Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-19

iunor
tween the Atlantic ard Of this uniea and
the duty the federal government to exercise f.huy y"
constitutional powers the attainment OF that oe9ef'
For years past the Democratic party have been as
sorting as cardinal article Of faith the aneonsiiu
,ionalty Of General System Of improvements by Oh
General Government Regardless Of the position
and opinions and acts of the early Statesmen, whom
they arrogatc as the founders of the present Demo
cratic party the nett lights have taken ground NOR
ar less ultra against all snch works Of national Of
urge importance and advantage
With bold assumption OF exclusive soundnes'
upon this subject the leading members OF the party
from Mr. Jefferson down to General Cass and Mr.
Douglass. have not failed distinguish out of the
rule advocate and vote for such works they deem
ed of real expedeuey, OF general popularity FROM
the passage Of the Cumberland Road bill approved
by Mr. jefferson in is06 (undcr whose anspicc7
the policy began-dewn 10 the passage Of the hiill
for clearing the Saint Clair the Saint Mary aud the
mouths of the Mississippi just passed over the head
of President Pierce by the constitutional majority Of
more than two thirds OF both houses Of Congress the
widest variety Of opinion and action has been char
aeteristic Of the great lights Of the Democratic faith
II must be comedies that with the exception Of the
earlier and ADLER statesmen, whom they claim
opponents of their principles and policy, the Demo-
cratic Presidents have been faithful 20 the supposed
party creed, and with exemplary imparaiiiy have
sacrificed the commercial interests oil the county to
what they probably considered 70 se the popular
struetion with the noh-trading majority. Refusing
to recognize any distinction between local and gem
eral improvements except so far To make the dis
tineton perneious, by using it as pretest to des-
fror by the use Of the veto power all schemes of any
real value. bill after bill for the improvement Of the
rivers aud harbours of our three thousand miles Of
coast has been consigned 10 the tomb provided for the
victims Of Executive tyranny.
This course was popular SO losg as the great body
Of the American people were to be found upon the
inland slopes Of the Allegheny mountains, between
tho head Of tde-water in the rivers flowing eastward
into the Atlantic, ad southwark into the Gulf OF
Mexico The psblic mind drew just distinction be-
tween the improvement OF rivers and harbonrs, aud
other purely inland and local works. To the latter
the Ynst majority of the American people have here
sofore been opposed unon just grounds Of ekpediency
TO the former the nssority have, until recently
been indifferent, because not directly Interested.
Bu, within the last five and twenty years, the rapid
increase and spread OF population along the lakes
and IA the Mississippi Valley, has been silently but
surely putting new phase upon the question The
day has been, and now is, rapidly approaching when
the numerical preponderanee ointerest will be lVor
OF the improvement of the Lake and Ocean harbours
and of the great national highways presented by the
Mississippi and its tributaries. Many Democrats have
long since advocated such improvements because they
aud their constituents were locally Interested
The sagscity of Mr. Calhoun, in anticipating the
4 "a
question exhibited, when as long ago as the
Memphis Convention, he declared the Mississippi
great inland sea which, SUCH might be excepted
ont of the principle his party maintained. He was
many years In advance of his party The Lake States
aud the Mississippi States every day more and
more becoming the great controlling power of the
nation The day is not far distant when major
.ty of the people OF the Union will have their
interest enlisted in favor of the exercise OF this
power. Mark the consequence. The leaders of the
Democracy, true to their majority-loyng instincts,
have already begun to pull up the stakes which mark
ed the verge of the party ereed-and while their
President was preparing to veto the late bills were
engaged in framing oquiyoeal resou-
ton upon the Pacific Railroad designed hereafter 10
serve the convenient purpose of hinge upon which
the whole party may swing round with the popular
current.
This unmistakahle movement, in the Cincinnati
Convention has been quickly followed up by the vote
upon the passage Of the late bills notwithstanding
The disapprova fthe President.
In the House, the Democracy claim 76 men. good
and true-enough to have defeated the bills. Fifty
five, in all, voted nay-yeas l43 We have not be-
fore a record of the vote in the House but IL is by
no means likely that these all Democrats Ia the
Senate the vote stands--yeas 81 nays q Nineteen
of the 81 voting in favor of the bill and against the
President, are Democrats, and among them are Cass
Douglass, Benjamin, Sdell and Pugh This is that
Democratic Senate, whose boosted fidelity we have
heard so much about
The result will doubtless be- that under the cover
of ambiguous platforms, the whole Democratic par
typreferrng stern, infexble adherence to ancient
principles ()will shortly be found to have changed
their front and while continuing in Presidential
Conventions to condemn general system of improve
ments by the Federal Government" they will proceed
in detail to accomplish adj that the Wing party ever
advocated, and perhaps vastly more, and end by rep
resenting themselves to the people of those States
most interested the special champions of improve
ments. II is time that the Wing party should arouse
and see to it. that these urtve tactics do not take
the wind ont of their sales--and what is of vastly
more Importance TO the country than the main
tenance of party issue ia its former shapeuse its
conservative power as it ever has done, TO restrain
the excuses into which the endeayor to out-Herod
Herod, may justly he expected to carry their old OPP
ponens, whenever they shall think themselves farl,
before therising breeze.
Nicaragua.
We devote large proportion Of our space thi
morningto accounts from Nicaragua, which will b
found to be ola varied and interesting character