The record-union., 1899-01-20
TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
Let National Expansion and Rail-
road Enterprise be Our Themes.


road Enterprise be Our Themes.
(From the Placerville Mountain-Demo-
crat)
It was probably gifted Gail Hamilton
who said: ''If there were to be no
railroads, it was on the whole, rather
an impertinence in Columbus to have
discovered America" The magnificent
distances that made them SO essential
to the continent, gave their projectors
and builders leading roles in the splen-
did drama of Western activities and
achievements. But for them the orig
nal nation of thirteen United States,
was large enough for all purposes Of
peace or war and too large for conve-
nience. But for them it's expansion by
the Louisiana and Florida purchases,
by the annexation of Texas and final
acquisition of all Mexico north of the
Rio Grande, would have lent the en-
chantment of yet greater distances, to
the unpeopled solitudes of republic
quadrupled in size.
But the craftsmanship of the fifty
years prior to 1853, had in it the fore
cast and revelation of the railroad era
1t was made forever memorable by the
administrations Of Presidents Jefferson,
Monroe, Polk and Pierce, who rounded
out, from the Lakes to the Gulf ana
from ocean to ocean, continental
nation, to be traversed by tranScont1-
mental railways. not one of which had
then crossed the Mississippi River. 1t
remained for President Pierce while
negotiating the Gadsden Purchase (oyer
which the superb Sunset flyers are now
careering), by fifty-four Congressional
grants of lands and moneys, most of
them to projected railways in the
South and Middle West, to foredate like
subsidies to the Pacific roads.
Thus the strategic and progressive
policies that had created the situation,
evolved from it the necessary aid to
overland railroads. And it was in keep
ing with their manifest foreordination,
that all the great transcontlnental
roads of the United States, like the
Union and Central Pacific, the prepo-
tent old pioneers of them all, should
have their Eastern terminals, In the
Louisiana Purchase. Thus While the
Southern Pacific system is nearly all
within territory ceded by Mexico, It's
magnificent trunk line has it's south
eastern terminus at New Orleans. the
coveted city of which Jefferson salu:
There is on the globe one single spot,
the possessor of which is our natural
and habitual enemy. 1t is New Or
leans, through which the produce OF
three-eighths of our territory must
pass to market; and from it's fertility,
it will ere long yield one-half OF our
whole produce, and contain more than
one-half of our inhabitants.
Knowing this and grasping at its
most available use against the CONNER
cial supremacy of England, the. only
great Napoleon said to Livingston. Il
am desirous of giving to the United
States a magnificent bargain, an en-
pire for a mere trifle." And when by
the magnificent bargain" Louisiana
had become an integral part Of the
United States, it might some day be
said, render the Americans too pow
erful for the continent of Europe"
With the ruling passion of his life, to
create a maratime rival Of England, he
cast into the balance against her the
sunny dominion of France in America,
with it's q, 900 miles of navigable rivers.
But even with his eagle eye he fore
saw neither the barren glories of Sc.
Helena, nor the progressive splendors
of the empire which was staked on his
career in Europe.
A brief reference to the wonderful
prescience of another Frenchman, who
lived sixty years before him-looked
sixty beyond him-will bring us nearer
that empire and to our purposes. 1t
was Marquis dArginson, the scholarly
companion of Richelieu and Voltaire,
who said: Some bright morning for
the nation" the English colonies in
America may rise and erect them
selves into an Independent republic"
that will render itself master of Amer
lea, and especially of the gold Mines
Then he said: Navigation will precip
itate all the people toward each other.
And a day will come when one will go
in a populous and well regulated city
Of. California, as one goes IN the stage
coach Of Meux"l
That accomplished facts have SUR
passed this wonderful vision, is largely
due to modern miracles of mechanics
and invention. Ap agency Of travel and
transportation vastly superior to nav
igation" ana the ssstage coach Of
Meux," is precipitating .'all the people
toward each other" From ocean to
ocean, and tireless a. the waves that