Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1853-08-25


ment, provided the latter would give the
company contract to carry the mails across
the continent for thirty years, at $1,000 a
mile yearly.
Those and the like are the rival PROPOSE
tions to that of the Secretary of War;
They all contemplate that the Government
shall pay for building the road, and that
private companies shall own it and reap the
profits.
But says our esteemed contemporary of
the Winsborough Register, it this Pacific
Rrailroad is worth building, let private in
dividuals risk their money on it. This is
all very well; and might be a conclusive an
swer 10 an application for Government aid
in commercial enterprise. But ii does not
touch the case presented by the Secretary Of
War. Private spectators will readily
| enough embark their capital and enterprise
that promise large profit; but they are not
tempted by such motives as the repression
OF the various hordes of savages between
the Mississippi and the Sierra Nevada; the
protection of the Mexican frontier, in &C.
cordance with treaty stipulations, and the
defence OF the Pacific coast, in case Of war
with maritime power. These are public
objects; and the successful prosecution Of
them, though yielding no more dividends
than the cruise of frigate, are yet, in the
opinion of many, as well worth their cost,
as any enterprise for opening market to
the corn and cotton of interior planters.
For ourselves we go on further than this:
that the objects proposed by the Secretary
OF War are strictly constitutional-th fact
that Railroads were invented since the con-
stltution, being no sort of objection to our
minds. All that remains, is to decide
whether those objects are of sufficient mag
nltude to justify the construction of the road.
We shall not undertake 10 decide that they
are. But this reserve is entirely to be cred
tied TO the fact, that we do not care whether
the Pacific region remain part of the
United States, or form separate Confed-
eracy we rather prefer the latter. We
are even reasonably Indifferent whether the
white settlers on the one hand or the Com
anches, Seals, Foxes, wolves and buffalos,
on the other, should be masters of the great
plains Of the West. In sympathy with the
race of leather stockings, we rather prefer
the latter.
But il these tribes of men and beasts are
10 be subdued, and if the Pacific coast is
10 be retained as part of the United States,
we have no hesitancy in saying that some
safe medium Of rapid transit OF soldiers and
munitions Of war must be provided. With
the small force Of the United States, it is
simply absurd 10 speak OF military protec-
ton to the frontiers i'll the present condition
OF the country; and still mUre absurd TO
trust to the movements of the troops, in the
event OF war, for the deielce of the Pacific
coast. A caravan Of two hundred men. with
the necessary supply OF animals, is sufficient
TO consume all the supplies OF the country
from Fort independence TO the Rocky
Mountains, or from the Rio Grand TO the
Sierra Nevada. What would an army do in
such a march? But we need not dwell
upon these obvious conclusions. We care
very little whether the Pacific Railroad is
built, but if it is 10 be, we desire that it
may be constructed on principles in accor-
dance with the constitution, and not be made
a precedent for grand system of spoliation.
Nor can we help thinking that portion
Of the attacks on the Secretary of War to-
wards the North, are inspired By the friends
of those various schemes for constructing
the Road on the economical principle that
the Government shall furnish the capital
and credit, and the projectors have the prof
IFS. 1t is natural that they should be
alarmed, and even indignant: that they
should even feel like The spectators in Fra
Diavolo, as if they had been cheated, by To-
sing the plumber they expected to make
We oiier them our respectful sympathy, but
from constitutional scruples as sincere, if
not as urgent. as their own, we must decline
TO advocate their cause.