Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-22

On tue 9th If June, 1856. in speech be-
fore the Keystone Club, Mr.. Buchanan gay"
the following unqualified pledge:
Now that | have been placed upon y
platform. of which most heartily approve.
and being the representative OF the great
Democratic party. and not simply James
Buchanan, | must square my conduct ac-
cordng 10 that platform, AND INSERT 40 NEW
PLANK. NOR TAKE ONE FROM IT. That plat
form is sufficiently broad and national for
the whole Democratic party
And vet, three month, had scarcely clap
scd. before Mr.. Buchanan pcnncI the follow
ing letter:
WnEATLANp NEAR Lancaster PA.
September IL. lSJ6.
TO B. +. WAsHiNGrOS. esq. Chairman Of the Dem
orratic State Central Committee of California: ;
SRI have received numcrou, communications
from sources in California entitled to high regard,
in reference To the proposed Pacific Rail Road.-
A. it would he impossible for me to answer them
all. deem il most proper and respectful To address
YOU general answer in your official capacity. In
performing thi, duty to the citizen. of California
act in perfect consistency with the selt-imposed
restriction contained III my letter accepting the
nomination for the Presidency not 10 answer in
tcrrogatoric. raising new and different issues from
, ~
cause that Convention has itself adopted 4 rcSplu-
ton in favor of this great work.
! then desire 10 state. briefly, that c0ncurrlng
with the Convention. | am decidedly favorable TO
the construction Of the Pacific Railroad. and
derive the authority to do this from the conSitu-
tiunal power Ito declare war" and the cousttu-
tiunal duty Ito rcpcl nvasons.' In my Judgment.
Congress possesses the same power to make appro-
prationS for the construction Of this road. strictly
4 e, ,I,.,ti In.t IN
erect Notifications at the mouth of the harbor of
San Francisco Indeed the necessity. with view
10 rcpcl foreign invasion from California is great
i'm the one ease ~ the other Neither will there be
danger from the precedent. for 1t is almost lmppS-
>iblc ~ conceive that any case attended by such
extraordinary and Unprecedented circumstances
can ever again occur in our history. Yours. very
respectfully, JAMES BUCHANAN.
Aswc have shown, the Cincinnati Convcn-
ton not only omitted to assert the power OF
the General Government 10 construct Il Pa
rfic Railroad but the delegates assembled in
convention, denied in "to the possibility Of
righttul exercise Of such power. At all
events. it cannot he pretended that Mr. lnge'S
resolution. itself. asserted any power i'll the
General Government 10 construct the road.
There ray M SWch piankW Me pi0tt1rm.
And after the pledge given TO the party i'll
the speech before the keystone Club. bind
ing the Democratic nominee by his own
words. IL ''inscf M new PUNK Ill the plat
form. he did volunteer to add Il new plank
one entirely inconsistent with the main body
Of the platform: one cmbodying views which
he knew would have defeated his nomlna-
ton. had they been expressed sooner: entire
" at variance with the known understand
luz of the people of Virginia, who secured
his nomination, without whose aid he never
could have been nominated. and who certain
" would have refused their aid, had they
been rightly advised of Mr. Buchanan'S in
tehtOns.
And apart from all this, the m""ne, in
which Mr. Buchanan attempted to force this
new plank into the Democratic platform, l.
especially open 10 Just exception. twill be
observed, that his letter was written on the
l7th of September. In justice t" public m
formation, it should have been published
Mt once to the whole country; this was not
done ltwaS mailed To California, i'll such
manner that it co"id MT be published on this
side the Rocky Mountains, except Oh the
very eve of the election. HwaS not pHbitShed
here until after Tire eie"iio".
We cannot approve the Presidents course
in this matter
Still less can we approve the doctrine
which he expounds To our mind. it is
more Objectionable. more latiudinarian,
more '.t;HTuI.' than any constitutional ex-
position to be found in all the writings of
the elder Adams. or even of Alexander liam
iltou