The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-07-02
NTJMBER- -la.
4 Beaatifal Letter q fromc cenerai Fierc

4 ~ IS wen known 1Ddt Mr. POLK 0tiefe
EGen. PIERCE sept in his cabinet,. and tina
the latter declined the Offer The correspon
deuce on the subject between the President,
and Mr.. PIGRcE, was not at the time made
fpubhc, and has only recently appeassd.--
when the intelligence Of Gen. PlERcE'snom-
ihation at Baltimore, reached Concord, N.
II; an enthusiastic meeting was held rongrat.
lulatory Of the.resuIt. Il was on that occa-
sion that The. correspondence alluded 10 was
first made known, and through an old conf
dental friend ofGen. PlERcE. The follow
| ing is an extract from the letter Of President
Polk: 80
'It gives me sincere pleasure to invite you
to accept q place in my Cabinet. by rendering
70 YOU the etflce Of Attorney General Of ihe
United States. Ihave selected you for, this
important office from my personal knowledge
Of you, and without the solicitation OF sug-
gestion Of any one. j have done so because
! have no doubt your persona! association
with me would be pleasant, and from the
consideration that in the discharge of the du-
ties of The, office, you could render me impor-
tant aid in conducting my administration.
In this instance. at least, the Office has sought
the man, and not the man the office, andI
hope you may accept it."
The reply of General PfsRcs will delight
the reader for the simplicity and beauty Of its
style, and the sentiments of attachment 10
domestic life free from the cares of public
station, which it expresses. Here tits igaa
CONCORD, N. H: Sept 8. 1886. =
My Dear Sir:-Your letter Of the 27th,
was receiveda week since Nothing could Z
have been more unexpected, and considering !,
the importance OF the proposition in great
variety Of aspects, trust you win not think
there has oeen unreasonably delay in arriving
at a decision. With my pursuits for the
last few years, and my present tastes, no po.
sition. III were in situation on the whole
to desire public employment, could be SO ac-
ceptable as the one which your partiality has
offered. se .Se
Iought not perhaps, in justice to the high
motives by which know you are governed,
10 attribute yourselection to personal friend
oulp, uut IIouuOL uOuUt lIul yOul
| in the matter has been somewhat warped by
your feelings. When saw the mannerin
which you had cast your Cabinet, was,
struck by the fact that, from the entire range
of my acquaintance formed at Washington.
you could not have called around YOU men
with whom it was my fortune to be better
acquainted or of whom eniertaineda a more
delightful recollection, than Mr.. Buchanan,
Mr.. Walker, Mr. Mason, and Mr.. Johnson.
A place in your Cabinet, therefore, so far as
personal association is concerned, could not
be more agreeable had the whole been subject
my own choice,
When Iadd that your important measures
in the foreign and home administrations Of
| The government have commanded not mere
'Ily the appreciation, of my judgment, but my
grateful Acknowledgements as an American
citizen, you will see how desireable ON every
ground connected with the administration,
the Office rendered would be to me, and vet
after mature consideration, am constrained
10 decline it. Although the early years OF
my manhood were devoted 10 public life, it
was really never suited to my taste. Hong
ed (as lam sureyou must often have done, J
| for the quiet and independence that belongs
only to the private citizen, and now, at forty
Ifeel that desire stronger than ever AZ
/ Coming Unexpectedly as this Offer does, it
would be difficult, il not impossible, to ar
range The business of an extensive practice,
between this and the first Of Nov. in manner
at all satisfactory to myself, or to those who
have committed their interests TO my care,
E land who rely on my services. Besides you
know that Mrs. Pierce's health while at
Washington was very delicate-it is, | fear
even more SO now, and the responsibility
which the proposed change would necessari.
ly impose upon her ought probably in them
selves to constitute an insurmountable OBJ
lection 10 our rleaving ou. quiet home for a
publicstation at Washington.
I These are some Of the considerations which
!, have influenced my decision. You will not
: believe that have weighed my personal con-
, venience and ease against the public interest,
especially as the Office is one which, ifnot
sought, would be readily accepted bygentle-
: men who would bring 10 your aid attain
ments and qualifications vastly superior 10
mine iss 4j
IF Accept my grateful Acknowledgements, and
believe me, truly and faithfully, your friend
e g A1s N FRANK PlERCE.s )
4 H