Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-21

the public lands as far Us might hc in accord.
ance with the extent "f benefit accruing 10 the
pubic domain by the improvements Nov hc
asked the Senator from Connecticut in what
particular he fMr. g.. had abando.cd his form
er course: lie gave him timc 10 answer The
Senator vas silent lie could no. specify in
what particular he Mr. c. had abandoned
his course" FIc (Mr. c. thought that, - n
matter of courtesy. before ne venttrcl To make
charge Of this Kind the Senator from Con
nccticut should have examined his Mr. G.
past course and past action on this subject
There never had hcci, u tine when he Mr.. L. }
had mol stood AMI acted on thi, subi.ct in the
sane way. He had voted in that way uni
forny-at ell times. He Mr. e. acted ncy
on the principle Oil which h" i:aa acted from
the bcginuns--a principle perfectly clear and
no, only was it c!.arlr the right OF the to-
vernmcni 10 make these grants. but lac co.iSd-
cred that il was the duty Of the t'ovrrr,incn,
! 10 10 So These were the yiaw- of ,ir. Ca.
honn when the object sought to he "ht'incl
wa, purely local and sectional.
With Mr.. Calhoun. at that time, the leaders
Of the Democratic PARTY acted; theS" grants Of
the public lands we're sanctioned by every De-
lmocratic President. and no man in the Senate
or o.t Of il ever questioned the dbs"|"it CON
troi oi Congress over the public domain
h.d when this great :nel>nrc-thc Pacific
Railrra,i-is before them n measure purely
national, which builds up and sustain, no local
Interest,", involving the same principle As those
to which they are already committed by their
votes. they seem to be driven from II. support
BY the contemplation of the magnitude Of the
intrrcs; involved. and tax. shelter behind the
known prciul'r- of the party 10 interra! ir!-
provtmcnt bv the General Government. That
question is not involved ia the ncdc proposed
for tiir construction # this r"lti. The views
al ':en"ra! ca>S this suLicc: fully sustain
this Dosiiiori i,tneyll lnsS j. :: warm SUP
porter cf tl;, enterprise. Mii in viadi"at;ou al
! his consistency, refer t. his speech in May.
/ ls4s. in support Of f'iil granting to Illinois
lands 10 construct Il railroad from the Ohio to
the Likes al Chicago. Referring 10 that bill,
General Ciss said: This hill doc. not touch
the question OF Internal improve cmcnt At all.
II asserts no right On the part o! this Govern
meot {" lay ont rjad. or regulate the con-
strurtiun Of 4 road The FEDERAL GovernmcL,
is :: great iandho'icr: i! possesses an exten-
sive public Domain; and. ID Ierc iha ie"e',
usjer tie Coa,isiHtior. to d'tp9.s 81 Hd .}@-
/ n,oia--cyM rGry MsijmHci ."r.r i Is.
Tie simple question is. what disposition ;ve
may make OF the public lamS No one will
t contend for the doctrine that c;,nno! give
| them away tJ St3t.. ls III" Senator rom
/ Kentucky la, said, ever President fa> sisncl
bills asserting tn principle that these lands
NAV 10 dSpo-cd "f 10y the General Govern
lncnt without restriction - 10 the purpose of
such disposition In support 81 this bill, Mr.
Bcaton said: - ,ha!l. With grca, pleasure.
yot. for this bill before thu SENATE: and hope
! that the construction Of the contemplated rail-
rcoi will produce similar beneficial results to
those effected by the canal. trctcrring to the
Michigan ranal.j The length Of the road maScl
no difference To me- Mr. Calhoun. in support
oi the same bill said - docs not hciong Ia
the category q. internal improvements at all
it is not power claimed bv the Government a
: a Government II hclongS 10 the GoycrnmcG:
a. landed proprietor. And will add that it
is no; only right hu, duv. and IN mpor-
tant duty" From this weight Of authority.
snbmi; whether the construction oi this road
cal, IT,. REGARDED aS violation o! .hc ConSr;i:-
ton.
