Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-10-11
n Pacific RAILROAD

'f'N
Of Pacific Railroad They have sought most in
dustriously to humsug the people of California,
but have signally failed The Know Nothngs.
in the fsce of common sense, have contended that
Fillmore is the only man who can build the road !:
and the Republicans have as stoutly maintained
that the young STRIPPING Fremont is the only man
who can accomplish that great object
Now we take it for granted that every man in
California desires that Che General Government
should apply the means atits command to construct
this great national work but has it never occur
red to these sage Know Nothings, and these ex-
ctable Republicans that it is Congress- and not the
President that must build the road, if built at all
Do they not know that it is ont of the power of the
President to expend one dollar of the public money
or donate foot of the public lands for that or
any other purpose unless Congress shall first make
the appropriation? OF course they know this and
so do the people. Aye, and the people are tired of
all this humbug about this man or that man build
ing Pacific Railroad for they know that it isa
work that must be taken hold of by the Nation at
large before it can be accomplishedb by Government
But say the Fremontcrs. our candidate is in ia
vor of a Railroad, and his election will be the
voice of the people in its favor. Let us examine a
little. Was Fremont nominated to run the Presi
Dental race on the question of Pacific Railroad
Was that the issue? No candid Republican will
say so for one moment Mr. Fremont was nomina-
ted at Philadelphia rs the representative of the
Free Soil sentiment; that. and that alone, was the
issue prcsented-ora at least ii completely swallowed
L, o1 oil nth oil
the Convention inserted in its platform was mere
buncombe; for Free Soil was The question--the
oaly question-and in the northern and eastern
States the supporters of Fremont donot as much as
think of a Pacific Railroad once in three months
They think of nothing but Free Soil and Free
Negroes In California, Mr.. Fremont was supposed
to be in favor of the road, and no doubt he would
like to see it onstructed-certainly he would, if
he expects TO come into possession under his pat
ent of los Harposds so, straightway after receiv
ing the news of his nomina tion, the Republicans
on this coast commenced singing du-da songs about
Fremont and the Railroad The railroad part,
however, of these songs is left out everywhere else
than in California In the North and East, it is
simply du-da.day! We take it therefore that the
election of Fremont would not be an expression in
favor of a Pacific Railroad, and that he would be
just as powerless to construct one, without the aid
of Congress, as any other President Moreover, the
Railroad can only be constructedas great national
work and we cannot reasonably expect to accom-
plish a national object by eecting sectional Pres
ident Most assurcdly not
The Fillmore party may be dismissed briefly on
the Railroad question, upon the principle that
short horse is soon curried. The Know Nothing
National Platform does not contain one word con-
cerning the Pacific Railroad, or any other means
of communication with California. No message of
Mr.. Fillmore, while president, mentions Pacific
Railroad. His friends in California are trying to
steal a little of poor old dead-and-gone General
Taylor's thunder for him but the effort is rs ridi-
culous as it is unblushingly impudent. Taylor rec
omended that "a line of communication" should
be opened to the Pacific. He said also that two
conventions had been held one at st Louis and the
other at Memphis, from which opinion was elected
that pointed to Railroad as that which, if prac-
cablc, will best meet the wishes and wants Of the
country This was all ; and the old man died.
Fillmore succeeded him, as an accidental President;
and il vas Of course as little he could do feeling
that he was himself mere accident to call the at
ention of Congress to the recommendations Of his
predecessor the deceased patriot This he did do,
and that was all And again, after his late nom-
nation Gen. Allen and others addressed him a let
ter from California, on the subject Of q Pacific
Railroad. His answer is published, aud, 10 and
behold, the Ex-Accidental is as non-committal as
everand if possible even more sol Ileneyer wrote
the words "Paciic Railroad in any of his mes
sagcs TO Congress- and he is still afraid to give his
views upon the subject, even for California con
sumptionl The Know Nothngs are not Railroad
party, and their candidate is not Railroad man.
Who. then, is to build the Pacific Railroad
There is but one answer. The road never will be
built until the great Democratic party of the Union
build it, This party is The only party that
has ever accomplished any great governmental en-
terprise in the whole history of the country; and
so will II be now. The Democratic party will not
build a railroad and dig a canal by every mans
door; they will not pursue an indiscrlminae sys-
TEN of internal improvements, of a local character
by the general government, because that would
lead to uuheard of corruption and result in disas
trous and irretrievable bankruptcy but direct and
speedy communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific is a national object and the Democratic
party stands pledged to itsaccomplishment. Their
educational Convention--eyery State in the Union
fully yrepresented-passed resolution, by vote Of
POS to 81, declaring that il is the duty Of the
Ederai Government 10 exercise ALL lis C0nstifu.
tional po,cers TO the attainment IF that object
thereby binding the union of these States in indis
solnhlc bonds and opening TO the rich commerce