The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-01-05

due to these last mentioned contractors
as well as to make the necessary an
preparations for the current fiscal wear.
The failure to pass the Postoffice bill
necessarily gives birth to serious re-
Elections. Congress, by refusing to
pass the general appropriation bills
necessary to carry on the government.
may not only arrest its action, but
might even destroy its existence. The
army, the judiciary-in short, every
department of government-ean no
longer perform their functions if Con
gress refuses the money necessary for
their support If this failure should
teach the country the necessity of cleo
ting full Congress in sufficient time
to enable the President to convene
them in any emergency, even immedi-
ately after the old Congress has expired
it will have been productive of great
good. Wa
In time of sudden and alarming
danger, foreign or domestic, which all
nations must expect to encounter in
their progress, the very salvation of
our institutions may be staked upon
the assembling of Congress without
delay. If, under such circumstances,
the President should find himself in the
condition in which he was placed at
the close of the last Congress, with
nearly half of the States of the Union
destitute of Representatives, the con-
sequence might be disastrous. /, there
fore, recommend to Congress to carry
into effect the provision of the Consti-
tuition on this subject, and to pass a
law appointing day for the election
of electors for President and Vice
President, and this measure has been
approved by the country.
would again express most decided
opinion in favor of the construction of
Pacific Railroad, for the reasons
stated in my two last annual messages.
When | refectupon what would be the
defenceless condition of our States and
Territories west of the Rocky Noun
tains, in case of war with a naval
power sufficiently strong to interrupt
all intercourse with them by the routes
across the Isthmus, am still more con-
WINGED than ever of the importance of
this railroad | have never doubted
the constitutional competency of Con-
gress. to provide for its construction,
but this is exclusively under the war
making power. Besides, the constitu-
ton expressly requires, as an imperative
duty, "that the constitution shall pro-
tect each of them (the States) against
invasion" am at loss to know how
this protection can be afforded to Cal
ifornia and Oregon against such naval
power by any other means.
repeat the opinion contained in my
last annual message, that it would Ice
inexpedient for the government to un-
dertake this great work by agents of
its own appointment and under It's di-
rect and exclusive control. This
would increase the patronage of the
executive to dangerous extent, and
would foster system Of jobbing and
corruption which no vigilance on the
part of Federal officials could prevent.
The construction of this ought there
fore to be entrusted to Incorporated
companies, or other agencies, who
would exercise that active and vigilant
supervision over it which can be in
spired alone by sense of corporate
and individual interest. | venture to
assert that the additional cost of trans
porting troops, munitions of war, and
necessary supplies for the army across
the vast Intervening plains to our pos
sessions on the pacific coast, would be
greater in such war than the whole
amount required to construct the road.
And yet this resort would, after all, be
inadequate for their defense and pro-
lection.
We have yet scarcely recovered from
the habits Of extravaganza expenditures
produced by our OVERLOOKING treasury
during several years prior to the com
mencement of my administration. The
financial reverses which we have since
experienced ought to teach us all to
scrutinize our expenditures with the
greatest vigilance, and to reduce them
to the lowest possible point. The ex-
ecutive Departments of the Govern
ment have devoted themselves to the
accomplishment of this object with
considerable success, as will appear
from their different reports and esti-
mates. To these / invite the scrutiny
of Congress, for the purpose of reduc-
ing them still lower, if this be practical
BILE, consistent with the great public
interests of the country In aid of the
policy of retrenchment | pledge myself
to examine closely the bills appropri-
ating land or money, SO that if any of
these should inadvertently pass both
houses, as must sometimes be the case,
| may afford them an opportunity for
reconsideration. At the same time
we ought never to forget that true pub
lie economy consists, not in withhold
ing the means necessary to accomplish
important national objects confded to
us by the Constitution, but in taking
care that the money appropriated for
these purposes shall be faithfully and
frugally expended.
1t will appear from the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury that it is ex-
tremely doubtful, to say the least,
whether we shall be able to pass
through the present and next fiscal
year without providing additional rev.
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