Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-09-01
Policy of the Admiuistratio tion.

son can tell us what course Of policy
President Pierce intends to follow. All
present, the movements of the Cabine,
at Washington are of quite my sterious
character, one day seeming TO por,end
one thing. and the next another. We
should also like to know whethe, the
Union is to be regarded as the organ OF
the Government, or whether, in Yankee
phraseology, il is to be considered "sor,
ter SO and sorter not 1t is right that
some one one should pu, these questions;
and as we are neutral in politics. aud in
an investigating frame of mind, they
may as well come from US as from any
less partial source.
We confess we are puzzled. AT the
dinner given to the President, at the Mer-
chants Hotel, in this city, Mr.. Secreta.
ry Davis strongly advocated the con.
struction of national railway to the
Pacific, proposition which was warm
ly supported by Mr.. Secretary Guthrie,
who seemed to regard the work as one
which would afford an admirable outlet
for the surplus in the Treasury. In or.
der to avoid violating the Democratic
Toiicy, which denies to the general gov.
ernmens the power to appropriate mon
eys in behalf OF rivers, harbors, or pub
lie roads, the construction of this road
was defended, not as beneficial 10 com.
merce but as military necessity. the
means of rapidly Transporting troops and
munitions of war to the shores of the
Pacific being otherwise perhaps fatally
delayed. Caring little under what plea
the road was built. sn that iis construc-
ton was determined upon. we felt graft.
fed a, finding the policy of the admins.
tra,iun was of so pacific char acter; but
our exu!ta:ion was suddenly checked By
Mr.. Secretary Gushing. who soon after.
wards, in speech at New York, boldly
proclaimed annexation as the law of our
republican existence. Here, then. we
have two antagonislic courses of policy.
The first looks 10 fostering our CONNER
cial growth, by linking Two oceans to-
gether, and by making the transit across
the continent, at present SO long, painful
and dangerous, journey of comparative
brevity and ease. The second looks to
territorial aggrandizeEent as means OF
greatness, and believes in making good
republicans out OF races of men too lazy
to work and too ignorant to think. We
confess that our sympathies favor the
railroad to the Pacihc; hut which of the
two MEASURES, 50 distinctly enunciated
bv different members of the Cabinet, is
to be adopted as The policy of the admin.
istration? Both canno, be, for they are
opposed TO each other.
Our mex, question is equally difficult
Of solution. Is the Washington Union
the organ OF the present administration
If il is so, its course has been unusually
erra,ic, and its rebukes from head quar-
ters more frequent tlan common. Mr.
Pryor, one of its editors, writes quite q
glowing eulogy of Russia, and his sen
timents are repudia,ed. La,lerly, an ed.
itorial, very ably written, justifes the
gallant conduc, of Captain lngraham, in
The affair of Costa, but it has been sub
sequentlv reported tina. the article in
question does not reflect accurately the
sentiments of the government What
are we TO think! Are we to be CONNER
cial or warlike! Is the Pacific railroad
or the hostile ioray, to characterize the
policy Of our government! IL the I'm
ion was wrong in praising Russia. hos
did it err in denouncing the arbitrary
conduct of Austria? Will any one tell
Us wha, is the policy OF the Adminislra
tion, and whether the Union is its organ
-lrthur's Home Gazette.