No. 325.
Mr. Thomas to Mr. Fish.
November 21, 1872. (Received Dec. 16.)
Sir: From the time when I was fairly out to sea, on board the steamer bound to Panama, my mind began to run in a new channel touching the diplomatic relations of the United States, and I find myself now under a conviction that the fields in which, in the future, young, enterprising, philanthropic statesmen of the United States are to win for themselves renown, and for their country a still higher character than that now accorded to our great Republic among the nations, are the countries facing on the western and eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean. The conviction is forced upon my mind that the United States need first-class diplomatic representatives at China, Japan, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chili, much more than they require the services of like representatives near the government of many of the principal powers of Europe. Those countries bordering on the Pacific need, to a very great extent, the products’ of industry of which the United States have a superabundance, and of which the surplus in the future is to be immensely augmented; that these productions may be disposed of in a manner advantageous in the highest degree to producers and consumers, commercial treaties are required beneficial to all parties concerned, and to be preceded, as far as practicable, by treaties establishing a unification of coins, weights, and measures. With a view to the opening of those channels of commerce, increased facilities for social and political intercourse are indispensable. I am aware of the measures adopted with that view, so far as China, Japan, Mexico, and Central America are concerned.
There is, however, no subsidy to any steamship company on the Pacific, south of Panama. And I do not perceive the importance of such a [Page 755] subsidy. Facile communication by land, between the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, would, it seems to me, be much more effective than subsidies to steamship companies, in securing to the United States a due share of a valuable commerce, now monopolized, to a very great extent, by European countries.
A trunk-line railroad, commencing at some point on the Southern Pacific Railroad, and running parallel with and on the east side of the mountain-chain to Cuzco in Peru, or to Santiago in Chili, would, I believe, work, at no distant day, a wonderful revolution in the Social, commercial, and political relation of the states through which it would pass and the United States. And I have reason to believe that the dormant wealth, still under control of the governments having jurisdiction over the soil, over which such a great work would pass, would abundantly suffice to construct and suitably equip the improvement. If so, nothing is needed but a harmonious movement in the right direction of the government concerned, inaugurated, countenanced, and encouraged by the Government of the United States, to lead to the construction, at no very distant day, of a great civilizing agent, which will in its consequences give stability to institutions now so often unfortunately overthrown, and pour a flood of prosperity and peace over all lands, now unhappily often drenched in human blood by civil wars.
Intending to pursue this subject hereafter, I propose to collect, collocate, and to communicate to your excellency facts, in addition to some already known to me, in support of the opinions I have ventured to express.
Hoping that it may not be supposed that I have in these speculations passed beyond the boundaries within which I am charged to act, as Peru is an integral and deeply interested portion of the field of which I have made hastily an outline sketch,
I have, &c.,