Memoirs of John Adams Dix; comp. by his son, Morgan Dix.

1853-1860.] ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILROAD LINE. 309

Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York will insist on a grant of 160,000,000
acres of land for that route.
"I write you in haste, and am, dear General, sincerely yours,
"JOHN A. Dix.
"Hon. M;. JONES, U. S. Senate."
"Magnolia, Florida, March 21, 1856.
"DEAR Sm,-I perceive by the newspapers that Mr. Brown introduced
into the Senate, on the 6th instant, a bill making provision for a railroad
and magnetic telegraph, south of latitute 37~, from the Mississippi River
to the Pacific at San Francisco. I consider this movement as an adoption of the line of 32~ through the Colorado desert. Such a road for all
the purposes of transportation and travel will be nearly useless to the
North-western States; and to the line of Chicago and the great Lakes
its influence must be positively detrimental. The great route between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is marked out by natural features too
strong to be mistaken. It is from New York by the Hudson River,
the remarkable level from Albany to Buffalo, and the Great Lakes, to
Chicago, Rock Island, Council Bluffs, the Platte Valley, the South Pass,
Utah, and the Sacramento. I have no objection that the Southern
States should have 40,000,000 acres of land to aid in the construction of their road, and any allowance for carrying the mail that may
be thought reasonable. But every consideration of fairness demands
that the same provision should be made at the same time (I mean in the
same bill) for the other route. The road through Iowa and Nebraska
will pay as fast as it can be constructed; and the local business will sustain it to the end of time. The North-west, the North-east, and the
Middle States are all interested in it. I believe it is in your power to
put this matter right. I write to you promptly to invite your early attention to the subject; and you will excuse me suggesting that not only
great public considerations, but others personal to yourself, render it of
the highest importance that this measure should be carried by your
efficient aid.
" I made a speech at Iowa City early in January, in which I took a
general view of this question. General Jones of Iowa has a copy. It
was a dinner speech; and as there were many others to speak, my remarks were necessarily brief. I am at present President of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, as you will perceive. I have no
selfish interest in this matter, my only motive is to see a great public
enterprise succeed; and I stand ready to relinquish my position at any
moment, if by doing so I can farther the object in view.
"I am passing the winter here on account of my wife's delicate health,
and shall be in New York about the middle of April."