Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-23

UOtcd for bill to repair certain roads,
the Cumberland road among them. Ibid,
p, ZIG.
On the I'd of May, the year previous, he
rOtsG for bill making appropriations to
improve certain harbors, and to make sur
veys. Cong. Globe. p. $40.
1t is unnecessary to follow Mr.. Buchan-
an in his Congressional career any further
These citations are sufficient to prove that
whilst in Congress he was supporter ofthe
se-called federal doctrine of internal Improve.
mc1ts, having voted for bills regarded by both
Mr.. Monroe and Gen. JACKSON as unoon-
stitutiOnaL and by them Uetoed.
Let US now see whether at later day,
he still supports this doctrine. In 1858,
President Pierce, accompanied by Mr.. Da-
Wis, Secretary of War, and Mr.. Guthrie,
Secretary of the Treasury, left Washing
ton, for the purpose of being present at
the opening of the Crystal Palace in New
YoIk. In Philadelphia, on the 18th of
July, on their way to New York, they were
publicly received at the Merchants Hotel.
Mr.. Davis, the Secretary of War, made
speech on the occasion, in which he declar-
ed himself in favor of constructing rail-
road to the Pacific, by appropriations from
the United States Treasury. Mr. Buchanan
was present, and made speech, endorsing
the grand internal improvement project of
Mr.. Davis, as follows. We copy from the
Washington Star, Pierce organ:
"He admitted that COL Davis was a strict
constructionist. He had never known but one
nan who could excel his friend from Mississ-
ippi in that, and that was a friend Of his from
Old Virginia, in olden times. This gentleman
was taken alarmiDgy i'll, and was at the point
of death, and all that troubled his conscience
was, lest he might be buried in the Congress
siOnal burying ground at the public expense.
He sent for friend, and in prospect of eter-
nifty said, 4 would nearly as lief take my
chance of being I'D as to entertain the
idea that Congress, without authority from
theI constitution, should appropriate money to
bury me- Great langhter) That gentleman
was more of a strict constructonist than his
(Mr. B.'s) friend Davis for the latter had got
so far as to be Milling TO appropriate the pub
Tic money to make railroad 10 the Pacific,
WITH WHICH lie HIMSELF ENTIRELY AGREED"
This is the last record we have of Mr..
Buchanan's sentiments on this question. 1t
shows that down to July, 1853, he had
been an advocate of the power of the gen.
eral government to commence and carry
on internal improvements. But, suddenly,
in June, 1856, he takes a new tack. He
is nominated for the Presidency, on an
anti internal improvement platform, and
for the sake Of Office, sets his face, for the
canvass at least, against his whole previous
history. Now, we ask is he to be trusted?
Can old line democrats have any faith in
his adherence to the platform as President?
Surely they cannot. They must know that
he can't stand the pressure that will be
made upon him; and will be compelled to
return to his first love. What regard can
he have for the pledges of platform,
which ere two moons have waxed and wan
ed since it was made, have been ruthless
ly violated by the democratic Senate, and
by democrats in the House, in the
passage of internal Improvement bills over
the vetoes of President Pierce? Will he
not say in his communings with himself
my immediate predecessor vetoed inter-
nal improvement bills, and the demo-
"crats, faithless to their principles, passed
" them over his head, thus subjecting him
" to humiliation and disgrace such as no
former President had ever experienced.
Why should l, who have all my life been
can internal improvement man, run the
" risk Of the same treatment, by adhering
to pledges and principles violated with
" out conjunction by those who should
have been the first to sustain them ?"
Is it not probable that such reflections as
these would determine the course Of Mr..
Buchanan, and that there would, during
his administration, be nothing to restrain
Congress in the enactment of internal i'm
provement measures, but the will of the
majority? At no time since the foundation
of the government, has there been a greater
tendency to wild, extravagant, and profit
gate expenditure Of the public money than
the present. This is seen in the enormous
increase of the expenses of the govern
ment, which, instead Of being limited to
thirty millions, as they ought to be by prop
err economy, are nearly one hundred millions
annually. And with this increase, corrup-
ton and peculation have also increased. as
is evidenced in the swindling contracts and
thieving connected with the construction of
the addition to the Capitol, and now under
investigation by committee of the House
of Representatives. When public affairs
are in such a condition as this, and great
party wantonly violates its pledges and sets
up precedent regarded by the best of its
leaders as alarming, because it opens the
door to unmeaSured expenditure of the
public treasure, the people should investi-
gate closely the character of men seeking
high Office. Can old line democrats, who
have consistently opposed the doctrine of
internal improvements by the general gov
ernment, assist in putting Mr.. Buchanan in
the Presidential Chair? We ask them to
pause and reflect upon this subject before