The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-07-24
SAINT PAUL. MINNESOTA TERRITORY SATURDAY, JULY a. 1852

tory. IGreat cheers and laughter. +
There is general for you; laughter
and cheers +; general of Mr.. Polk's
appointment l have been told by a gen.
tleman that that was the best appointment
which Mr.. Polk made. God save the
mark! [Laughter.] replied to the
gentleman that did not know about this
appointment being the best. He replied,
Decidedly the best" l replied that |
could not understand how that could be.
The gentleman answered, "Why, be-
cause, in the first place, he had the can
dor to admit tha, he was no general at
all; [great laughter ); and, in the second
place, because he had the manliness to re-
sign his office and come home, while his
other appointees had neither the manli-
ness to acknowledge their deficiencies
nor the honesty to resign their commits
sions." Roars of laughter.
But, gentlemen, it is certain that Mr..
Pierce was unfortunate l will not say
that he lacked in courage, but he was un-
fortune. On the day Of battle some say
that he tainted. will not, however, re-
peat that, for it may be SANDER. l un-
derstand that the statement is entirely a
mistake; that Gen. Pierce did not faint,
but that his horse tainted. Peals Of
laughter. will not SANDER Gen.
Pierce, but must confess that have no
peculiar liking for that stock of horses
which are given to fainting. [Continued
laughter and cheering That horse that
tainted under Gen. Pierce was not Of the
old stock that Gen. Scott rode upon many
battle field; for | never heard that the
glorious war charger of the hero of
Lundy's Lane tainted any where. find
it recorded that one of his glorious war
chargers in certain battle was cut down
by cannon ball beneath his glorious RI
der. But instead of Gen. Scott fainting,
what was the effect? Why, sir, he laid
his powerful grasp upon the arm of a
British officer, pulled him from his horse,
took him prisoner, vaulted into his vaca-
ted saddle, and pursued the flying enemy
[ Immense cheering.] There is gener-
al for you! Tremendous cheers. A
general not merely entitled TO military
buttons and epaulets, but to the highest
confidence of his country. Renewed
cheers.
But, gentlemen, when you corner a
Democrat in regard to Gen. Scott's mill
tary achievements, and he gets hard pres
sed, he will reply to you, 81 am oppos-
ed to putting military men into civil Off
ces." l have no doubt you are. Laugh
ter. l believe it from the bottom of
my heart; you cannot bear the idea. But
when yom had Gen. jackson, how was it
then? [Roars of laughter.] When you
had a real military hero who never
tainted, and whose war horse never faint
ed, you said, Glory be to jack
son!' Tremendous applause and cheer
ing and every Democrat when he dies
wants TO go to Jackson. Renewed
laughter and cheering.] He cares less
to be in Abraham's bosom than to be with
General Jackson. Immense applause.
So much for the military qualifications
Of Gen. Pierce. And now for his civil
qualifications. What are they? He is
against protection to the labor of Ameri-
cans, and in favor of building up British
interests at our cost He is for striking
down the American laborer to the level of
the European laborcr. My countrymen
are to be reduced from their present rate
of wages to five or ten cents per day.
He is against river and harbor improve
ments. His voice was lifted in Congress
against all that can nationalize American
institutions. But there is one thing in
particular 10 which l desire to refer. You
remember the lamented Gen. Harrison,
when he died in your midst, having serv-
ed his country from early infancy-you
remember when he died in your midst,
being strickenin years-the partner of his
bosom still lingering. Gentlemen, I am
ashamed that such thing as 1 am about
to relate should have happened in Ameri-
ca; am sure there is not lady will
dare to utter word in favor of Gen.
Pierce when she learns what l am about
to relate. Gen. Harrison, at the age of
three score and ten years, after serving
his country, was summoned to his fathers.
His aged widow was here poor and PEN
wife Of patriot who had
given his whole life and substance to the
service of his country. When he died in
your midst, q magnanimous Congress
proposed to give small pittance, the
balance of his salary, to his old widow to
subsist upon for the remainder Of her
days, this glorious, magnanimous Gen.
Franklin Pierce, this civilian who is to
override every DO. body and every thing in
yonder Capitol, lifted up his voice against
the claims of the widow in such circum-
stances; and yet he rests his claims to
the Presidency upon the magnanimous
consideration that he will starve the mil
lions of our countrymen by advocating a
free.trade policy, and by refusing mis-
cradle pittance of few hundred dollars
to the widow of deceased military hero!
Where is the heart that does not start
L