Butte record., 1856-10-25
DIR. Buchanan's Let ter.

Al the Democratic Meeting on Saturday
Evening, Mr. Van Voorhees,, in referring to
the railroad question, read the following
important letter from Mr.. Buchanan upon
the subject. Mr. Buchanan's unqualified
endorsement of the Railroad in March, le53
at Philadelphia, was sufficient to satisfy all
reasonable men of his position on this great
measure. This letter, however. clinches the
matter, and we trust we shall hear no more
of "Buchanan's opposition to the Pacific
Railroad The Sacramento State Journal
says: We have the pleasure, this morning,
of laying before our readers, most import
ant document. We present them letter
from James Buchanan. upon the important
subject of the great Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad. As will be perceived. it was ad-
dressed TO our friend, Col b f. Washington
and owing to his absence from the city, 1t
was not received by him until yesterday
We congratulate the Democracy that they
are now in the possession of a conclusive
refutation for the false allegations upon til S
subject, of strolling Know Nothing and
Black Republican lecturers. Mr.. Buchan-
ans letter is short and to the point. 1t
leaves no hook upon which to hang doubt
in reference to his position 1t comes
squarely up to the mark, and Acknowledges
both the constitutionality and the necessity
of the work. THIS is just such a letter as
might have been expected from James Bu-
chanan. Liberal and comprehensive in all
his views, while he has ever stood by the
constitution, he has at the same time permit
ted no hair splitting abstracti0ns to inter
pose to the detriment of our great national
inter ests. His whole career as a statesman
been demanded, that if he were President
as he assuredly will be-his great aud COM
manding influence would brought to bear in
the construction of this great national work
His letter comes at a most apprOpos season
1t completely spikes the guns of the enemy
and deprive> them of their last thunder
But to the letter 1t Is a follows;
WHEArLAND, (near Lancaster. Pa.,) !
l7th September, 1856
To B. F. Washington Esq, Chairman of the
Democratic State Central Committee Of
California:
SIR Il have received numer Gus cOmmu-
nications from sources in California entitled
to high regard, i'll refer ence to the proposed
Pacific Railroad. As it would be impossi Bile
for me to answer them all, deem it most
pl oper and respectful to address you a gen
erai answer in your official capacity In
performing this duty to the citizens of Cali
fornla, act in perfect consistency with the
self t-ImpoSed restriction contained IN my let
ter accepting the nomination for the Presi
dency, not to answer interrcgatories raising
new and different issues from those presented
by the Cincinnati Convention because that
convention has itself adopted resolution il
favor of this great work. |, then, desire to
state briefly that, concurring with the con
venton, am decidedly favorable to the
construction of the Pacific Railroad and,
derive the authority to do this from the con-
stifutional power "to declare war" and the
constitutional duty "to repel invasions 3"
In my judgment. Congress possess the same
power TO make appropriation for the con-
struction of this road, strictly for the pur
pose of national defence, that they have to
erect fortitications at tie mouth OF the har-
Dor of San Francisco Indeed, the necessity
with view to repel foreign invasion from
California, is as great in the one c>se as in
the other. Neither will there be danger
from the precedent; for it is almost impossi-
Bile to conceive that any case, attended by
such extraordinary and unprecedented cir
cumstances, can ever again occur in cur
history. Yours, very respectfully,
JAMES BUCHANAN