The weekly Placer herald., 1854-07-08
Letter from Senator GWin.
WAsHINGTHN Cry, Nav l


Dear SIR: In the midst of the constant
pressure of public duties, which leave me
scarcely spare moment, your kind favor
of the SOth of March reached me drawing
my attention to certain newspaper articles
aspersing some leading measures had
introduced in the Senate to promote the
interests of the people of California.
No man more highly appreciates than |
do, bold, independent press. 1t is one
of the chief safeguards Of our liberties.
1t guards alike the whole Republic, and
the humblest individual; it is fearless in
its justification of right as of its condem-
nation of wrong. No public man, con-
scious Of being honest and true to his
trust, need fear from it injustice, but on
the contrary may look to it with confidence
for his vindication.
The measures now drawn in question in
which had an humble instrumentality,
are before the State of California and the
whole country. They have been laid
open as the light of day, from the instant
of their inception to this hour, and from
the conviction they would if matured into
laws, advance the best interests of our
State, they have been and shall be main
tained zealously, and with all the ability
at my command Believing them to be
right have no apology to offer for them
being perfectly willing they should be left
to their own merits for justification. All
desire is that they may he everywhere
fairly and fully understood by the honest
and enlightened people of California, and
extricated by the power of truth from the
misrepresentation and perversIons OF a
prOf1igate and prostitute press.
The California Delegation in Congress
have been straining every nerve to secure
the great National Railroad from the
Mississippi to the Pacific, and the railway
system within our own State, the former
more Immediately to unite us to all the
intere sts Of the other States of the Union,
our commanding commercial position; the
latter to afford easy and speedy intercom-
muncation to develop our resources and
afford ready markets, While thus en-
deavoring to promote the best interests of
our constituents, mercenary press at
horne is assaiIing us, torturing our acts
in every form which malice and mischief
can invent, and circulating a base cOun-
terfeit coinage of their own, as the sterling
currency Of a sound public opinion. In
this way bad men are endeavoring to
cripple and disable the representatives Of
California in the public councils-destroy
their usefulness, and defeat the passage
Of measures that will benefit the State,
and thus rebound to the credit of those
who originated them. Does any man
suppose for an instant there is any mea-
sure or series Of measures that these men
are seeking to establish? Far from it.
Their acts are rather too thiny veiled for
that. They are engaged OH the contrary
in the work Of vilifcation. of pulling
down honest men to enstal dishonest
ones in their places, and if they succeed,
a new era will oepn upon us in which the
triumph Of profigacy aud corruption will
be complete
But you desire me to point out and ex-
pose the misrepresentation of the mea-
sures alluded to, and which proceed to
do so as briefly as possible.
First-There is the project of Nation
al Railroad. Everybody at all conver-
SAINT with business of deIiberative bodies
knows that Bills, introduced by individual
members, referred to, and reported from
Committees, are so far as TO meet the
views ct the majority, and to avoid in
dividual objections, and that while mea-
sure is in progress, it is amended and re-
modelled from time to time by discussion
Of its merits, in such way as may the
more effectually carry out the objects in
view, and in the least exceptionable man.
ner.
These considerations the more especial
ly operated in the preparation of the bill
reported by me at the present session, as
chairman of the select committee on the
National Railroad. Itproposes to appro.
pirate in the Territories of the United
States alternate sections for twenty miles
on each side of the route-the residuum
to be retained by the United States-and
to allow not exceeding $500 mile for
carrying the u. 5. Mail. That quantity
of land is the certain consideration in part
which it Is proposed to appropriate the
contract under proper securities, to be
given to the lowest bidder for carrying the
mail. No man can doubt the constitu-
.ionality of this proposition, nor its poll
cy, fortified as it is by precedents now too
we'll established ever to be disturbed.
If there is any monopoly in this, let 1t
he shown, or any more reasonable plan to
effect the OBJECT, let it be pointed out
The virtue OF any man may very well be
doubted which would feel itself invaded
by this proposition, or discover in it any
danger to the public veal.
With this brief review of the route
within the Territories of the United