Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/387

 FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON

369

a report on the Whitney project and a bill in furtherance of The House would not print the report and the matter it. rested so far as the Pacific railroad was concerned, although

which Congress began making land grants The Senate had before it a bill for a preliminary survey of a route to some point on the Pacific Coast. This bill showed the effect of agitation for a southern route, as opposed to Whitney's Northern Pacific route, and also inaugurated the struggle over the location of the eastern terminus of the proposed road, a struggle which did not end until during the Civil War. In 1852 the House Committee on Public Lands condemned this

was the year

in

in aid of railroad construction.

the Whitney plan as presenting obstacles, both as regards the route and the method of financing, which could not be over-

come. 42

In the Senate in the next session Senator

Gwin

of

California brought in a bill which substituted San Francisco for some point on the Columbia as the western terminal, and

which would carry the route from Memphis, via Fulton, to the Coast. There was still one voice, however, raised for Oregon. Salmon P. Chase of Ohio proposed that the road start at some point between Independence, Missouri, and Kanesville, Iowa, on the Missouri River.

"We

have," he said, "a population in Oregon. The day is have when we shall have a State in Oregon.

We

not remote

....

It is to State south of Oregon. already a great connect Oregon and California with the Eastern States, that

we want

this

road

.

.

.

Point out to

me the

shortest route,

the cheapest route, and the route which will accommodate the greatest number of people, and that route shall have my supSuch a route, he port, my earnest and persevering support."

maintained, would be northwest through South Pass, that is, over the Oregon Trail, then one branch would go to California and another north to Oregon. Although continued agitation, mostly over an eastern terminus, kept the Pacific railroad project before Congress 42 Globe, XXV, 1274. 43/btd., XXVII, 127, 280-7; 3I4-43; 469 seq.