Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-12-19

his determination to decline all further propositions from
them to negotise-in substance that he intends fight
IL out Those Powers manest a decided pur.
pose to take part in the for the protection of Tur
key BY Spring, immense armies may be field and
general in Europe, actively begun Such appears
Go he the purport of the latest news received
The Virginia Democracy and the Pacific Railroad.
IL will be remembered. that few months ago the
Virginia Democracy expressed in various ways, their
decided hostility to the Pacific Railroad scheme The
declarations of Cabinet officers, in the presence Of
President Pierce, for this measure and the Prcsi-
dents acquiescence therein by silent consent created
great stir in the camp, and some of them went 80
far as TO proclaim determination to bolt forthwith.
The disaifected were assured, however by party
leaders, that the Presidents Message would set all
things right-that whatever Secretaries Guthrie and
Davis or the Union might have said in favor cS the
Pacific Railroad, as Government me assure, the Pre-
sident would come out fat-footCd against it, in his
first Annual Message to Congress. Well We haze
had that Message, and how far does it verify those
predictions? We need only quote brief clause
from the Message, 10 show the extent TO which it
goes, in 'repudidtiHg" the Pacific Railroad. After
sundry unmeaning and now ron-commil tai prclimna.
res about Constitutional obligations the Message
says:
"nhn TINS limit and to the extent of the interest OF
the government involved, il would both expcdicnt
aud proper, AN economical and practicable rouie shall
be found, to aid, by all constitutional means in the
structon OF road which will unitc speedy transit the
populations Of the Pacific and Atlantic States"
This may be all very satisfactory t., the Pacific
Railroad Democrats not, Just as future develops
ments may disclose. They have not as vet taken
any exceptions TO it. 1t doubtless embraces all they
ask, TO aid 10y all constitutional means in the CON
tru NJ Inc road rh.tr
more, certainly. 1t implies that there are constitu.
tonal means by which the Government can aid in
making the Pacific Railroad. Ifnot to undertake it
rs Government measure, at least TO contribute
Government aid to it. That does not look like com.
ing out against this Improvement according to the
faith heretofore procSSed 10y the Virginia Democracy;
and their conscientious scruplcS" against the
aid Of the Federal Government to schemes of internal
Improvement IL in fact recognizes t.p constitutional
right of the Federal Government TO aid such .L,Iucy
with certain vague aud indefinite restrictions amount
ing to nothing. IL may pcTbaps square with the re
solution of the Baltimore Democratic Convention of
1852, on the subject of internal improvements 10y the
General Government. That resolution we have re-
ferred 10 and find it he as follows:
Tha the Constitution does not confer upon the General
Government the pOseF and carry on a zen
eral system Of Internal Improvements
Whether the Pacific Railroad constitutes genera,
system of Internal improvements according to the
meaning and intent of the above resolution does not
appear. If the resolution had prohibited the con
struction Of any Internal Improvement by the Gene
raj Government, then, it would have borne hut one
face. But general system of Internal Improv cmcnts
may admit of general Na'iey of interpret atoms
As the Pacific Railroad is proposed as a g,D,rdI
Systom cC IatcrHHl Lmprorcmcts hut specific mass
ere, its friends ia the Democratic party may reason
10 themselves that the Baltimore Platform resolution
of 52 does not preclude it fro6 Government aid and
the President may also consider, he says in his
message, thai "to the extent Of the interests Of Tue
Government involved, it would seem both cxpedicnt
and proper, if economical and praeticaLis route
shall be found, to aid by all constitutional means IA
the construction ola road which will unite by speedy
transit the population OF the Pacific and Atlantic
States'-meaning the Pacific Railroad. Two mem
bers OF his Cabinet and the organ Of the Adninstra-
ton went far to declare in favor OF tas Govern
nent measure, and Secretary Guthrie, we believe,
wanted to apply all the surplus revenue to its con-
struction.
But whether the Administration and the present
Congress will sanction that course not is inmates
rial in connection with the tenor Of our remarks now.
Our object is TO what extent the position taken
on tIS question tue PRESIDENT IN his
forms with the doctrines laid down by the Virginia
Democracy. The message, it will be seen, takes the
ground that it would be both expedent and proper
10 afford Government aid to the work What is that
TO be ? Every one must understand it to bc &c not
the appropriation Of money from the public Treasury
grants Of public iand' or the proceeds ~ the sales
thereof. That is about the only plan left for the
General Government to render aid. Upon that plan
then, how t,nd the Virginia Democracy IL il well
known that they have hitherto obstnatey persisted
ia opposing any such aid TO works Of Internal I'm.
proyement But without gong into details about
their previous course this question: il will be SUI
hcient 20 introduce hcrc the resolution adopted by
the Virginia Democratic State Convention, held in
This city, March, 1852 for the appointment Of dele
gates TO the Democratic National Convention ~
which Gen. Pierce nominated for the Presidency
ia that Convention they set forth their Platform con-
tanning the following resolution
Resolved That Congress has no power 10 appropriate
directly, or indirectly the proceeds Of the sale. VI the
public lands ~ grant directly indirectly the put
he lands TO the purpose Of Internal Improvements"
This is pretty explicit We should say, against Civ
ing aid TO the Pacific Railroad by grants Of public
lands, or the proceeds thereof The Virginia DE.
mocracy arc recorded by resolution " their Plat
FORM laid down ia the latest State Convention held
by the party in which tlcy hold that Il is unconstu-
tional thus to aid works Of Internal Improvement -
The Presidents message, in effect asserts that II il
constitutional direct issue is here prcgcntrI be-
tween the Democratic party Of Virginia and "a Demo