Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-12-16

; der to accomplish this object it will be
necessary. according to the estimate oI
the Wal Department, to raise four add
t ;ional regiments. and this l earnestly
recommend 10 Congress.
l recommend TO Congress the estab-
lishment OF a territorial government ovei
r Arizona, Incorporating with it such por
lions of New Mexico as they maY deem
f expedient. need scarcely adduce argu'
meuts in support Of This recommendation.
We are bound 10 protect the lives and
the property of or citizens inhablting
Ariz Jna, and these are now without any
efficient protection. Their present u
Der is already considerable. and is rapid
" increasing, notwithstanding the disad-
vantage under which they labor. Be-
sides, the proposed Territory is believed
to be rich in minerals and agricultural
resources, especially in silver and copper.
The mails of the United States TO Cali
fornia are now carried over it through
out its whole extent, and this route is
known to be the nearest. and believed TO
be the best to the Pacific.
Long experience has deeply convinced
Inc that a strict constr uction OF the pow
ers granted to Congress is the only true,
as well as the only safe, theory of the
Constitution. Whilst this principle shall
guide my public conduct, | consider it
clear that under the war-making power
Congress may appropriate money for the
construction of p military road through
the territories of the United States, when
this is absolutely necessary for the de-
fence of any of the States against foreign
invasion. The Constitution has conferred
upon Congress power "to declare war;"
"to raise and support armies" "to pro
vide and maintain a navy" These high
sovereign powers necessarily involve i'm
portant and responsible public duties,
and among them there is none so sacred
and so imperative as that of preserving
own soil from the invasion of foreign
enemy. The constitution, but expressly
requires that "the U. States shall protect
each of them (the States) against inva-
sion. Now, if a military road over our
own Territories be indespensably neces-
sary to enable ms to meet and rerel the
invader, it follows as a necessary conse-
quence not only that we possess the pow
er, but that it is our imperative duty TO
construct such a road.
1t would be an absurdity 10 invest a
government with the unlimited power TO
make and conduct war, and at the same
time deny 10 it the only means Of reaching
and defeating the emmy at the frontier.
Without such a road il is quite evidenl we
cannot "protect" California and our Pa
ciic possessions "against INVASION" We
cannot oy any other means transpor!
men and munitions Of war from the At
lantic States in sufficient time successfully
to defend these remote and distant por
tirns of the republic. Experience has
proved that the routes across the Isthnus
of Central America are at best but a very
uncertain and unreliable mode of COM
m%unication.
Bnt ever if this were moi the case, they
would at once be closed against us in
event of war with a naval power, so
much stronger han our own as to enable
it TO blockade the ports at either end of
these ou'es After all, therefore, we
can only rely upon a military road
through our own territories; and ever
since the origin Of the government Con-
gress has been ia the practice of appro-
prialing money from the public treasury
for the construction of such roades.
The difficulties and expense of con-
structing a military railroad to connect
our Atlantic and Pacific States have been
exaggerated. The distance on
The Arizona route near the 32l parallel
nf north latitude. between the western
boundary of Texas on the RIO GranIe
and the eastern boundary of California
The Colorado, from the best explora-
tinn now within our knowledge, does not
exceed no miles, and the face ofthe
is, in the main, favorable. For
obvious reasons the Government ought
not TO undertake the work itself by
means of lis own agents. This ought TO
be committed to other agencies, which
Congress might assists either by grants
Of land or money, or by both, upon such
Terms and conditions as they may deem
most beneficial to the county. Provision
thus be made not only for the safe,
rapid and economical transportation Of
and munitions OF war, but also of
HE public mails.
The commercial interests of the whole
;ourtry. both east AMI west, would be
promoted by such a road; and,
above all, it would be a powerful addi-
ional bond of union. And although
advantages Of this kind. whether postal,
commercial. or political, canno, confer
constitutional power, yet they may fur
1iSh auxiliary arguments in favor of ex
Dediling a work which, in my judgment,
5 clearly embraced within the war ma
power.
For these reasons | commend TO the
consideration of Congress the
Of the Pa;iic railroad, without
inally committing myself 10 any par;icu
ar route.
The report Of The Secretary Of the j
Treasury will furnish a detailed statement
IF the condition Of the public finances and
Of the respective branches of the public
devolved upon that department of
he government. BY this report it ap
1ears that the amount OF revenu: receiv-
ID from all sources into the treasury dur
ng the fiscal year ending the 30ih June.
1857, was $50. 63I, 513.67, which am
,unt, with the balance of $4,000. 325.-
10; remaining in the treasury at the COM I
OF The year, made an aggre- I
gate for the service of the year of $685. {
$50 .l2. The public expenditures I
or the fiscal year ending 30.h June, 1851, {
mounted to $40. 822, 724 IS. of which /
IS. 943, 896. 81 were applied to the re-
OF the public debt. including
and premium. leaving in the -Irea- Z
ury at the commencement of The present !
iscal year, on the lst OF July. 1857. {
s17 .7l0.1l4.27. The receipts into the t
reasury for the first quarter OF the pres
Mt fiscal wear c-ounmencinp 1St .July. c