The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-12-18
Gen, Pierce on Removols

For the benefit of our Democratic friends
hereabouts. who are SO clamorous for the
"spo:ls, we make a few extracts from a
speech delivered by Gen. Pierce. in the Sen.
ate of the United States, July LIST, 1871. He
said:
No Administration that has ever held the
rcins of Government, or that ever will. can af
ford to turn out the public officers who pru.
IDENTIFY, but openly. in the exercise of their un-
doubted rights, have done all within their
scope to sustain the power that conferred upon
them place."
Again he says:
"lwill say-what those friends best acquaint
ed with me knOw-that there ,cas nothing in
the administration Of Gen. Jackson tchich | 50
uniformly failed to justify, as the ren,oral O,
one worthy officer to gice place to another"
The practice of removal from office for opin.
ions sake. had been urged by some one on the
plea OF State necessity. He thus eloquent and
Indignantly refers to and condemns this areu
ment:
at was the plea of the austere and amb
tious STAFFORD. in the days of Charles the First
1t filled the Bastile of France and lent its sane
ton to the terrible atrocities perpetrated there
1t was this plea that snatched the mild, eloquen,
and patriotic Camille Desmoulins from his
young and beautiful wife, and hurried him up
on the hurdle to the guillotine, with thousands
OF others equally unot1ending and innocent. II
was upon this plea, that the greatest of gener
ais. If not of men-you cannot mistake me-
mean him, the presence of whose very ashes
within the last few months, was sufficient tc
stir the hearts of contincnt-it was upon this
plea that he abjured that noble wife who threw
around his humble days light and gladness, and
by her own lofty energies and high intellect
encouraged his aspirations. 1t was upon this
that he committed that worst and most fatal
act of his evcntful life. Upon this, too, he
drew around his person the imperial purple
1t has in all times, and in every age, been the
foe of liberty. and the indispensable stay o.
usurpatOn.
Where were the chains of despotism eve,
thrown around the freedom of speech and Of
the press, but on the plea of = State necessity?'
Let the spirit of Charles X. and of his ministers
answer.
1t is cold, selfish, heartless. and has always
been regardless of age. sex. condition, services
or any of the incidents of life that appeal to
patriotism or humanity
Wherever its authority has been acknowl
edged, it has assailed men who stood by their
country when she ne, dei strong arms and bold
hearts, and has assailed them when, manned
and disabled in her service, they could no Ion.
ger brandish weapon in her defence.
1t has afflicted the feeble and dependent wife
for the imaginary faults of the husband.
1t has stricken down innocence in its beauty
youth in its freshness, manhood in its vigor
and old age in its feeblencss and dccrepitude
Whatever other plea or apology may be set up
for the sweeping, ruthless exercise of this civil
guillotine at the present day, in the name o.
LIBERTY, let US be spared this fearful one Of
"State necessity" in this early age Of the Re.
public, upon the floor of the American Senate
in the face of a people yet free"
Mems opinions sometimes change with change
of position and circumstances. 1t remains to be
seen whether Gen. Pierce is one of this class.