The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-11-28
R.eil,e nsllssaA.

IL Paeihe CITY AoseepsSee5 veY eienia'
candy asta, \ he rssssat coasresl win tai.
ths III Aspin thsso astrsetisa q NE Pa.
eias 1ailssids rs qssstiosAasdly admit,
Of asanswer It the present the, but, judg.
ing from the opinions heretofore held oa'
and expressed By the party in power, in rs.
latios 70 internal improvsnmts, " opins
that nothing will b done in fartheranee o.
that object. The Democratic party sssct
held that the General Government had Nd
power to commence and carry On . general
system Of internal improvements, and Il Il
now somewhat surprising to ses Demo
cratic politicians and journals, pressing upor
Congress the construction Of > Pacific Rail
road. But, ~ it has been remarked, whsa
the interests Of strong party look one way
and the Constitution another. the former
are apt to prevail, and the restraints i'm
posed by the latter, are about a. obstructive
as the cobwebs spun across the track OF
locomotive. However, We are a. anxious
to have the Pacific Railroad built, - any
one can be, and If the Democratic party,
can, at this late day, abjure it, former ex'
pressed convictions Of unconstitutionality,
and bring itself to the work Of carrying THU
measure through, We shall be the last to
find fault thereat.
But suppose Congress should take thi.
matter into serious consideration, what a..
surance have We, that the route selected
would be the great natural oneup the valley
Of the Platte River? None, whatever. We
all know what deep and absorbing excite.
ment this controversy as to the best route
for the road, has already created in differ
ent localities. ssThere are strong north.
western interests, strong central interests,
and strong Southern interests arrayed in the
combat; Chicago and Council Bluffs, st.
Louis, Memphis, Natchez-in short, a,
many cities, as contended for the honor Of
HoxER's paternity, are engaged in active
rivalry in respect to the termination of the
road; and vast and powerful States-Michi-
gan, Illinois and Wisconsin; Missouri, Ar
kansas and Tennessee; Mississippi, Louisi-
ana and Texas enter the lists in an eager
strife for the immense prospective benefits
of its location" What assurance have We,
that should Congress take steps towards the
construction Of this road, that the great
Central Route up the valley Of the Platte
River, would not be ignored, and the road
located upon the extreme Southern route?
None, in the least. Judging from the course
pursued in relation to the Overland Mail
Route, we are almost certain that the claims
Of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, Washing
ton and Oregon, would be entirely ignored,
and the road constructed upon. Southern
territory. The Democrats have the power
to carry out this project, and it remains to
be seen, what will be their action. For
our part, we had much rather Congress
would leave the road to be built BY private
enterprise, than to have it constructed upon
the extreme Southern Route.
The Enterprise says, that it is not only
eminently fit and proper-but the impera-
tive duty of this administration--to take
the iniatory steps in this project. 1t says
that sseach of the Democratic Administra-
tions have stood responsible for some great
effort for the development Of our country or
its institutions, and seem to have been
charged by Providence with their execu-
ton" After enumerating what it is pleas
cd to term the illustrious acts Of the pre-
vious Democratic Administrations, it says
that ssit has been left for James Buchanan
to immortalize his administration by ser
vices inferior to those of none of his illus
trious predecessors, by tying together with
bands of iron, the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, and thereby consolidating forever,
the Union of the confsderacy and the fra
ternity of its citizens. The intelligence Of
our own country, as well as that of all COM
mercial nations, expect this at the hands of
Mr.. BUCHANAN. They will be satisfied with
nothing less. Hard times or soft times, it
must be done. We are at peace with all the
world. We have lands. We have nothing
to say, but stake them and build the road, !"
and woe to him that refuses to say that
word! The nation will brook no longer de-
lay"
As it has been left for JAMES BUCHANAN
to "immortalizc his administration by
building the Pacific Railroad, We hope he
will not disappoint the country by neglect
ing his "manifest destiny" Let the Democ-
racy marshal its hosts, inaugurate the Paci-
fc Railroad, and push it to completion, that
we
May ride beyond the sunset, and the paths
OF all the Western Stars,
upon it. ''The nation will brook no longer
delay" r.
n,