Year: 1869

Lecture by Rev. w. w. Martin.


Rev. W. w. Martin chaplain OF the Brooklyn
Young Mems Christian Association, delivered lee
ture last evening In the library OF the Young Mems
Christian Association corner Of Twenty street
and Fifth avenue. The audience, though select was
not numerous owing, no doubt, to the
nclemency OF the weather. The Rev. Gorham d.
Abbott, author Of Mexico and the United
States, had been announced TO deliver the
second lecture in the spring course before
the Association, bus In consequence OF the
death OF relative OF that gentleman Rev. Mr.. Mar.
tin was substituted and took for his subject "rhe
Pacific Railroad and its Moral Influences" The lee.
turer commenced by saving that only the pathetic
side of this great question had been presented to
women and children, and not the facts ana ngures
connected with the immense material interests OF
our country and the projected railroads and their
influence under Divine Providence demanded that
some person whose training adapted TO it should
assume the work OF passing over the Con-
and commercial resources mlngiIng with It's
geologists and other scientific men, and bring back
70 our churches representations from an eyewitness
great necessity Of the work before them, and the
peculiar characteristics and beaconings Of Divine
dience that night from across the Continent to
present 70 their consideration the paramount
and and imperial subject q & our our, common % country:





destiny OF God tended, and in which the greatest
display Of his miracles was already Witnessed.
God was now putting up across this great
Continent grand highway for Its evangellzation
and for the evangelization OF the world. The
Pacific Railroad was the greatest moral agent that
God ever introduced into this county.
It could not be built until the nations life
was secure by the construction OF our political ar
rangements on the basis Of universal Justice. Con-
ress had donated ffty millions Of government
bonds for the furtherance OF that great enterprise
The Pacific Railroad and the fast sailing steamships
from San Francisco brought New York To within
thirty days or Shanghae--s7o miles nearer
than the British capital Of Australia was 70
OF India-passing around the peninsula OF India
aud Singapore. SO, IN the past a. In the future,
the possession OF the trade p the Indies decides the
commercial supremacy Of the globe. Very few had
More tnan two thirds Of our natiopal domain lay
west Of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Con.
necticut held more bonds In the Pacific Rail-
road than any other state 10 the Union; yet we
could put forty Connecticuts IN California, ana
seven hundred and nfty Connecticuts In our ma
tiona territories alone. There were some six
thousand miles OF this railroad finished or soon TO
be finished costing two hundred and fifty millions
Of dollars, and yet increasing our commerce ten
thousand millions Of dollars, according TO the best
Rocky Mountain system, which held q territory Of
one million nve hundred thousand square miles, or
moro than all China proper and capable to-day, &C
cording to the Land Commissioner at Washington,
least one hundred millions OF people. The Rocky
Mountain system lad given two thousand millions
OF bullion 10 the commerce OF the world. III we had
ten millions OF population In that Rocky Mountain
the cheap labor, with the improved machinery and
with all the stimulus OF Yankee enterprise, Il could
be made to produce In single year much bullion
as would pay the entire debt OF the country.