The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-22
The Pacific Railroad, the Administration
and the Richmond Enquirer.

on the Pacific Railroad, in which Mr. Buchanan
is handled with some apparent vindictiveness, as
having been guilty of deception, treachery and
falsohood towards the Virginia democracy upon
this important subject
Reducing the accusations thus levelled at the
President to q few words. they are---fhst, Tha!
Mr.. Buchanan knew at the time of toe Cincin-
natl Convention. as well as he does now, that
'had he previously made known to the people of
Virginia the views which he now publishes Oh
the subject Of the Pacific Railroad, he never
could have been nominated. 2. That he ac-
cepted his nomination with this understanding
g. That he thus pledged himself to the people Of
Virginia. a. That the action of Pennsylvania
in the Convention confirmed this pledge. s.
That the resolution adopted by the Convention
gave him no authority for his subsequent course.
G. That after his pledge to the contrary he in
serted this new plank in the Cincinnati platform.
!. That his Pacific Railroad letter of 1856 to
the California democracy was 'open to just ex-
ception- that sit was mailed to California in
such manner that it could not be published on
this side the Rocky Mountains, except on the
very eve of the election and twas not pub.
lished here until after the election"
Such are the specifications in the premises
levelled at Mr. Buchanan. But the proceedings
of the Cincinnati Convention recited by the
Enquirer to prove its accusations against the
President, prove only the dirty trickery and
double dealing of the Juggling managers of that
convention. Thus it appears that the Pacific
Railroad resolution, which, like Orator Puff, has
'two tones to its voice." was twice rejected be-
fore the nomination of Mr.. Buchanan, and that
then its adoption was only achieved through the
infdelity of the Pennsylvania delegates to
their pledges How the resolution ''was reported
CT by whom, does not appear. Certainly it was
not accompanied with the signature of the Chair.
man of the Committee on Resolutions"
1t is thus sufficiently evident that this Pacific
Railroad resolution was struggled into the Gin
cinnati platform. But Mr.. Buchanan found it
there; and it was not his business to inquire
how it got there, no more than it was his bust
ness to go behind the legal facts and antecedents
connected with the Lecompton constitution.
The resolution in question: we admit, is very
ingeniously constructed two-faced concern, as
our party convention manifstoes upon ticklish
questions always are. 1t is admissible of the
strict construction applied by the En-
quira but it is more clearly admissible
of the more liberal construction adopt
ed by Mr.. Buchanan. And admitting
the fact that Mr.. Buchanan did send out to Cali
foTna, in 1856, his letter declaring his belief in
the constitutional form of the federal govern
ment to build railroad to the Pacific, so late in
the campaign that the letter was not published
on this side the Rocky Mountains until after
the election" what right have the Virginia
democracy to complain, when the great object of
Mr.. Buchanan was to save the democratic party
Of the Atlantic coast from tumbling to pieces
upon Southern abstraction
According to the campaign proclamations of
Gov Wise, and other leaders Of the Southern
chivalry, the salvation of the Union depended
upon the election of Mr. Buchanan for in the
event Of Fremont's success, they had threatened
to march Southern army upon Washington
and to carry off all the ready cash in the Trea-
sury and the archives of IT, government Thus
the publication of that California letter in vir-
ginia before the election might have resulted in
the dreadful calamity of the destruction of the
government through the seizure Of the federal
capital and the robbery of the "exchequer' by
a Southern army under Gov. Wise; and so the
Virginians ought to be thankful that Mr.. Bu-
chanan averted this calamity by his judcious
course in regard to that California letter.
With this defence of Mr.. Buchanan, we
are drawn to an inquiry into the purposes
of this deliberate assault upon his We
racity and honesty by the Richmond Enquirer
The editors of that paper may have their pri-
vate grievances; but into these we care not to
inquire. The present position, and the late
alterations of Gov. Wise. as democratic aspirant
for the succession, will servo our purpose The
Enquirer is his mouth-piece and devoted organ
ard its opinions concerning the administration
show us exactly the whereabouts of Mr. WISE
Breaking ground against Mr.. Buchanan upon the
Lecompton question, the Governor has continued
since that day to hold very equivocal position
as member of the democratic church. Through
the Enquirer he was prompt to aggravate his re-
"
citation of the late annual message of the Presi-
dent, in reference to the Pacific railroad, Mexico
Central America, Cuba, general bankrupt law
and the tariff question. He has now pushed his
hostility to the extremity ola viudictve personal
attack in which, though vulgar epithets are
avoided, the most offensive accusations are en-
bodied. We must conclude, therefore, that Gov.
Wise and his followers have cut loose from the
administration, and that this his last manifesto
through the Richmond Enquirer, is formal deca-
ration of war.
What then. Only another factlous organiza-
ton within the lines Of the democratic camp.
We have seen, from the proceedings of the
asst and the present session of Congress.
that there is anything but ''happy accord''
between the administration and the Southern
democratic ultras, fire-eaters and malcontents
Of every description. We presume that the
1oodorc If Tho pariy IN V;ro;r;a u...-,