The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-09-11
What has Gen. Pierce done?


1.-THE democratic papers hosd up |
Gen. Pierce as worthy the sullrages OF
the people on account Of his Natesman-
snip and his military ochierements,
Let us look into the matter for mo-
mont. And first as to his statesmansaip. !
Gen. Pierce was a member of the
Legislature oihis native State, but there
is nothing on record to show that he
originated one single measure of public
utility. The general character of the
legislation of New Hampshire has al
ways been most narrow and contracted,
and Gen. Pierce seems to have fully
lmblbed It's spirits in all his words,
thought and actions.
He was eight years member Of Con-
gress, and during that time made four
or five Speeches, which bore the stamp
of the cold and selfish school of politics
in which he was reared. Let us sppci-
fly the topics of some of these speeches:
In February, 1884. Gen. Pierce spoke
against a bill for the benefit OF the wi
dows and orphans of revolutionary sol
diers.
In 1886 he spoke agn1na the Mill
tary Academy at West Point, the value
of which institution to the country was
demonstrated by the Mexican war to be
inestimable.
In 1886 he also made speech in de.
fence Of Levi Woodbury. and his pet
banks. To indicate the wisdom of the
system that thus commanded his nm
qualified support, 1t is onl y necessary to
say that 1t introduced fashion of pub
Inc peculatlon, that progressed so rapid
ly as to enable thirty-seven "democra-
tc'' officers of the government to steal,
III short space of time, the neat little
sum of $2.06+.209 Sc. not one cent of
which has ever been recovered to this
day.
In 1911 he spoke ogaiast the bill
granting to Gen. Harrison's widow the
miserable plttance of the balance of the
years salary due hel ilustrious husband.
The bill passed in spite of Gen. Pierce,
and received the support of many ''dem-
ocratlc" senators, whose lives were not
illustrated by such splendid acts of gen
crosby as the voluntary donation of one
cent to weeping urchin, wherewith to
purchase stich Of cnndy, or the SUBJ
scrlphon OF t~enty,fre cents to the IL
brary ola Sunday School at Concord.
In 1871, Gen. Pierce also made anoth-
er speech upon the spoiIs of office, which
was characterized by just such semti-
ments as might be expected from a
New Hampshire politician.
These are all the speeches that Gen
eral Pierce made while in Congress, and
we look i'll vain in them for a single
high toned sentiment, enlarged concep-
ton or generous thought.
But as we do not think much of con-
gresslonal speeches-even the best of
them-let us look at the votes of the
man, and see whether we shall derive
any better opinion of him from them.
And here, again, we are utterl y lost in
amazement that so cold blooded an in
d!vldual should have been put up for
the Presidency by great party in this
) country.
In 1886, Gen. Pierce voted against
bill making provision for the surviving
officers and soldiers of the revolution.
In 1898, he voted against a similar bill
for the relief of the widows and orphans
OF revolutionary soldiers; and also
against bill for the benefit of the SOL
dleIs of the war OF 1912, and their
children.
His votes against internal improve
ments are too numerous to present IN
detail. Suffice it to say that he voted
0gatnst every bill for the improvement
OF rivers and harbors the country, that
came before Congress while he was a
member, with one single exception, and
that was an appropriation of $4,000 for
a river in New Hampshire, md on this
occasion Gen. Pierce rus absent!
"He set his face" to use the language
ofanother, against every act of benevo-
lence-agalnst every measure that con-
templated the progress, the development,
the advancement of the material and in
tcllectual condition of the people, In
his contracted view, Government was
not instituted for the good of the people,
but simply for the office holders. SO
that they received their fat salaries in
hard money, he cared nothing for the
hard working masses. He was the orig
inator of no public measure, the advo-
cate of no beneficent policy, the author
of no single law on the statute book. In
fact throughout his whole Legislative
career he proved himself most striking
specimen of cold, narrow, selfish, calcu-
lating county-court politician, without
an expansive feeling or generous i'm
pulse.
These are some of Gen. Pierce's GIRL
glories; now let us glance at his military
ones.