Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-06-16
THE STAtNTON SPECTATOR
STANTON:
~~~~~-~~N~~~~0~~~~~N-o>~-
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1852.
The Nominee.

The Nominee.
As there seems to be good deal of anxiety tor
more information in regard to MIR. FRANKLIN
PIERCE, the Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency, we propose to give our readers such addi-
tional items of his history, military and POLITICAL
as we have been able to CLEAN from our exchanges.
A young friend of,ours, who ought to De well ac-
quainted with Mr.. PIERcE's ''antecedents' (hav-
ING been a member of the Democratic Convenuon)
had kindly promised to give US the points, but hay
ing failed to make disappearance we are compelled
to rely upon other sources of information.
Inasmuch as his biography must OF necessity be
brief, we will trace Mr. PIERCE from the cradle to
the Baltimore Platform. First then, as to the place
of his nativity. He was born in the year loO4, at
Hillsborough, New Hampshire. In what phase
of the moon, or under what peculiar circumstances
he was ushered into existence is not stated in the
books. i. That he was smart baby will not he de-
MED, and in the estimation of att tie nsighbors
''the finest child that ever was bOrn" An account
is given in another part Of this paper of an infant
born somewhere ''away down East'' whose leis-
ure hours were employed in meditating an i'm
provement upon cradles, This promising specimen
of a young Yankee may have been the embryo
General PIERCE, for ought we know the contra
ry. We merely throw out the suggestion as wor-
thy the attention and investigation of Democratic
Editors, who may desire a complete biography of
their distinguished candidate.
We hear nothing of Young PIERCE from the
period of infancy until the year 1912, when accord
ing to the Wheeling .4rg,rs he figured as an Off
Ger in the war with Great Britain. The fact of
his bearing commission in the United States Ar
my at the early age ofegh gears goes far tofasten
upon our minds the conviction that he was the
''broth of boy" alluded to above. We are una
bic to say whether he ever fell from his horse du-
ring his first campaign or not.
Returning from the service, we presume cover
ed with glory, he entered Bowdoin College in the
State of Maine, graduated, studied Law and COM
menced practice He was elected to the Legisla-
ture of New Hampshire, and afterwards to the
Congress of the United States. In 1883, he be-
came Senator, and served until 1923. In
| 1916 he was nominated for Governor Of the State,
but declined. President Polk offered him the
Attorney Generalship, which he also declined-
Here endeth his career as a civilian, in which 1t
will be seen at once there is nothing remarkable
In truth his taste and talent led him to follow the
Camp rather than seek the Court, and hence we
find him volunteering to serve in the war with
Mexico in in 1913. Subsequently when a num-
Der of new Major Generals were appointed BY Mr.
Polk. he was advanced to the rank of Brigadier
General
In this memorable campaign it was, that he
made good his claim to ''the spurs" -Four times
did he bite the dust in the service of his country
Four times did he and his gallant Bucephaus roll
together in the burning sands of Mexico, and as
often did they rise together covered with glory and
with Dirt On one occasion a ball passed through
his hat without hurting hair on his head, and on
still another, clumsy hoIse fell upon and sprain-
ed his leg, upon which latter occasion the General
went into "a swoon," or in other words 'fainted
and fell back" from excessive pain. We have
braced our nerves to recount these the doughty
deeds. daring adventures and hair-breadth escapes
of the General, which bring his history down to
the 10th ballot of the Baltimore Convention, which
body placed him before the people of the u States
in the only prominent position he has ever occu-
MED. From this he will in all probability tumble
;;oto retirement neat fall.
We have illus given our readers all the incl-
dents in the life of Gen. FRANKLIN FIERCE, OF
New Hampshire, which the most diligent and Ia
borous research of his partisans has yet brought to
light. Perhaps we ought not to close this brief
sketch without some allusion to his ancestry and
connexions.
In the first place, then we are reluctantly COM
PEELED to state, that it was brother of the Gener
aPs who figured in the war of 1912, and not the
General himself In the second place, his father
served in the Revolutionary war, and sister mar
ried gentleman who was wounded at Lundy's
Lane-possbly by fall from his horse,
Unfortunately all of these seem to have distin-
guished themselves quite as much and some OF
them more than their kinsman. The fact is all of
the name have doubtless been good, honest, patri-
otto folks, but none of them extraordinary in their
military attachments or achievements The Cen
eral, however. is now the accidental candidate of
the Democratic party for the highest office in the
gift of the people, and of course it will be discov-
cred that he is great prodigy. That sprained
ankle will render him immortal and his clumsy RI
ding lay the foundation for many tulsome eulogy
upon the gallant and accomplished hero of''a hun
dred battle fields"