Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-12-17

3 a'Aauoh. Nlillst thsprinciple shall quiz
= my public conduct, consider L clear III
=, under the waf-making power Congre,
s' may appropriate money for the consiu,
y o. military road through the Terdiori,
. oi The United States when this !, absolut,
e necessary for the defence Of aBv Of n
+ states sgainsl foieign invasion. The cor
sulaslon has conferred upon Congress DOW
ef 20 declare war" "to raise and SUNNI,
armies ito provide and maintain a paxv
, and call forth the militia TO repel inya
slons." These high sovereign powers ne
eessarlly involve important and respousill,
; public duties, and among them there /
none SO sacred and so imperative as tba
; OF preserving our soil from the invasion .
a foreign enemy. The constitution La.
therefore, left nothing on This point 70,
! construction, but expressly requires that
"the United States Shall protect eaeh y
them (the States against Invasion"
Now, If a military road over cur own
Territories be indispOnsably necessary to
enaOIe US TO meet asd repel the invader
follows as a necessary consequences noi
guIy that We possess the power, but II
is our imperative duty to construct such
road. 1t would be an absurdity TO in.
vest a government with the unlimited now.
er to make and conduct war, and at the
same Time deny to it the only meaus of
reaching and defeating the enemy 1T the
frontier. Without such road it is quite
evident we cannot "protect" California and
our racine possessions "against INVASION"
We cannot by any other means TRANSPORT
men and munitions Of war from the At.
Iantle states in sufficient time successfully
TO defend these remote aud distant pors
tions of the Republic.
Experience has proved that the routes
across the lsthmus Of Central America are
at least but very uncertain and unrelia.
Die mode OF communication. But even if
THIS were not the case, they would at once
be closed against us in the event of a war
WIN naval power SO much stronger than
our own as to enable it to blockade the
ports at either end of these routes. After
all, therefore, we can only rely upon a mil.
ltary road through our own territories; and
ever since the origin of the Government,
Congress has been in the practice of an,
proPHating money from the public treasu
ry Tor the construction of such roads.
The difficulties and expense Of construc.
ting a military railroad to connect our At
Iantlc and Pacific States have been greatly
exaggerated. The distance on the Arizona
route near the 32d parallel of north Iati.
tude, between the western boundary of
Texas oil the Rio Grande and the eastern
boundary of California on the Colorado,
from the best explorations now within our
knowledge does not exceed four hundred
and seventy miles, and the face of the
country is in the main, favorable. Forob. |
Ylous reasons the government ought not
to undertake the work itself by means of
Its own agents. This ought to be com.
mitted to other agencies, which Congress
might assist either by grants of land or
money, or both, upon such terms and con. !
dltlons as they may deem most beneficial
Tor the country. Provisions might thus be
made not only for the safe, rapid and eco.
nomcaF transportation of troops and mu.
nltlons OF war, but also Of the public mails
The commercial interests of the whole
country, both Fast and West, would be
greatly promoted by such a road: and, |
above all, it would be powerful addition.
al bond of Union. And although advan-
tages of this kind, whether postal; com.
mercla, or political, cannot confer consti.
-utlonal power, yet they may furnish aux
Ilay arguments in favor of expediting
work which, IN my judgement, is clearly
embraced within the war making power.
For these reasons I commend to the
rlendly consideration of Congress the sub.
rct of the Pacific Railroad, without finally
myself to any particular route.
The report of the Secretary of the Treas I
Try will furnish detailed statement of the +
of the public finances, and Of the ,
eSpectlve branches of the public services h
evoIVed upon that department of govern, \
lent' BY this report it appears that the O
mount OF revenue received from all sour. +,
es into the Treasury during the fiscal year o
ndlng the 3Oth Of June 1857, was sixty Il
ght million six hundred and thirtv.one a
lousand five hundred and thirteen dollars q
nd sixty-seven cents, 68,63I,5I6,67) 3
hich amount, with the balance of nine, in
en- Wllion nine hundred and one thous. 60
I'd three hundred and twenty five dollars III
ID forty,five cents, (el9,901, 1926, ,45) re, m
aiming IN the treasury at the commence bo
ent of the year, made an aggregate for co
rvice of this year, of eighty-eight million W
e hundred and thirty.two thousand eight ac
ndred and thirty-nine dollars and TIVE I've lie
nta 8s,532,889.19) i'm
The public expenditures for the fiscal as
ar ending 30th June, 1857, amounted to pc
'enty million eight hundred and twenty ize
thousand seven hundred and twenty tb,
II dollars and eighty, five cents (7O,822,- ms
4, ,85,) of which five million nine hun. an
ID and forty-three thousand eight hun. tn,
ID and ninety-six dollars and ninety-one use
its (S5, ,943. 865,9l were applied to the bet
emption of the public Debt, including Gee
crest and premium, leaving in the treas To
at the commencement of the present inI
al year on the ist of July, 1857, seven enj
million seven hundred and ten thous- tut
one hundred and fourteen dollars and late
nty'seven cents, (a17,7lO,1i4,2z) con
The receipts into the treasury for the not