Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1853-08-18
From the Washington Union, of July 90.
Pacific Rail Road.

wards the gigantic proposition TO connect
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by means
of a continuous Railroad. This tendency
has received fresh impulse from the favor
with which the enterprise was adverted 10
by two members Of the Cabinet on the late
visit Of the President to New York..
These indications of Executive favor have
called out comments from the press in the
different quarters Of the country, from
which we are able to form some idea of the
condition of the public mind on the ques-
ton. Our observations have brought us to
the conclusion that whilst there is res
pectable minority oppos ed to the enterprise
as Government rheasure, there IS a declda
ed majority ready TO sanction the general
proposition Of Pacific Railroad, but that
this majority is so well divided es to de-
tails, that it can scarcely be said with any
degree of certainly that there is majority
for any specific route of Pacific Railroad.
Whilst re have been advocates of the
proposed enterprise ever since Whitney
brought the subject before the country, we
are constrained to admit that the obstacles
in the way Of its early consunmation are so
numerous and so serious in their character
that we indulge no very sanguine hopes Of
seeing it carried into Successful execution
for many years TO come. If the PROPOSE
ton could be received and acted upon free
| from the embarrasslnents OF collateral poll
tical and geographical considerations, its in
trinsic importance would command for it
such concentration of public sentiment as
would ensure its prompt adoption and its
early accomplishment. But in our judg-
ment it would be impossible 10 conceive a
great national project which would not be
surrounded with fewer embarrassing Incl
dental issues than this of connecting the
Atlantic with the Pacific States by Rail-
roads. Without regarding its attainment as
impracticable, we think that a glance at
some of the obstacles in the way may be
proftably considered by those of its friends
whose convictions of its vast Importance
have made them sanguine OF its success
within a reasonable short time.
1t is safe and sound rule that whenever
Congress is looked to for aid in any enter
prise the first consideration should have re-
gard to its conformity with constitutional
power. There are politicians, and they are
not few in number or deficient in ability,
who meet the proposition at the threshold
with denial of lis constitutonality. Those
who have arrived at this conclusion are ae-
tuated by fixed convictions, based upon
settled principles of constitutional construc,
ton, to which they adhere with rigid tc-
nacty, and from which they can never re
reasonably expected TO depart. We set
them down as fixed opponents, upon whom
no process of reasoning that may hereafter
be adopted can make an impression. We
think they err in making wrong application
of sound principles. Without protesting
ourselves to be either peculiarly strict or
latitudinous constructioni5ts, and with ;
frank admission that we do not profess &c
comprehend, with the eXactness Of scienti,
fic definition, the meaning Of these antGgo.
nistic terms, we have been content to form
our opinion on the question upon what w
consider the natural common sense mode o
E constituting the Constituton-tho mode bJ
which we suppose the intention of the Con
stitution is to be most certainly reached.
Upon this rule of construction we ar,
satisfied that Congress has exactly the sam,
power TO appropriate the public revenue to
, wards the construction OF Railroad to thu
Pacific that it has TO build Notifications t.
, protect our Pacific territory from invasion
or aggression. We arrive at this conclu
, sion upon the conviction that our posses
sions OH the Pacific will be unsafe, and liza
q bic to be wrested from us, either by foreig
invasion or domestic revolution, withou
the means of transporting speedy to til
Pacific the necessary military material, bot
n of men and munitions, to protect our terri
tory and preserve the Union in its fuI
strength. In other words, we regard the
4 Pacific railroad as necessary for our detenc
as Government and that the power c
:. the Government to provide for its defenc
in this mode is as clear and certain as it
;, to provide for the erection Of fortifcation
y to protect the city Of San Francisco.
y The constiutionality Of the proposition
in our opinion, is not to be worked ont W
on any refined, hair-splitting distinctions, {
Is to express and implied powers, but
at stands fully vndicated upon the plain pow
er Of sef-defence, in obedience to the obi
IN cation to protect the several States, apple
c. to the equally plain facts that Railro'
Sc connexion with the Pacific is necessary &
81 our common defence, and that such come