Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-08-19
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
M0RNISG. AUGUST ~, 1853

Il
THURSDAY MORNING. AUGUST ~, 1853.
Ths Washington Republic is strongly indignant at the
charoe of the n f. Post, that the Whg party are IN Ia
va, of the projected Pacific railway, because viii ope"
rho door for the whoe host of plans Of internal improve
meni which they (he whigs) have been broodns over ~
the last ttry years. The Republic defends lhe cou' -
The whis party which originally sustained the measure u
internal improvements bv the General Government ahu
protective tariff because those measures were 'ee"' "
scnlal national ndependencc-hut, says '"t
the Wing party "abaaioned these measure" " Po'''g "
as il became apparent that the STATES were co"t''.
the construction of works OF improvement "''"' 49,
limits and as soon as manufactures By The proecoh OF NC
oas, and presenl tariff rs well by The transfer :"
skill and capital and by the success OF A"e'''""
hare become an established institution ,,
i visw of this assumed change OF policy the hePuohc
on and declares that it does not regard necessary o'
,i.n, ,h,, the Federal Government should construct
d control rsi road from the Mississippi 10 the paclfc
ocean and I'll we demonstrate our objections 10 ms
work 10 be we'll founded il will follow that Wings may at
their discretion advocate oppose lhc execution oi WON
of internal Improvement by the Federal government anu
are under obligation 10 support all such "oths WHICH
may be constructed upon the ground that he reuefa eA
penditu,es will thereby be increased IL however eie CT
any Whiq OF opinion that The Federal government
should have oil these "oiKs lei MN fenec' upon
,bo;, ox,snt There are within the United States perhaps
20 600 miles of rail road under charter more man luuoup
miles Of iucoporaed dirt, plank and stone oads perhaps
ooo ,s o c,naI 10 this let us add Pacific rail road
min dishprsement equal TO that of the Mexican war,
eoual 10 fourth Of the national revenue an army
o oneralycs Wondering during construction more than one
hundred thousand and requiring for It's constant operation
nd r.n,ir of less than twenty thousand Let us INA
one il he proprietor of grant Of land equal TO the area OF
Staes-hr common carrier and controller OF The pToduc-
ioo7 m thousands OF cilisens each community OF whom
would be completely dependen, upon The rates Of fare and
freight tie value of their property or products ms ST.
Helena rock of Gibraltar upon the facilities OF com
mercal intercourse"
Having presented these data the Republic draws cor
rect and graphic picture of partizan corruption and mis-
Management, which such national work" must necessari-
Is lead TO involving not only lavish work OF millions IN
vested in federal al!road of two thousand miles in length
bu, serious peri. TO he property and lives OF The people o
the Republic for "amentabie experience assures Us mat
even short roads owned and managed b. private prope
tors under The eye OF he public, are liable 10 daily accl
dents OF the most appalling description"
The mischevous consequences of an increase OF Execu
tive patronage incident 10 more extensive Implication o
the Federal Government in The internal communications o
the country than present exists are also clearly depicted
by the Republic which thus winds up lis exposition OF The
knotty question:
Having shown that tendencies OF Federal
in internal Improvement tend 10 dangerous increase Oh
Executive se that il is within the general noiy 'f
the Stale governments 10 construct such improvements
:ha the Whig party bound 10 advocate such wosS
ndiscrimnaely the object of increasing pGpc eTpena
uic We shall inquiry which me isngh o N
article pos tpoDct pror!HS Sut Ne acW raroad
ran Be constructed Uad:r authority " I.e SiG orsrme
with grant OF the right o way through The cuefa iei'-
tories BY the combined means provided by private enter
p,se corporate credit, Federal lands Stale apporTa'ios
Eadp mOr
corporate services
II is not for say whether The Republic IS authorized
10 speak as ii does for the Whg pay-but the strange act
nevertheless developed that leading organ OF The Wing
party is arguing zeaousy against the consolidating effects
of federal construction Of internal Improvements while de-
ocrac statesmen journals warmly urging The same
exercise of federal action in behalf Of gigantic system OF
internal improvements. The National lnteiisenccr and
he, Wing organs chucked heartily the dscove
~ that on this question OF the Pacific Rail Road the De-
mocracy are coming established Wing policy and ac
,uay employ ali the Old arguments OF Mir Clay and his
associates in favor OF internal Improvements By The General
Government Now il the Republic be regarded as speak
ing by authority for the Whg party and if The Richmond
Whig the Richmond Tmes and the New York Express
are 70 be considered rejecting The sentiments OF their
party In their denunciaons Of the corrupting and conso
dating mischief construction Of the Pacific Rail Road
by the federal government may not be etOrted with equal
force that the Whig party have abandoned their policy
coming around 10 the wise sound economical poll
cy OF The Democracy