Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-06
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE PACIFIC ROAD

We brought to the notice of our readers in our
number of Saturday last an editorial article Of the
Washington Union defending the constitutional
power of the Government to construct Railroad
to the Pacific ocean, 1t was q remarkable article,
to be fourd in the columns Of that journal, and,
regarding it as evidently speaking for the Exeeu-
tive, we read it with as much pleasure as surprise.
The arguments not new to US; we had heard
them in former times repeated from year to year
by the great champion Of internal Improvements,
the llustrious CLAY, with all the power Of his
peerless eloquence, and especially in his great
speech in the House Of Representatives in lSl7-lS,
and we could not suppress the qualification felt
at seeing them substantially reproduced as Demo
cratic arguments in support of great national mea-
sure As we shall have occasion perhaps TO recur
to the article Of the Union, we place it III our
columns for the benefit of our readers and for the
convenience Of future reference.
FROM wAsHIsaroS UNION" JULY 20.
The public mind has been directed for several years
with increasing interest towards the gigantic proposition
to the Atlantic and Pacific by means Of
continuous railroad This tendency has received fresh
impulse from the favor with which the enterprise
advered by two members Of the Cabinet on the late
Of the President to New York THESE indications
Of Executive favor called comments from the
press the different quarters Of tie country from which
we are able idea Of the condition Of the Pub
Lie mind the question Our observations have brought
us the conclusion that, whilst there is respectable
minority opposed to the enterprise as Government
measure there is decided majority ready to sanction
the general proposition OF Pacific railroad but that
this majority is so well divided to details that it can
scarcely be said with any degree Of certainty that there
is majority for any specific route Of Pacific railroad
Whilst have been the advocates Of the proposed en-
terprise since Whitney brought the subject before
the country constrained to admit that the obsa-
cles in the way Of its early consummato numer-
and serious in their character that indulge no
very sangune hopes Of seeing il carried into successful
execution for many years 70 If the proposition
could be received and acted upon free from the ebar
Of collateral political ard geographical cons
dsraons its ntrinsic importance would command for it
ouch concentration Of public sentiment as would
its prompt adoption and its eary accomplishment But
IN Judgment it would be impossible to conceive
great national project which would not be surrounded
with fewer embarrassing incidental issues than this Of
connecting the Atlantic with BE Pacific States By rail
roads without regarding its attainment impractical
Die, think that glance Of the obstacles in the
way may be probably considered By those Of its friends
whose convictions Of its vast Importance have made them
sanguine Of its vithn reasonably short time
i il safe and sound rule that whenever Congress is
looked to for aid il any enterprise TIE first consideration
shoGld have regard to its conformity With constitutional
power There politicians, and theyare few in
number deficient IN ability who the proposition
at the threshold With denial Of its constituticnaity.
Those who lave arrived at this conclusion acuated
By fixed convictions, based upon settled principles of
stitutonal construction, which they adhere With rigid
tenaety and from which they be reasonably
expected depart. We set them Down as 6xed oppo-
=CFr
after be adopted make impression We think they
in making wrong application Of sound principles
Without protesting ourselves 70 BE either peculiarly
or lattudinous eonstruconss and with frank admis
sion that 10 not profess 70 comprehend with the ex
actness Of scientific defnon the meaning Of these an
tagonistic terms We have been form our orn-
ION on the question upon what consider TIE natural
corEnon-sense mode Of constituting the Constuton-the
mode By which Suppose tic intention Of tie Consu-
ton is to be most certainly reached Upon this rule Of
construction satisfied that Congress has exactly
the same power to appropriate the public revenue to-
wards the construction OF railroad the Pacific that
has TO build forfeatioas protect Pacific territory
from invasion aggression We arrive c. this ccacu-
sion upon the conviction that possessions Oh the Pa
cihc will be unsafe and liable be wrested from U.s.
either hy foreign invasion by domestic revolution
without the means OF transporting speedily the Pacific
the necessary military material both cf men and NUM-
its full strength. In other words regard the Pacific
railroad as necessary for defence as Government
and that the power Of the Government 70 provide for its
defence in this mode clear and certain as il Is 10
provide for the erection of Notifications to protect the
city Of San Francisco.
The eonstuonality Of the proposition il our opinion
is not to be worked out upon any refined harsptting
distinctions as to express and implied powers, but it
stands fully yindicated upon the plain power Of sefde-
fence in obedience to the obligation to protect the seve-
raj States, applied to the equally plain facts that rail-
road connexion with the Pacific is necessary for our CON-
defence and that such eoanexon be secured
without aid from the Government. The Constitution au-
thorzes Congress to raise for the common de-
fence il guarantees to every State protection against in
vGeou or instruction Armies nayes and Notifications
the obvious by which these obligations
of the Federal Government TO be satisfied but it does
not follow that they tie only legitimate ond constu
tional California is entitled to the protection Of
the Federal 70 her against danger from with
and within. How is this protection to be provided
Can it be done eeSualy By satonng large armies and
erecting forti6catons the Pacific COAST That may lie
possible and it ght be possible increase our navy
such extent to protect her from aggressons from
abroad but looking the actual condition Of the State
its location the seaboarj the radeqgncy Of tie popu-
laton to rere foreign invasion, lis immense distance
the intervening country cannot suppose that any
would deny that railroad would furnish more certain
and reliable Of protection AMI defence than the