her power and watch
fuIaess to this most attractive object, that
must lead in time to opposing forces either
OF diplomacy or war.
Therefore, in national view, the Texas
Pacific railway is Overwhelmingly iiaport-
ant to the United States. In reference to
the defensive power Of the Republic it is
eminently desirable that we should have
trans-continental railways on q northern
line OF latitude and one on southern line.
The Pacific coast should have their auxili-
airy forces at proper intervals, so as toleaye
no important stretch OF territory beyond the
reach OF prompt succor. Commercially
thee fiohfyaua shonld hava Tho yipor ~ I'M