The Placer herald., 1856-10-25
NUMBER Z.
ANOTHER GUN SpIKED!
LIE tier FIR o M Mr. Bucha anan.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD,

THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
We extract from the State journal" the
following important letter from Mr.. Buchanan
upon the subject of the Pacific Railroad.
Mr.. Buchanans unqualified endorsement of
the Railroad in March, 1853 at Phadel-
phia, was sufficient to satisfy all reasonable
minds of his position on this great measure
This letter. however; cHnches the matter,
and we trust we shall hear no more OF
"Buchanan's opposition to the Pacific Rail,
road" The journal" SAYS:
We have the pleasure, this morning, Of
laying before our readers, a most important
document. We present them letter from
James Buchanan, upon the important snb-
ject Of the great Atlantic and Pacific Rail
road. As will be preceived it was addressed
to our friend, Col B. I. Washindton, and
owing to his absence from the city, was not
received by him until Yesterday. Hence
its non-appearance until this morning.
We congratulate the Democracy that theY
are now in the possession of a conclusive re-
tntaton for the false allegations upon this
subject, of stroling Know Nothing and
Black Republican lecturers. Mr. Duchanan's
letter is short and to the point. Il leaves
no hook upon which to hang douA in ref.
erence to his position. 1t comes squarelv up
TO the mark, and Acknowledges both the On
shtution9IIity and the necessity Of the work
This is just such letter as might have been
expected from James Buchanan. LiSrai
and comprehensive in all his views, while ho
has ever stood by the Constitution, he has At
the same time permitted no hairspIiIhng
distractions to interpose to the dQtrrFent OF
our great national interests. His whole ca
reer as a statesman is a 2uarentee and the
best that could have been demanded, that il
he were President--as he asalrd will be
his great and commanding i174Ai lye would
be brought to bear in tha construcNpp OF this
great national work.
His letter, therefore comes at a most Gp-
ropo season. 1t completely spikes the guns
of the enemy and lcprives them Of their last
thunder.
But to the letter. 1t i, as follows
WHEArLANp, (reor Lancaster Pa,
l7th September, 1855,
To b. f. Washington ESQ Chairman Of the
Democratic State Genital Committee Of
California:
Sir: | have received numerous communi-
cations from sources in California entitled to
high regard, in reference to the proposed
Pacific Railroad. As it would le impossi.
bic for me to answer them all, [ deem it
most proper aud respectful to address n cen
eral answer in your official capacity. In
performing this duty to the citizens of Cal
itorna, act in perfect consistency with the
self imposed restriction contained il my Ict.
ter accepting the nomination for the Presi,
dCncy, not to answer interrogatOries raising
new AMI different iSsues from those present
ed by the Cincinnati Convention; because
that Convention has itself adopted resolu-
ton in favor Of this great work. ], then de
sire to state briefly that, concuring with the
Convention, am decidedly favorable to the
construction of the Pacific Railroad; and, [
derive the authority to do this from the cor
sttutiona power $40 declare war" and the
constitutional duty "to iepel inyasions." In
my judgement, Congress possess the same
power to make appropriations for the con
struction of this road. strictly for the pur
pose of national defence, that they have to
erect Notifications at the mouth Of the har-
Dor of San Francisco Indeed, the necessity
with view to repeI foreign invasion from
California is as great in the one case as in
the other Neither will there be danger
from the precedent; torit is almost impos-
sibe to conceive thut any case, attended by
such extraordinary and unprecedented cir
cumstGnccs, can ever again occur IN Our his
tory,
Yours, very respectfully,