Year: 1860

mans and their friends. But it is not,
and never was a plank in the platform
adopted on that occasion. IL was adopt
ed as a dodge and a cheat, and it an
swered all the purposes of its authors


The Republican party has always
been the open and avowed friend Of
the Pacific Railroad At the North
there is O very great unauimity in favor
Of some practicable plan for its early
construction. It's vast national impor-
tanco, as well as its commercial features,
attract the attention Of men Of intelli-
gence and sagacity.a We are not going
to inhiot a repetition Of The reasons iu
its favor upon our readers at this time.
We are glad to see that at last some
tangible plan has been offered for con-
sideration. We have seen nothing that
looks more practical than that proposed
by Col. Curts's bill


One Of the grand practical difficulties
has been, and now is, to fix upon q
starting-point So soon rs this is consid-
cred, thousand interests begin to tug
at the string, and prevent all concen-
tration and progress. Every town on
the western border wants to be the start
ing-point. Every line of railroad from
the cast to the west wants to be the
through line, and Of couse the road
must be so located as to produce this
result. How can these interests be con-
ciliated2 We think this bill offers the
best compromise that has yet appeared.
The northern starting point under this
bill would be at Omaha, the capital of
Nebraska, and the southern would prob
ably be at Kansas City or st. Joseph.
These two lines will gradually converge,
and unite somewhere up. the valley of
the Platte, and from thence extend west
to the newly discovered gold regions.
All the great interests of the northern
and central lines of roads can thus be
concentrated.


Let the reader take a map of the West,
and trace these lines. He will find the
great northern interest that starts from
Boston and New York, which extends
westward to Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit,
Chicago, &C., penetrating Iowa, and
pushing its way rapidly to the Missouri
That line will seek Council Bluffs, and
Omaha, as the great points on the Mis-
souri, river, which now, and probably for
all time to come will be the centres of
trade, population, and wealth for that re
gion of country. The power of this
railroad influence is manifest by the vast
works already in operation. 1t will not
rest till it reaches the Pacific. We
think it is now apparent to all well-in-
formed men that the most practicable
route on the general line of these great
northern roads is from Omaha, up the
valley of the Platte The late immense
gold discoveries seem to settle this as
the route to the Pacific.


Let the reader also examine the
routes from Philadelphia and Baltimore
toward the great West. These converge
at Cincinnati, and extend in a direct
line to St. Louis, and from thence they
penetrate to the western borders of the
State Of Missouri Two roads now
claim attention. The Hannibal and
st. Joseph road is finished. The road
from st, Louis up the valley of the Mis-
souri, to Kansas City, is far advanced,
and will soon be completed From one
of these points on the Missouri the
Southern branch will seek the main
stem. We think the compromise a
fair one, and hope it will be satisfac-
tory to the friends of some tangible
plan for the speedy commencement Of
this truly great national work.