New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-01-20
FROM WAsHIHGT0Y.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Is, 1889.
TIE Senate has bestowed a very large portion OF
IN time, since the beginning Of the session, 10
skeustipg the Pacific Rsirosd. The questions II
has considered have been, pa,re 10 make 1t, and
Ase to make il. On both points there i' an end
Hes diversity Of opinion. Mr.. Mason OF virginia
Yesterday recommended a recoInmi lmeDt oil the
bib, assigning as a the existing cruhity Oh
spinion among its friends, s expressed 10 inc
debate.
There vas truth in Mr.. MasOns criticism. rev
Of the advocates of the bill see far into the suees
and fewer still see through il. Mr.. Simmons OIL
Rhode Island treated it yesterday 10 ITS hninclai
.,peets with great significance and ability. Mr..
a;r,,,n. "a in favor of the road but desires IL 70
no understood that it is stupendous project, IN
voying the expenditure Of hundreds Of millions OF
ieJI.ry that il never can be- made by any private
somnanv and whenever il is undertaken IN earnest
The Government must build it and open the ball by
borrowing the trfe Of hundred millions ID Europe
20 begin with
But the great body Of Senatorial opinion upon
the subject is vague and spongy. There Is no clear
conception Of it's magnitude, for there s little or no
practical experience in regard to such questions
and very little capacity for d. aliDg with such asub-
ject in that body. OF all men TO project and carry
out scheme of building railroad TO the Paclhc
or indeed, railroad anywhere, the members oil
Congress are the most incompetent, and unhes-
HatiDgly hazard the prediction that the event. II
we ever come to il, will justify the Judgment. a
large portion of the members do not know what IT
il proper TO do, and still larger portion do not
care popular government is the last agency IN
the world that should be entrusted with such g-
rantic expenditure Of the money OF the people, on
such an enterprise. The Government VIII wallow
in mire of corruption before it can get 5OO miles
Of road built and entertain no doubt That such is
the design of some of the most active promoters Of
the road.
But we have entered on an era of corruption that
must eliminate somewhere, and perhaps some
think it may as well eliminate on the Pacific Rail
read az anywhere else. AT all events there 10 dan
ger that it will do so. Not that the road 10 likely
TO be started at present. for circumstances are just
row unfavorable but on the next financial Hood we
may look TO see the scheme ioated. The energy
with which il is pressed now is an earnest OF what
we may then look for.
IL ia Scripture saying that ofenses must come,
but woe unto him by whom they come This is
n fast age and the developments Of this continent
are among its most significant phenomena. The
career of this Government as 1T now looms before
the imagination, is calculated to excite quite as
much apprehension as hope. Representative
government is on trial 4" is remark attributed to
the husband of the Queen Of EDgland. To no part
Of the world is the remark applicable as to this.
But our national responsibilities are carried nightly
by the ever.shifting shoulders that bear them. Our
most permanent rulers are six-yea men, the great
body of them but two and four. How easy Is 1T
for these TO commit the very grayest Offenses and
scout the idea of the "wOe." " Alter ire the
deluQe" il the sentiment of the crest mass OF our
lawmakers. live for my hour, and when number
one is at stake why should consult the interests OF
the millions who don't know me, and Will never
thank me for any sacrifice may make What
self-iIterest prompts is my heaven, what II abhors
IL my hell. Is not this the sentiment OF our law
makers See the votes on the late Pension bill IN
the House. An overwhelming majority against 1t
in their inmost souls and yet "a majority OF two to
one in its favor on the pOtc Isn't representative
government on its trial How great are ofenses
to be when Pacific Railroad project enters such q
BODY as that See the vote OF the last few years on
the IMMIGRANTS and the bounty lands. Were they
honest and statesmanlike2 lie not {" representative
government on trial. Recall the disgusting
scramble of the last Congress for the tail ends of
the book swiDde as il was disappearing for the last
time Scores of honorable NJ C.s, honorable by
courtesy making grabs OF money that gave to each
few hundred dollars, in Il way that Barnegat
wrecker would be ashamed of. What ls polite,
what is WISE what is statesmanllke and patriotic,
in reference to body like that Is il not clearly
70 Lead il not into temptation What so clear rs
the necessity of keeping all gigantic Pacific Rail
road projects out of it See the blessed City of
New.Yo and the blessed State thereof Is there
NO serious intim alton there that representative
government is ON trial And what are they
but the advance guard of the whole American sys-
TEN Every legislative experience OF our history
where there has been a development touching the
subject has taught but one lesson. That is. limit
limit, limit the function of legislators Do II by
theory, do it by practice. Do it by constitutions
do il by instructions from the constituency, do 1t
BY public opinion. Only by doing it can We, as a
nation, avoid the gulf that yawns before US. Put
the iron heel on all Pacific Railroad projects
Stamp them out as you would sparks around a
magazine.
But would you hazard your Pacific possessions. in
the event Of \ war with first rate naval power :
is the ready suggestion in offset Distant posses
sops are not lost in any war; by being temporarily
captured. A war with England would not be set
tied on Pacific seas or on Pacific coasts, but on the
eastern slopes OF the Aleehanies, and the Gulf
shores; on the soil of ireland and in the harbOrs
Of England, and ON the high seas OF the world.
Thus would contest be perpetual d, till mutual
exhaustion led to mutual surrenders, and till both
belligerepts like two exhausted DULLES, were too
tired TO fight more. Even il we had a railroad to
the Pacific, it might be question whether We
would not think 1t time aud money lost to make
the necessary expenditure TO defend our entire Pa
eifc coast. All history shows the futility Of the
objection when weighed against the vital cansldera-
tons it is flung out 10 oppose. J. =. p.