The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-09


~ T-T W aaA.l ~ ~ T..
rich In mineral and agricultural resources especially 10
silver and copper The malls Of the United States 70 Cal
6orna now carried over IL tnfoughou. Tvs "noie ex
tent and this route known 70 be the nearest and pc
lsyed TO be the best to the Pnr11r rssss...
Long experience has deeply cor vinced me that srict
construction of the powers granted 70 congress the
only true wen the only safe theory OF the oonsttu
ton Whilst this principle shall guide my public con-
duct consider II clear that under the war-makng power
Congress may appropriate money for the construction Of
military road through the Territories OF the United
States when this ~ absolutely necessary ior the defence
n any OF the States against foreign invasion The con-
tution has conferred upon Congress power to declare
war ',to raise and support armies, to provide and
maintain navy and to call forth the militia TO repel
pyasions" These high sovereign powers necessarily in
yoye important and responsible public duties, and
among them there Is sacred and Imperative as
that Of preserving soil from the invasion of foreign
enemy The constitution has therefore, left nothing on
this point TO construction but expressly requires that
he United States shall protect each Of them the Stcs
AGAINST invasion. Now, military road over our own
Territories be indspensably necessary to enable to
meet and repel the invader, it follows as necessary
not only that possess the power but 1t is
our imperative duty to construct such road IL would
te al atsl,fdty to invest government with the unm-
lied power to make and conduct war and at the same
time deny it the only means Of reaching and defeating
the enemy at the frontier Without such road it is
quite evident we cannot protect California and
Pacific possessions against Invasion. We cannot by
from the Atlantic States In sufficient time successfully to
defend these remote and distant portions Of the republic
Experience has proved that the routes the 18TH
mus Of Central Knleica are at brss but very uncertain
and unreliable mode OF communication But even If this
were not the case they world at be closed against
in the. event OF war with naval power 50 much
stronger than our own as 70 enable ~ 10 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 origin OF the government
Congress has been IN the practice OF appropnang money
from the public treasury Ion the construction OF such
roads aNt ra2
The dithcuities ana the expense OF consuucung mil
ary railroad TO connect our Atlantic and faec States
have been greatly exaggerated The distance ON the
Arizona route near the sd parallel of north latitude be
tween the western boundary OF Texas on the no Grande
and the eastern DoundaIy On oaliona ON 'ne 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 nam favorable For obyi
Gus reasons he government ought not 70 UNDERTAKE. the
WORK i'se y means OF l.s own agents ms ought 70
DC eomitpeu W o.noi ssehsies' WHICH oohs,ess nigh'
assist eher oy gu ianu OF money OF py ootn upon
such terms ana conditions as they may deem most bene
neal ior the country rIosisioh might mus DC made
no' oiy ioi Jug sa'o iaiu, anu oconoicu uisport-
on OF troops ana q war; out aiso OF the pub
NY oo'n East ana west, wouia DC gIeaty promoted Dy
such ROAD anu ABOVE AL Wouid DC powerful al
anohn oonu q union union; ana aNnougn advantages OF
this KIND whether postal commercial or political can
h'' .'A'Ni f0'ei' ~. 'nSs Aisy io,n'on
sunafy arguments III aVof OF expedune WORK which,
IN my JuuSment, Clearly empraccd wlthin the war
making power
FOR these reasons commend 10 the friendly consera
ton OF Congress the subject OF the Pacific railroad with
out nnay committing mySen 70 any particular route.
The report Of the Secretary of the Treasury will fur
nh detailed statement of the condition Of the public
finances and OF the respective branches of the public
vice deyovcd upon that department of the
By this report appears that the amount of
ceyed from all sources into the treasury during the fiscal
year ending the 30th June, 1857, sixty eight mil
lion six hundred and thirty one thousand five hundred
and thirteen dollars and sxty-seven cents, 1855 $751;
Sl3 go which amount with the balance Of nineteen
million nine hundred and one thousand three hundred
and twenty live dollars and forty-ve cents sOl
J25 45 remaining in the treasury at the commencement
OF the year. made an aggregate for the service of the
Of eighty EIGHT million five hundred and thirty two
thousand eight hundred and thirty nine dollars and
The public expenditures for the fiscal year ending 3Oh
June, 1857 amounted to seventy million eight hundred
and twenty two thousand hundred and twenty four
dollars and eighty five cents $50 s2272 49, of which
Ave million nine hundred and forty three thousand eight
hundred and ninety-six dollars and nnety-one cents
5,943S96 81 were applied to the redemption of the
public debt including interest and premium leaving in
the treasury the commencement of the present fiscal
year the LIST july 1857, seventeen million seven
hundred ten thousand one hundred and fourteen dol
lars and twenty seven cents, (sl7, ITO, ia I'D
The receipts into the treasury for the first quarter of
the present fiscal year. commencing LIST July, 1857
twenty million nine hundred and twenty thousand
eight hundred and nineteen dollars and cents
S20 Sl9 SILL and the estimated receipts of the re-
naming three quarters to the 30th June 1855 are thirty
six million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars
1886 $50 O0O making with the balance before stated an
aggregate of seventy-iye million three hundred and
eighty thousand nine hundred and thirtyour dol
az 4