The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-08-18


We have been somewhat amused by
the parade making in the Locofoco jour
nails, in regard to what they call very
humorously the negative strength" of
their Presidential candidate. This seems
to us very much as if we should praise a
woman for her negative beauty"-or a
tradesman for his "negative honesty"
And yet there is curious felicity in this
phrase as applied to General Pierce.
His whole career, civil and political, is
made up of negatives of the most extra
ordinary character and its strength,
therefore, if it is not negative, is nothing.
Mr. Pierce is very clever gentleman,
but what he has done in this world to
occupy eight mortal columns of the
newspapers, with broad columns and
small type, his best friends will be the
most puzzled to answer. We have read
the whole eight columns, as they appear.
ed originally in the Boston Post, and
have been copied into the Washington
Union. We have read them with amaze.
ment. His worst enemies could not
have wished for more opportune or ia
tai publication.
Three columns of the eight are devo-
ted to the connexion of General Pierce
with the Mexican war. This is simply
ludlcrous. We had hoped for the sake
of an amiable man that his friends would
not seek to make hero or soldier OF
him, General Pierce knows as well as
any one how little he deserves such a
reputation. From the first moment he
landed in Mexico, General Pierce relied
entirely on the advice and directions of
the young officers of the regular army
VINO were in his staff or within his reach.
He never hesitated to avow his entire
ignorance of military affairs, and his alb
solute unftness for his new employment
and in this he showed much more good
sense than his friends do in claiming q
military character for him. We have
have no doubt that he is brave man
but he possesses no military aptitude
and he resigned his commission the first
moment he could do it with propriety
ayowing than he had mistaken his voca.
tion, 1t may well be said that he would
have distinguished himself by his gal
lantry, if he had been favored with an
occasion; but succession of accidents
and misfortunes withdrew him from the
field on several critical moments, Just as
the time arrived for winning laurels
But the difficulty in General Pierce's
case is more deeply seated than this. II
is not merely that his military character
is one of exclusively negative strength,
but his civil career is equally remarka
BILE in his regard. He was some years
in the New Hampshire legislature, and
it is not pretended that he accomplished
anything worthy of mention in that in
teresting assembly.
AS member of the House of Repre-.
sentatives of the United States in June
1886. he voted against the bill making
additional appropriations for the Della
ware breakwater. and for certain har-
bors, removing Instructions in and at the
mouths of certain rivers, and for other
purposes, for tho year 1886" 1t can
not be claimed thet he rendered any par
ticular service by this vote, for the bill
was passed, and few days afterwards
received the signature of General Jack
son.
At the same session Mr.. Pierce voted
against the bill making appropriation
for the improvement of certain harbori
therein mentioned" This was mega
tive" but not very effective one; fol
this bill, in spite of Mr.. Pierce's mega
tion passed both Houses of Congress, ant
was signed by General jackson.
At the same session he voted agains
the bill to continue the Cumberland