the means of bringing the cost of producing the protected commodity below that of foreign countries.

Why, then, it is asked, if this be true, should protection be required? This is a pertinent question, and deserves a serious answer. The producing capacity of Great Britain exceeds the demand in almost every branch of manufactures as well as in mining; the buildings and machinery have been constructed and paid for, and would be valueless without employment; the operatives have been trained to their respective occupations, and would suffer for bread were their employment to cease: from these and other causes there is a constant tendency in that country to over-production; and to avoid competition in the home market, the producers ship their surplus fabrics to the United States to be sold here for such prices as they will bring. Their condition enables them to make. sacrifices in the sale of a portion of their goods, and if losses are to be incurred, it is their policy to make the sacrifice in our markets where they can do us the most injury. Hence it is obvious that without protection few individuals in this country would invest their means in buildings and machinery, while so many advantages exist in favor of the British manufacturer. We possess every important element of wealth common to Europe, with the addition of many which do not exist on that continent; but in subjecting these elements to useful purposes, we are compelled to labor against the capital and pauperism of Great Britain. And hitherto we have contributed largely to the support of both. These burthens impede our progress and unless we cast them off, they will most surely, in time, reduce the rewards of American labor to the British standard.

ARTICLE II.

Railroad from St. Louis to New Orleans.*

An article contained in the February number of the Western Journal, relating to Railroad connection between St. Louis and New Orleans, has been read with much attention, throughout the lower part of the valley of the Mississippi; and the suggestion will doubtless continue to engage the profound interest of the citizens of these two great commercial cities, as well as those of the vast country lying on and near the route, through which such a road must pass. It is creditable to the city of St. Louis, and an earnest of her fealty to the undivided interests of this great valley, that the suggestion originates there. And on behalf of my fellow-citizens of Louisiana, I would venture most heartily to respond to the proposition by an assurance, that as fast and as far as possible, New Orleans and Louisiana will vie with St. Louis and Missouri, and all the intermediate country, in the alacrity with which this iron chain shall be forged, linking together the destinies of the two cities.

Permit me, Messrs. Editors, in the infancy of this great enterprise, to make a suggestion, relating to the several routes, which naturally present themselves in looking over the map of the valley, and to give my own views as to which of all seems to me the most eligible.

The union of the two cities, indirectly, is likely very soon to occur, from Railroad enterprises already in some progress.

The New Orleans, Jackson and Nashville road will intersect the Mobile and Ohio road, at some point in North Mississippi, and the Illinois Central Railroad from Cairo to Chicago will intersect the Cincinnati and St. Louis road at some point near Vandalia. Thus the Railroad distance from New Orleans to St. Louis will not exceed 775 miles; but will be measured on no less than four distinct and independent Railroads.

If this broken connection would answer the purposes of commerce and travel, we might now commence our rejoicing, that the enterprise has so favorable a commencement, in all the several independent links of the chain.

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We are gratified to learn that our project of a Railroad from St. Louis to New Orleans has attracted the attention of many talented and public spirited individuals of Louisiana, and we take pleasure in submitting to the consideration of our readers the following suggestions of Professor Forshey in respect to the route west of the Mississippi river. The shortest route in respect to time is that which we most desire. There are some reasons which would induce us to cross the Mississippi at Helena, but we are wedded to no particular location, and are truly grateful to the author of the following article for his suggestions respecting the route west of the river. A gentleman of high attainments and well acquainted with the topography of Southwestern Missouri, has promised to prepare an article describing that part of the State, for publication in our next issue.-Ed.

But such will not be the case; for the interests of the two cities as well as those of a vast and but partly developed region of the best lands for the support of a dense population, will demand another, and an independent route, relying on the caprices of fewer States, and better adapted to commanding the highest interests of the States traversed.

The route you have indicated (or rather suggested, for I do not understand the writer as being partial to any special route) would lead from St. Louis to the Iron Mountain region, as designed some years since; and thence by way of the St. Francis valley, to reach the New Orleans and Nashville route somewhere in Mississippi.Let us see whether this would give any advantage over the routes through Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.

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The distances you will find nearly the same, perhaps 25 miles may be gained in distance. But the route, passing as it does from the Iron Mountain through the less fertile and productive portions of Missouri as well as Arkansas, would fail to enlist the strongest interests of either State; and the direction it would take in the State of Mississippi, would be such as to develop no new or very valuable interest; it would not, I think, meet the local support and legislative favor, likely to be accorded to great leading enterprises. Louisiana could have no direct interest in the road.-These considerations induce me to suggest a line, lying wholly west of the Mississippi river, having a length differing very little from either of those above described; but possessing the advantages of lying within the three States of Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana: of developing the resources of some 500 miles of the very best agricultural country; of presenting a substitute for the bad and precarious navigation of all the region traversed; and of being likely, from its prominence and extent in each State, to command the greatest legislative and individual favor.

