The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-12-18


conduct, ] consider Il .clear that under the
war-making power Congress may appropriate
money for the construction of n military
road through the Territories Of the United
States, when 1t is absolutely necessary for
the defence of any of the States ngninst for.
egn invasion. The Constitution has con-
ferred upon Congress power "to declare ~"
"to raise and support armies" "to pro-
and maintain navy" and to call forth
militia to "repel invnsions." These blIn
sovereign powers necessarily involve impor-
tant md responsible public duties, and among
them there is none so sacred and so impera-
tive as that Of preserving our soil from the
invasion OF foreign enemy. The Consti-
tnlioE has, therefore, left nothing on this
point to construction but expressly requires
that "the United States shall protect each Of
them the States against INVASION" Now, If
military road over our own Territories be
indispensnbly necessary to enable us to meet
ard repel the invader, Il follows us a necessa.
ry consequence not only that we possess The
power, but it is our imperative duty to con-
struct such n road. 1t would be an absurdi-
ty to invest Government with the unlimited
power to make and conduct war, and at the
same time deny it the only means of reach
ing and defeating the enemy ut the frontier.
without such road 1t is quite evident we
cannot "protect" California and our Pncific
possessions against INVASION" We cannot
by any other means transport men and NUM-
tons of war from the Atlantic States in suf-
fcjent time successfully to defend these re-
mote and distant portions Of the Republic.
Experience has proved that the. routes
across the isthmus Of Central America are at
best but very uncertain and unreliable mode
Inf lie
not the case, they would at once lie closed
against us in the event of war with n naval
Power so much stronger than our own MS to
enable it to blockade the ports at either end
of these routes. After all, therefore, we
can only rely upon military road through
our own Territories; and ever since the orr
gin OF the Government Congress has been
in the practice of approprating money from
the public treasury for the construction of
such roads,
The difficulties and the expense Of con-
strncting military railroad to connect our
Atlantic and Pacific States have been greatly
exaggerated. The distance on the Arizona
route near the 32d parallel of north latitude,
between the western boundary of Texas on
the Rio Grande and the eastern boundary of
California on the Colorado, from the best ex-
plorations now within our knowledge, does
not exceed four hundred and seventy miles,
and the face of the country is, in the main,
favorable. For obvious reasons the Govern
ment ought not to undertake the work itself
by means of its own agents. This ought to
be committed to other agencies, which Con-
gress might assist either by grants of land
or money, or by both, upon such terms and
conditions as they may deem most beneficial
for the country. Provision might thus be
made not only for the safe, rapid, and eco
nomical transportation of troops and NUM-
tons of war, but also of the public nails
The commercial interests Of the whole coun-
try, both East and West, would DO greatly
promoted by such road; and, above all, il
would be n powerful additional bond of
union. And although advantages of this
kind, whether postal, commercial, or politi-
cal, cannot confer constitutional power, yet
they may furnish auxiliary arguments in ia
vor Of expediting work which, in my iudg-
ment is clearly embraced within the war
making power.
For these reasons commend to the friend
y consideration of Congress the subject of
the Pacific railrond, without finally commit
ting myself to any particular route.
The report of the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry will furnish detailed statement of the
condition of the public finances and of the
respective branches of the public service de.
volved upon that department of the Govern
ment. BY this report it appears that the
amount of revenue received from all sources
into the Treasury during the fiscal year end
ing the 30th June, 1857, was S6s, 63l.5l3.67,
which amount, with the balance of $l9,9Ol,-
325.45, remaining in the Treasury at the
commencement of the year, made nm nggre-
gate for the service of the year of $SS,532,-
S39.l2. >
The public expenditures for the fiscal year
ending Both June, 1857, amounted to &c.
22,724.85, of which S5,943, 1861, were ap.
piled to the redemption of the public debt,
including interest and premium, leaving in
the Treasury at the commencement of the
present fiscal year on the LIST Of July, 1857,
$l7,7l0,l14.27.
The receipts into the Treasury for the FIRST
quarter of the present fiscal year, commencing
LIST July, 1857, were $40, 929 1881, and the
estimated receipts of the remaining three
quarters to the 30th June, 1858, are S36,750,.
900, making, with the balance before stated,
an aggregate of S75,3S9, 934OS, for the ser
vice of the present fiscal year.
The actual expenditures during the first
quarter of the present fiscal year were $685.
7l4,62S37, of which 1885,, 2323 80 were np-
piled to the redemption of the public debt,
including interest and premium. The proba-
BILE expenditures of the remaining three quar-
tiers, to Both June, 1868, are ISL ,24S $50 O4,
including interest on the public debt, making
an aggregate Of $74,963,O5s.4l, leaving an
estimated balance in the Treasury at the close
of the present fiscal year of S426,s75.67.
The amount of the public debt at the COM
mencement of the present fiscal year was
| $29,060,3S69O.
The amount redeemed since the LIST July
was 1885, 232.39, leaving balance unre-
deemed Mt this time of $25,l65, l545!.
The amount of estimated expenditures for
the remaining three-quarters of the present fis-
cal year will, in all probability, be increased
from the causes set forth in the report Of tho
Secretary. His suggestion, therefore, that
authority should be given to supply any tenn
porary deficiency by the issue Of a limited
amount Of Treasury notes is approved, and /
accordingly recommend the passage Of such
a law.
As stated in the report of the Secretary,
the tariff of March 8, 1857, has been in ope-
ration for so short aperiod of time, and under
circumstances SO nnfavorable to a just de.
velopment Of its results as q revenue measure,
that should-regard it as inexpedient, at
least for the present, to undertake its revision.
transmit herewith the reports made to
me by the Secretaries of the War and Of the
Navy, Of the Interior, and of the Postmaster
General. They all contain valuable a nd inn
portant information aud suggestions which I
commend to the favorable consideration Of
| Congress.