THE FEDEEAL CAPITAL. 9 



Waters and his tributaries, representing a total length of 

 12,000 miles, places St. Lonis in communication with every 

 city of importance in the lar^^est river basin on the fflobo. 



^^^. a..,^^ ^l*.^xxx wx^ v^^ ^ 



It cannot be said that man is not striving to make the most 

 of what nature has done for St. Louis. Apart from the 

 many railways which already radiate fi-om the city towards 

 every point in the compass, there is one which is destined, 

 before many years have passed, to unite her with San Fran- 

 cisco on the Pacific coast. When this trans-continental high- 

 way is completed we shall not only see the steamer laden 

 with furs from Minnesota, lying by the ISTew Orleans orange 

 boat at the levee of St. Louis, but trains, carrying the silks 

 and teas of China on the one hand, and the choicest products 

 of Europe on the other, shall enter the city from opposite 

 directions, and discharge their freights under the same roof. 



There is yet another consideration for the future. Each 

 succeeding year adds so materially to the political influence 

 exercised by the Western, as well as by the Pacific, States in 

 Congress, that a national question of no small interest to St. 

 Louis must soon be brought forward for public consideration. 

 If the great Republic is destined to continue its growth as 

 one nationality, Washington cannot long hold its position as 

 the political centre of the whole country. Apart fi-om its 

 geographical position, there is little doubt but that the theory 

 of arbitrarily choosing a particular spot for the political centre, 

 and of thus isolating the executive and commercial capitals, 

 has not worked well. Abuses have crept into many of the 

 State legislative bodies, if not into Congress itself, which 

 could not have successfully evaded the vigilance of a large 

 number of intelligent lookers-on, who, being of necessity on the 

 spot from interests, setting aside politics, would have watched 

 everything, and have protested publicly against any such 



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