The time has roinc when this measure must
hr discussed through the pre-, and hctor" the
lroplc. They carnot understand why il i that
tl..ir representatives in thu Cincinnati Conyen
ton ,iecarc tn. Pacific railroad q lir.,Sirc o!
vital Importance 10 the nation and express them
>"ly", To- hr in favor OF that Measure, and when
they are called upon ~ carry oh! their resolves
hr t!i.. President whom thcr HAY. r.I;t "i that
Platform and vino thus sIa;i'- committed 10 the
rnca-urr rhcv abandon hun and by their "r-
tipu declare that they have required "t hl'l
vhl; the Constitution ,ip,.- not ALLOW and what
hs oath to support tia; Constitution viii ~,
prrni; him I" 10.
This j. the position oar representatives IN
Congrc>, and the Senate occup;. can"9i ,ec
hcw .,r't actinn can he justified. canHot IN
aginc why j, is tlat ,lic press "i Nirgin'a-
'Imctc.,!arly yo;ir iadcp:Ed,Gt and fearless pa
per,-ihat great generator of pubic sentiment,
through its thousands of channels, does not
take rp this subject and do Justice {" this
great enterprise. This subject has II ken hole!
on tn: people For nearly ten years the a,tcn-
;iou %! this nation has been ilte} on California
q. and our Pacific coast. Nearly every family has
a representative there. They cannot realize tho
;.rt that the stars and stripes warc over them
:i ION. Is they :.rc dependent oil foreign ma
ton, for permission Ia 20 and return 10 ,licrn.
Thcy must remember that the great motive
power oi this country is public opinion.
Whether right or wrong. i; swayS The Coz
.,rucnt rs y pendulum: swift ami terrible ~
tic tornado. It, in obscure and in invisible
sources. rises in it, mi.hf ana sweeps n'onran
valley aud plain.
Thus the public mind ri thi- nation is heinz
prepared for this great work. Public men my
think TO feed the public min" with wrong
about h hc p"rpctratcd: they may present I"
their yi.w the .ha>tly spectacle o! bleeding
aud violated CONSTITUTIONS: Int by all til, their
purpo." is not t" b. shaken. They sill dHrland
To- know why von "r some "nc Of v"u have not
raised your warnn. voices when Democratic
Presidents. sustained hy u Democratic Con
.re>, and senate. were sivin. the public lands
for railroads. They know what YOU has" seen.
and also that vou have assisted to gran;
enough land, to tho ,iIicrcns State
to make this Pacific Railroad They will
desire To know whcr. Congress derived the
bower 10 gran, larg. subsidies 10 your Atlantic
steamers and also to make heavy appropriations
To aid in their construction. This know IS
justified, for the reason that the national lie
fence REQUIRE: it. The power is in this rla'','
Of the constitutions Congress has power I"
provide for the national defence and general
we,:,rc." II all the Democratic Presidents
have under This clause found power 4" 'onStr'''t
military roads. remove Instructions IN National
highways. clear out rivers and har5or>. and
oiye 81 .nnn. .d1n ;o MAKE and sustain ocean
steamers. owr,.i hy others than the Govern
mcnt, cannot see why. cr in what manner.
that power in the Federal Government has
BEEN exhausted. unless it was exhausted when
they voted appropriation, for the survey oi
several routes for this Pacific Railroad.
These surveys have been made. all Of which
are more favorable than could have been OK
pcctcd; all of them vindicatc the entire prarti-
cabity OF the enterprise. The surveyors re-
port that the route through arkansas, Texas.
to the Gila down that river to near its entrance
into the Colorado river, thence 10 san Diego. or
the Pacific. as the one presenting fewer obSta
cle>. better climate, and abundant in all e!c-
rncn,s for It's construction. Should thi- route
he selected. our connection with the M>>issi T.
pi at Memphis will be- the shortest read t" thc