The Placer herald., 1856-12-20
Constitutionality Of the Pacific Railroad
Project.

project, from the lecture recently delivered
by DIR. Woozencraft, before the Mechanics
Institute of San Francisco:
"It requires but little sagacity for any one
to see at the present time, that unless we can
have firmer, warmer and more official
fraternal embrace-without we can have a
Wagon road, Telegraph and Railroad, that
this great Pacific division of the confederacy,
this great slope west Of the Rocky Mountains,
will take a pacific slide out of the Union.
1t has been argued by some, however, that
our Constitution will not authorize the build
ing of the road by the Government. Now
ii this be SO, it would be national misfor-
tune indeed, no less than the annihilation of
the government. For contend, and pre-
sumo it will not be controverted, that inter
nal improvements are indispensable pre-
requisites in the administration of our gov
ernmental affairs; so much so indeed, that
without them government would cease to
be a government, and that the special i'm
provements which have mentioned are not
only indispensably necessary, but are requr
ed by positive requirements in the Consttu-
ton itself.
The preamble to the Constitution appears
to have been framed with special reference
to those necessary matters; at all events |
am unable to conceive of other means by
which to form more perfect union, estab-
lish justice, insure domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defence, promote the
general welfare and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity.' If
the foregoing language does not authorize
the projection and building of roads, nay, if
it does not demand them, | am much mis-
taken, and would be at a loss to know
how the text would be fulfilled, and those
blessings occurred without them.
We read in the instrument, That Congress
shall have the power to establish post-otfices
and post roads, and provide for the common
defence and welfare of the United States
and shall protect each Of them against in
vason. In fine, to make all laws which shall
be necessary and proper for carrying into
execution the foregoing powers Now this
would appear to be plain enough, and pecu-
liarly applicable to the case, and yet there
are, or have been, those who do not, or will
not, see or admit this construction. 1t is due
however, to the memory Of those who framed
this instrument, and who subsequently filled
the Executive Chair, to acquit them of any
perversons Of SO plain a text. Their memo
ries can be revered and cherished as faithful
guardians Of our nfantile existence, by pro
iecting internal improvements They never
offered opposition to those Just and ndispen-
sable measures Indeed there was no oppo
sition to internal Improvements up to Gen.
Jackson's administration, and then the op
position was not directed against works of
general nature, such as this, but simply an
opposition to works of local or sectional
nature Why, sirs, | venture the assertion,
and those who knew him we'll will not con
tradct it, that had the old hero lived and
occupied the Presidential Chair, the Atlantic
and Pacific Railroad would have been built
long since 1t is possible that his admring
successors, in attempting to tread in his foot
steps have overstepped his stride? Have they
been SO dazzled with the resplendent light
that surrounded him, that they have not only
lost sight of his footprints but the plain path
of the Constitution itsef3
For l contend that this particular inter
nal improvement is indispensable necessary
in order to promote the general welfare of
the entire confederacy. BY what other
means can we develop the vast field oflatent
wealth within our own territory, requiring
nothing more than the Aladdin wand of in
ternal improvements in order to bring forth
an amount of wealth which will dazzle the
world. 1t is indispensably necessary, in or
der to establish justice and ensure domestic
tranquility. BY what other means can we
approximate assimilate and control our
large and rapidly increasing foreign, domes-
tic, as we'll as our Indian population. We
hold out our arms, and invite the govern
ment ridden population of other countries to
our Shores offering them the blessings
of our free institutions, a sheltersng home
from oppression; offering them one which
now repose in all their virgin purity, await
ing but the hand of husbandry that they may
fructify; offering them which is denied them.
in the overgrown, populous cities and districts
in the old countries where all the domain is
titled Inherent right to the labor and soil
therein. This road is indispensably necces-
sary in order to disperse this population
over the land, and give them field to la
Dor in, and thus prevent the outbreaking of
the mobocracy in the large cities. This
road is ndispensably necessary in order to
snbdue and control our Indian population.
Those peculiar people who have fallen under
our pupilage should be entirely under our
control and protection.
1t would be an endless theme, as well as
a thankess one, for me to indicate our dere
lictions of duty towards the Indians, in the
discharge Of the important trusts Of obliga
tions which our Government has assumed by
the acquisition of domain. l will not tres
pass on your patience farther than to insist
that the only plan in the faithful discharge
of our stewardship towards those now un-
fortunate creatures is the one which will en-
sure their speedy domestication and chris
tianization. But look at our bad policy We
have snent unlnld millions Of money la send