Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-21
Mr.. Ingc then moved the adoption of the re.

SOLUTION.
Virginia voted as Il unit in the negative
Pennsylvania cast 81 votes in the negative. The
resolution was adopted by vote Of aG5 10
S..
Thus, the resolution was finally adopted, in
spite of Virginia. in spite of Pennsylvania, in
spite Of two previous reflections by the whole
Convention, and by the votes OF men who did
not venture 10 advocate il, when they desired
to conc;liatc the votes Of Staunch strctcon.
structoniSt> for their several fayori,c aspironts
to the nomination.
! Not only, then, does the resolution itself AL
nit Of no such constructions as tina, now atirib
! uted TO it by the Prcsidcnt--no, only docs i.
virtually deny the power Of Congress 10 con-
s;ruct, OF to appropriate land or money TO the
construction of Pacific Railroad; BIZ; the I'M
fair manner of its adoption dcpri,es even the
! leaning towards the exercise -! incidental
powers. which mig otherwise he a'iduccd. at
all force or respect Whatsoever. II constitutes
no part Of the Democratic platform. And even
if it had been fairly inserted ii would aicrd no
justification at all for the position which the
President ha, since assumed.
Mr.. Buchanan knew then, as we'll as hc doe,
now that he never could have been nominated
at Cincinnati, had he previously made known
to the people Of Virginia the views which he
now publishes on the subject Of the Pacific
Railroad He accepted their support with a
full knowledge Of the understanding with which
il Was accorded lie thus pledged himself 10
the views Of the people OF Virginia IN this
question The action Of the Pennsylvania
delegation at Cincinnati confirmed the pledge.
Nav, the very resolution TO which he has since
referred if entitled to respect at all. pledges
him to oppose all prctcnSion Of the Generai
( Government 10 the power TO construct or I"
appropriate lands or money to the 'onstrnc-
! ton of Pacific Railroad tnd he Was still fur
thcr pledged by IN, own voluntary AMI express
avowai.
: On the nth of June, 1876, in speech before
the Kcvstonc Club. Mr. Buchanan gave the FOL
! lowing unqualified pledge:
t .'Now that have been placed rpon q plat
form. OF which most heartily approve, and be
! ing the representative Of the great Democratic
pariv, and not simply James Buchanan, must
; square INV conduct according to that platform,
AND INsgEr 40 Ssw PLANK, NOR TASE ONE FROM
IT. That platform is sufficiently broad and ma
tional for the whole Democratic party.
And vet, three months had scarcely elapsed,
before NJ. Buchanan pcnned the following
! letter
WmEArL.S;. ,ncar Lancaster Pa.
Scptr,Tbc: -. lS5'.
To F. W W,,piS.1nS ESQ. Chairman q; ;iic pr.nr-
! cratic State Central Committee of California.
! Sm:-l have received numerous communications
from sources in California eat"d !" high regard ~
reference TO the proposed Pacific Kali load .is i:
would ,c impossible 10. ne TO answer ihcm all |
deem n most proper and respectful 20 address voG g
General answer III YOUR official capacity. In perform
ing this duty 10 the citizens oi California, ac! IL.
perfect consistency with .hc sc-iInpcsci rc>tr!ct"ii
contained in iy letter acccvn. the nomination Tor
III. Presidency, 10; 20 answer nerroa'"ries r''ai,'s
rev anC different issrcs from .E"sa prcsc.tc" 10y The
cincinnati Convention because :ha: Convention ha>
itself adopted resolution II. i''"r 81 '.'' .r'.'
! work.
then desire 20 s,a:c briefly. Tia, c"rrirrig Wita
the Convention am decidedly !mrcrr'," TO tie con-
s,,c,icn .; the Pacific R:i! Road. ana derive ne
authority 20 do thi, from 'hc constitutional power "t1
ryas;cns.' In ny jid-ncn., ton:r,s, Possesses the
,rr rover - make ,rr-rnr:a,ons for :hr cDns.rrc
ton oi this road strictly :"r III" purpose =" ra;;o:,.
defence tha.;, has 20 cree :cr.!'cti@S - ;c mouth
OF tho harDo. Of san fr.Gl>co. Indeed, ;Ac la.',-
si.v, .h view 10 rcr.i foreign !av-pE ir"ln a.!
lr.a j. a. great in he one ease - III" orl. Nt;!i'
will there tc danger from ltc prcccdcr, l"r - 81
mos impossible 20 conceive .i!.t any csc a.!ctd.';
by such extraordinary and unprecedented c:rrl''G-
-t.nc"- c,. ever again occur IN OIL. history.
'''''' JiME BtCHANAx.
Az We have shown, the Cincinnati Conven-
ton not onlv omitted to assert the power Of
the General Government TO construct Pacific
Railroad but the delegates assembled in con-
vention, denied in TITO the possibility Of a
, richtful exercise Of such power. IT all e"cnt|,
it cannot be pretended that Mr. Ingc'> rcso-
luton, ITSELF asserted any power in the General
! Government TO construct the road Tier: r"'
m such ylank IN tie Pletform.
! And after the pledge given to the lnrty in
I the speech before the Keystone Club, binding
the Democratic nominee by his own words, I"
insert 10 ner Fiank in the platform, nc did
volunteer to add a new plank-onc entirely in
consistent with the main body OF the platform {;
one embodving views which he knew would
; have defeated his nomination. had they
been expressed sooner; entirely at variance
! with the known understanding Of the people
of Virginia, who secured his nomination. with
ont whose aid he never could have been noml-
mated and who certainly would have refused
their aid, had they been rightly advised "f Mr..
! Buchanan's intentions.
And apart from all this. the moan:r i'll which
Mr.. Buchanan attempted to force this ncw
plank into the Democratic platform. is eSpccl-
allv opcn to Just exception. 1t will be oi'>erv-
cd. that his letter was written on the 18th OF
September. In justice to public information,
! it should have been published at once to the
whole country; this was not done. 1t was
mailed to California, in such manner that it
couM not be published on this side the Rocky
Mountains. except OH the very eve Of the cleo
ton. n uns rnt pvJii.hti hero nntH after the
| clsctioa.
We arc obliged to disagree with our esteem
cd correspondent, We cannot approve the
Presidents course in this matter.
Still less can We approve the doctrine which
ne expounds. TO our mind. il is more obec-
tionalle more latitudinarian. more '.JtderaF
than any constitutional exposition to bc found
in all the writings Of the elder Adams, or even
of Alexander Hamilton
But time and space ohlise MS to defer 10
another issue the constitutional discussion OF
this question. Still, We will not leave the
question, even for a .lay. withou, throwing the
weight Of mightier argument t!:an ours into
I the scale.