Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-22
The Pacific Railroad Question Discussed The
Action Of the Democratic Convention 1.-The
Presidents Course Condemned.
ErOm the Richmond Empire.

cinnati platform pledge the Democratic par
" to the recognition Of the constitutionallty
Of Federal appropriations to the c"nStruc'
ton of the Pacific Railroad?
Let us see what the Cincinnati Convention
really did Oh this question, and hor 1t was
done.
The proposed platform Of the Democratic
party was reported 10 the Convention and
when laid before the Convention. the report
was authenticated by the signature OF the
Chairman OF the Committee on Resolutions
The resolutions thus reported were adopted
by the Convention, without alteration oI
omission.
The authorized report of the proceeding
of the Convention, also sets forth a report OF
an additional resolution. How this was re-
ported, or by whom, does not appear. Ger
tainly it was not accompanied with the sigma
ture of the Chairman of the Committee on
Resolutions. This resolution. entitled re
solution with respect IL overland commune
cation with the Pacific" reads a. follows:
"Re.oircd, That the Democratic party rccog-
nises the great Importance. i'll political and com
mcrca point of view, of Il safe and speedy com
munication. by military and postal roads. through
our own territory. between the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts of this Union. and that il j. the duty Of the
Federal Government TO exercise promptly all H.
constitutional power Tor the attainment OF that OH
jcct."
Now it is evident that this resolution IN
no manner assumes the constitutional powers
of Congress to appropriate lands or money
to the construction of IA military or postal
road to the Pacific. 1t merely insists that
the Federal Government shall employ such
constitutional power as it possesses Tor the
attainment of that object What are the
constitutional powers i'll question, by means
of which any aid Incidental or otherwise.
can be extended, the resolution does not At
tempt To notwithstanding these powers e
the same cxpositions which the Democratic
party had always applied The resolution
carefully abstainS from recognizing any con-
stitutional power in Congress. to construct.
or to appropriate lands or money to the con-
struction Of Pacific Railroad. More than
that, tie resolution, by its OwH terms. erclUdeS
the coacIuSion that sUrh po~erS ca" be- erfr-
cised. HpIHnly m'mits M0t the comm"mi""-
ton betrecn tie Ih0ntic and Ht"ifc is 10 b"
pIored in Hc r0feymY 81 POSTAL omt mMt"'H
rOods. Now even Mr.. Buchanan. or Sena-
tor Davis. will not pretend thai the power To
establish post roads, involves power 10
construct them, or 10 appropriate land or
money to their construction. The Drmocra-
tic doctrine in this respect has been fixed be-
yond the possibility of cayil. Among roads
already constructed. Congress has the power
to select the best for mail transportation and
thus to cSfdbiiSh them as post roads. Any
other construction Of the word establish,
would attribute 10 Congress an unlimited
power to construct internal Improvements
throughout the Union. Moreover. military
and postal roads are claSscd together i'll the
resolution above quoted. and il cannot be
pretended to construe the mention Of one in
to justification of Internal improvements
bv the Federal Government. without apply
ing the same construction To The other.
The most, then. that can be said for the
resolution i. that while it denies all power
TO construct, or Ia appropriate lands or money
for construction. it leaves room for the mpli-
cation that Congress may exercise some other
powers. not specified. by which to aid or en-
courage the construction by private enter
prise and private means.
Nevertheless, both Pennsylvania and Nir-
gina were unwilling to offer opportunity
even for this narrow implication: and on the
morton of a delegate from Delaware. Mr..
Salisbury he reSoIniioH ~as iod on the IT,
bic bva vote Of lj4 to 40.
Afterwards. delegate from California,
Mr.. Imgr, moved for suspension Of the
rules with view to reconsider the vote lay
inc this resolution on the table. PennSy Iva
MIA and Virginia again interpo>ed, casting
unit votes against Mr.. lngcs motion. which
was lost-ycas III. nays l15.
THus. Mc resciution woS t~jrc detcdt"d be-
fare the Conremtion. And this occurred pre-
vious to the nomination of Mr. Buchanan.
Itfe,. Tire IreSidcntim Hominotjon rdS
mule. the same resolution was again brought
before the Convention. Mr.. Thompson, of
Mississippi. moved to lay it on the table
The vote Of Virginia was east as ii unit for
Mr.. Thompson's motion. Pennsylvania vo-
ted aS unit against it. The motion was lost.
Immediately. Il member of the Virginia
delegation. Mr.. Fisher, Of Northampton.
taxed the Pennsylvania delegation with an
faithfunc>s 10 their Understanding
them that Mr.. Buchanan never could have
obtained the vote of Virginia for his nomi-
nation, except with the understanding that
the Pennsylvania delegation pledged him
and themselves To uncompromiSing opposi-
ton To every attempt 10 involve the party III
a recognition of Federal competency to assist
the construction Of Pacific Railroad.
Mr.. Phelps, of Missouri, then moved To
suspend the rules. with Il view to bring the
Convention to Il direct vote on the resolution.
Virginia voted H. uuit against the rc>oIu-
ton. six Of the Pennsylvania delegation
also voted against it The motion, however
was carried
Mr.. Fisher again cxpo>tuatcl with the re-
naming members of the Pennsylvania dele
CATION.
Mr.. Ingc then moved til" adoption of the
resolution.
Virginia voted n unit in the negative
PrnnSy lyania cast 81 votes in the Negative
The resolution was adopted by i vote Of 2Oj
To- II.
Thus. the resolution was finally adopted
in spite Of Virginia, in spite of Pe4nSy Iva
mia. in spite of two previous reflections by the
whole Convention. and by the votes Of men
who did not venture 70 advocate 1t vixen
thoy desired IL o"ncilata the VOTES Of ,tnunch
trict-constructioni~t, for their several iayo-
rite aspiruntS to the nomination.
Not only then. does the resolution itself
admit If no such construction n that now
attributed to it bv the Prcsidcnt-not only
does it virtually deny the bower Of Congress
t. construct, OF t" appropriate land or mo-
nev 10 the construction ola Pacific Railroad:
but the unfair manner Of its adoption de-