Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-09-02
The Administration and the Pacific Rail
road

The indications clearly are that President Pierce
and those of his Cabinet who have no opinion of
their own, are about TO creep out OF the Pacific
railroad project, to which the speech of Mr.. Sec
Ietary Davis, the open assent of Mr.. Secretary
Guthrie, and the silent assent Of President Pierce
committed them as Cabinet and as the heads OF
their party.
We have heretofore noticed the manly doclara-
tons made in the speech of Col. Davis, that it
was the duty of the general Government to aid
in making the Pacific railroad, because, without
that road, the protection which It is bound to give
10 the States and Territories on the Pacific could
not be effectualy secured. Mr.. Guthrie endorsed
these sentiments, and President Pierce and others
OF his Cabinet present on the occasion, by their
silence gave their consent to the truth of what was
said, and the policy which demanded of the gene
raj Government to enter upon the enterprise. The
Washington UniOn-the home advocate, II II be
not really the organ of the AdminiSration-took
up the subject, and earnestly endorsed all thatwaS
said and all that was promised.
So things wore favorable aspect, and the press
of the country--some Democratic as well as Wing
were encouraged to believe that they should
have in the message of President Pierce, at tie
opening of the next Congress-, awaIm and decided
recommendation i'll favor Of the general govern
mcnt enbarking at once in the enterprise OF max
Ing the road. But the hope soon began to grow
doubtful from the mISgvingS of certain Democratic
papers, as to the policy as well as to the power,
of the general government undertaking the wor k;
and these doubts were soon followed by tears
which the explanations and equivocations OF the
the Washington Union, justly eXclted-that PTeSl-
dent Pierce had no opinion on the subject, and
did not really know what he would do-hiS deciS-
ion being controlled by party policy, not public
good and constitutional right.
The fears may now be said 10 have reached their
climax, and gwen way to certainty. The New
HAMPSHIRE Union Democrat, published at Man
chester in that State, and edited by one WI in
tine presidential contest made the mouth piece
Ol the then simply General Pierce, has opened its
mouth on the subject, and now speaks Tor PresI-
dent Pierce: 1t sets out by Stigmatlzing the Pacific
Railroad project as q "GoTgOn'' which has raised
lis head within the Democratic household, to dis
tract their councils; and says:
We regard it as mons er whose enounity can
only be measured by its length-as much beyond
any former conception of inlquity. as it must tran
SCend all such III magnitude and cost. AS SUCH,
we mean to opp, Sc it to the "bitter end"
We need not say that there is no expressed au-
thuTity IN the Constitution for such enterprise.
No one pTetendS there is. 1t Is based upon mere
inIerential power-and that eXtoIted by the most
shameful looSeneSs of construction. The Wash
iugton UniCn, as we have said, advocates 1t as
military neceSsity-plantng itself upon the ICar
y9l1cr IN the Constitution. The pTetext Is, that
war may cone-that California, in Its opulent
weakness, will be likely TO fall an easy victim TO
any foe which may aSSall her; and that We are,
therefore, under political and frateInal Obligations
to 'come to the rescue" 10y means of the Pacific
Railroad.
The hypothesis upon which this argument is
based are as "far fetched and little WORTH as the
conclusions TO which they lead.
These Iemarks-it in any sense they may be ia
ken. as emanating from President Piece, and that
they do come from him, express his feelings, the
Richmond Enquirer insists is not doubt[ul-these
remarks, we say, of the New Hampshire Demo-
Graf, are nothing less and nothing more than an
official Remuneration of Mr.. Secretary Davis, who
made the speech in favor of the Pacific Railroad,
and Mr.. Secretary Guthrie, who endorsed what he
said. We are not surprised, then, to learn that
there are rumoTS OF division in the Cabinet, ard
that now the probability is that MeSSrS Davis ard
Guthrie will withdraw ftom the Cabinet, or be turn
ed out, if they do not change their opinion Ct the
power and duty of the government 10 make the
Pacific road.
These are the last reports from Washington, and
though they do come in questionable shape"
the facts and circumstances on which they are
grounded, authorizes n belief that they are not
without some reason 10 res. So 1t may be that the
present lul in party politics may soon give way to
an excitement that will, in the end, we trust,
eYentuate in unfolding the right, by exposing the
weakness of those now charged with sustaining it.
Bull. Patriot.