ART. I.-COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS. PROGRESS OF AMERICAN POPULATION AND TERRITORIES; CALIFORNIA AND OREGON; PROJECTED COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS THE CONTINENT BY LAND AND WATER; PANAMA AND TEHUANTEPEC CANALS AND RAILROADS; TRADE AND COMMERCE OF THE EAST; RAILROAD FROM TAMPICO AND NATCHEZ TO MAZATLAN; FROM VERA CRUZ TO ACAPULCO; FROM GALVESTON TO SAN DIEGO; FROM ST. LOUIS TO SAN FRANCISCO; FROM MICHIGAN TO OREGON; FROM MEMPHIS TO SAN DIEGO; PROGRESS OF RAILROAD ENTERPRISE. FROM a period almost coeval with the first settlement of America, we find the idea of a connection between the two great oceans, washing its eastern and western shores, by some safe and expeditious passage, either over the peninsula or through the interior of the continent, continually suggested, and receiving various degrees of consideration. The subject has assumed, in the present day, a new and higher degree of interest and importance, from the fact, so little to have been anticipated, that the American people, with the extraordinary energy of their democratic institutions, having filled up with a dense population all the earlier discovered and occupied territories, have, while yet scarce "hardened into manhood," swept across the "impassable" mountains, overspread the great valleys, and penetrated in immense numbers through the wildernesses of the Oregon, the Sacramento, and the Gila, to the very shores of the Pacific Ocean. The free and unconquerable spirit of the *Puritan, the Cavalier, and the Huguenot, creates new revolutions in the regions of the setting sun. But sixty years ago, when the first American census was taken, the main slope of the Apalachian Mountains, was found to be the western barrier, confining nine-tenths of the population within something like three hundred thousand square miles of territory. The four millions of inhabitants at that time registered, have swelled in this period to nearly twenty-three millions, and the three hundred thousand miles of inhab ited territory to two millions of miles, excluding the late acquisitions of Oregon, California, and New Mexico, embracing, by the estimation of 1 Darby's Letter to Mr, Calhoun, Com. Review, Vol. III. VOL. I. the land office, eight hundred and sixty-seven thousand five hundred and forty-one additional square miles! Thus have we a people, blessed with freedom and enterprise, doubling in every generation their numbers, and occupying an empire three millions of square miles in extent scarcely less than the whole of Europe, including Russia, and wanting one-third only of the great Russian empire, extending from the Baltic, over three continents, to the western spurs of the Rocky Mountains. The sea-coasts alone of this enormous republic stretch out five thousand one hundred and twenty miles; or, if we follow the irregularities of the bays and islands, thirty-three thousand and sixty-three miles-greater, by onethird, than the whole circuit of the earth! * Frightful as have been the wastes to be crossed by this population, the "feet of men, and even children and tender women, have been beating out a track," over which the heavy wagon has rattled, among crags and rocks, in defiance of the vain obstacles of nature. Most wonderful of all-in the depths of the valleys, and by the streams of the rivers they have crossed, has been discovered a region that realizes the fabled El Dorado, for which De Soto and Cortes and Raleigh so vainly sighed-possessing in its bowels illimitable treasures of virgin gold, so rich and rare, that they promise to easy labor, almost without effort, untold wealth, and to the world a supply of the precious metals which shall exceed all the "Orient Ind," in the days of Solomon or since, has yielded from its prolific bowels, or has been searched to where the " sunny fountains" of " Old Afric" "Roll down their golden sand." Never, in the history of mankind—not even when Columbus carried to Europe the tawny Indian, or when extravagant stories of the wealth of the Mexicans and of Peru, were wafted across the ocean, or when the Crusaders were marching upon the East, or the "South Sea Bubble" or the "Mississippi Scheme" were at their height-never has been excitement wound up to a higher pitch, or expectancy upon the keener alert. Men of all ages-of all arts, and pursuits, and professions, from all classes of society, even surrounded with the greatest comforts and highest allurements of home-have forgotten their legitimate avocations, thrown aside lucrative posts and callings as utterly worthless, and, braving the ocean for thousands and tens of thousands of miles, or inhospitable climes, and frightful journeys through trackless wildernesses, in handfuls or in vast cavalcades, full of hope and enterprise, taken up their extraordinary pilgrimage to endure the fierce hardships of the placers of the Sacramento, and the mountain gorges, in their ceaseless search for GOLD! Wonderful, wonderful is this great passion for wealth, which, like a despot, rules over our wills and controls and masters our associations and affections, and breaks up, with remorseless strokes, every link and bond and sacred connection in life! God, by it, works out the DESTINIES OF MAN.† * Report Coast Survey, under Prof. Bache, 1848. The Spaniards would appear to have been on this California gold track three centuries ago, but destiny reserved the prize for us. We quote from the "American Review." "At the same period, also, while De Soto worked his weary way amidst the But we have not time for these reflections. It is now computed that the whole number of persons who have reached California cannot vary far from twenty thousand,* and that those on the way, and to start, will, in a few months more, swell the aggregate to at least fifty or sixty thousand-sufficient to form a state government. What may be the future population of this region it is now impossible to argue, though embracing, as it does, an area of five hundred and twenty-six thousand and seventy-eight square miles, if we give to it the average density of two to the square mile, the density of the Valley of the Mississippi as far back as 1810, when but few states had been formed, we would have one million of inhabitants; or, adopting the present density of Pennsylvania, there would be abundant room for twenty millions. A similar compution being made for Oregon, which has three hundred and forty-one thousand four hundred and sixty-three square miles, would give either seven hundred thousand or fifteen millions. It would not be an unreasonable calculation, we think, to estimate a population west of the Rocky Mountains, in the course of one century from this, as large mountains and among the reedy marshes of the East, and the second Pizarro searched vainly for the El Dorado of the South, Vasquez Coronado was equally indefatigable in his search for the traditionary golden cities and inexhaustible mines of New Mexico and California. In common with De Soto and the South American explorers, he failed in the primary object of his expedition; failed, too, if we may fully credit the announced discoveries in California, when the coveted prize of his toil was almost within his grasp. The expedition by Coronado was undertaken under an implicit belief in the existence of vast treasures in the regions north of Mexico, falling within the terri-tories known as New Mexico and California, and now constituting part of the republic of the United States. This belief was based upon accounts, somewhat vague it is true, but all concurring in substance, and was universally entertained by the Spaniards of that day. The sea expedition on the Pacific, undertaken by Ulloa in 1539, under the direction of Cortez, had for its object not less the discovery of the golden region of the north than the exploration of the coast. And when, in 1540, it was resolved to send northward a land expedition upon the same search, the right of command was contested between Cortez, as Captain General of New Spain, and Mendoza, as Viceroy of Mexico. The latter was successful, and Cortez, disappointed and disgusted, returned to Spain. This inci. dent will show how high were the anticipations which the Spaniards had formed of the riches of the Californian El Dorado. The documents of that period, which have been recovered from the rich historical depositories of Spain, present us with some singular illustrations of the extravagant notions then prevalent; and, although to a great extent proved by subsequent events to be unfounded, are, nevertheless, at this time not without their interest." The number which left the United States between December 14th and April 17th last, was. according to the Herald: |