The line I would suggest, in the absence of surveys, but from a tolerably good personal knowledge of two-thirds of the whole line, would commence at St. Louis, pass thence to the East of the Iron Mountain; thence southwardly between the waters of the St. Francis river, and the Big Black Bayou, probably crossing this stream in the upper part of Wayne county, Mo., and again in the southern part of Randolph county, Ark.; then it would run south along the valley of the Cache on either side, as the grounds might indicate, and reach White River at Rock Roe. Crossing White river at Rock Roe, the point at which it is proposed to cross the great western road from the Mississipi river through Arkansas,the line would cross the Arkansas river at or near the mouth of Bayou Meter, thirty miles below Pine Bluffs; and pursuing a line nearly due south, would cross the Bayou Bartholomew at the northern line of Desha county, Ark., and again in Moorhouse Parish, La.; cross the Ouachita at Monroe, where the great route

from the Mississippi river to Shreveport and Texas is proposed to cross the river. From thence it would pass down near the Castor and cross Little River at Dugdemona, and Red River at Alexandria.

Thence taking the route of the road already constructed, it would pass to Cheneyville and Opelousas. Thence the line would be identical with the New Orleans and Opelousas Railroad, by way of Berwicks Bay and Thibodeaux, to Gretna and Algiers, opposite New Orleans.

Distances by this route would be approximately as follows: From St. Louis to the Iron Mountain.... 80 miles. Total.

The crossings would all be upon drawbridges, except at Berwicks Bay, and perhaps at the Arkansas river.-White river, the Bartholomew, the Ouachita and Red river, all offer good facilities for bridges. The Rapids of Red river immediately above Alexandria, afford a good foundation for any desired structure.

It is worthy of remark that this line would cross two streams of the first class at points already indicated for great Railway crossings, and the same structure would answer for both. And each

of these transverse routes offers facilities for those who choose to diverge from the line, and by transverse route, pass eastwardly to the New Orleans and Nashville line, and by that route, reach the city in about the same distance, as by the proposed route. The proposed line, then, resolves itself into the building connecting transverse links to the other great lines, about to be constructed; the first connecting the Cincinnati, St. Louis and Pacific Railway with the Charleston, Memphis, Little Rock, and Red river Railway, by a link from St. Louis to Rock Roe, 300 miles long. The second connecting the latter road with the Savannah, Montgomery, Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Road, by a link from Rock Roe on White river to Monroe on the Onachita, 155 miles long. The third connecting the latter named road with the New Orleans, Opelousas and Elpaso Road, by a link from Monroe to Opelousas, 145 miles.

Of this distance, 245 miles may be considered as in satisfactory progress. The company is now being organized for building the New Orleans and Opelousas road, and the Alexandria and Cheneyville road will doubtless be extended to Opelousas by the time of the completion of the former.

The topography of this route presents not a single obstacle in the way of grades from New Orleans, for a distance of 630 miles, say to the middle of Wayne county in Missouri. A few sandy hills, on the Castor, between Alexandria and Monroe, easily skirted without serious deflections, and easily excavated where necessary, and a few similar ones on the divide between the Bartholomew and the Arkansas, are the only departures from a nearly level plane, until we reach the broken country, about the sources of the St. Francis and the Big Black, in the State of Missouri. From this region to St. Louis, the writer has no very definite knowledge of the surface of the country. But as the diluvial formation yields in the South of Missouri, along this line, to the carboniferous and silurian beds, I take it for granted, from analogy, that the country is broken. The regions yielding copper, lead and iron, are not likely to possess very gentle phases. But the portion of the line of which the writer claims a good general knowledge, (and of more than half, a detailed personal acquaintance) presents no obstacle in its topography to the construction of a railroad at the minimum cost.

The greatest obstacles that present themselves are the crossings of the streams: and these, it is freely confessed, are very formidable. There would be required no less than 5 drawbridges, possibly six; and one if not two crossings with Railroad ferry-barges.

Yet with all these, supposing them to cost a million of dollars, I will hazard the opinion that it is, by twenty per cent, the cheapest route that can be named, for a Railroad connecting the two cities.

By this route, there would be about thirty-five counties traversed, of which not more than ten have good perennial navigation or easy access to market; and not more than fifteen have their resources developed, and their lands, however fertile, brought into cultivation, for want of a ready market.

These lands would be readily granted, whether belonging to the States or the United States, for aid in the construction of the road. It is not over-estimating the resources cf such an enterprise, to suppose that the counties along the route and near it, would contribute one-fourth of the whole cost in labor, materials, and selfimposed taxes. The lands, say alternate sections for 10 miles wide, or scrip, in lieu, when the lands have been sold, would yield near another fourth. If, then, the States would, as is probable, lend credit to the company, to purchase iron on time, taking a lien upon the road for security against loss, it would leave but about one fourth (or less) of the stock to be raised by private subscription. The two cities and the many intermediate towns on the line, would not fail to raise this and much more, if necessary, to complete so stupendous an enterprise.

It may look like a visionary scheme for this age;-but men are