Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-09-23
BATH, MAINE THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 23 1859

Thus, after exhibiting TO the ewes of man.
kind (or such portion of mankind as CHANGED
to be looking in that direction the absnrd
spectacle of gentleman Of extremely moder-
ate stride attempting feat that would have
oafied Colossus-t to support himself, namely.
on both margins of the impossible chasm. that
has always divided the anti-savery faction
from the New Hampshire demucracy-tbis IN
fated man attempted first to throw himself up-
on one side of the gulf then on the other. and
finally tumbled headlong into the boltomless
depth between. His case presents painful
but very instructive instance of the troubles
that beset weakness, in those emergencies
which demand steadfast moral strength and en-
ergy-of which latter type of manly character,
there can be no truer example than Franklin
Pierce.''
We shall conclude our extracts with The
following passage, following the account of
Gen Plerce's nomination for the Presidency
| $ 1t would be pretension, which we do not
mean 10 put forward, to assert that, whether
considering the length or amount of his public
services, or his prominence before the coun-
try, Ueneral Fierce stood on equal ground
win several OF the distinguished men, whose
CLAIMS, to use the customary phrase, had been
rejected In favor of his own. But no man. be
MS public services or sacrifices what they
might, ever did or ever could possess, in the
slightest degree, what we may term leoiti-
mate claim to be elevated to the rulershp of a
free people.
The nation would degrade itself, and vio-
late every principle upon which its institutions
are founded, by offering its majestic obedience
c ,arI G
splendor of achievement. The conqueror NAV
assert claim, such as it is, TO the sovereignty
OF the people whom he subjugates; but, with
us Americans, when statesman comes to the
chief direction of affairs, it is at the summons
OF the nation, addressed TO the servant whom il
deems best fitted TO spend his wisdom, his
strength, and his life, in its behalf. On this
prlhclple, which is obviously the correct one
a candidate S previous services are entitled to
consideration only as they indicate the quail
lies which may enable him TO render high SER
vices IN the position which his countrynen
choose that he shall occnpy
Nhat he has done is of no importance, eX-
cept as proving what he can do And il is on
THIS score: because they see iu his public
course the lrrefragable evidences of patriotism.
integrity and courage, and because they recog-
nIze In him the noble gift of natural authority,
and have prescience of the stately endow-
ment of administrative genius, that his fellow
citizens are about 10 summon Franklin Pierce
to the Presidency. To those who know him
well, the event comes, not like accident, but
as consummation which might have been an
tlclpated, from lis innate fitness, and as final
step OF career which, all along, has tended
thltherward.
IL Is not as reward that he will take upon
him the mighty burden of this office, of which
the toll and awful responsibility whiten the
staesman's head, and in which, as in more
than one instance we have seen, the warrior
encounters deadlier risk than in the battle
field. When Gen. Pierce received the news
OF his nomination, it affected him with no
thrill OF JOY, but sadness, which, for many
days, was percePtlble in his department. 1t
awoke in his heart the sense of religious de-
pendence-a sentiment that has been growing
continually stronger, through all the trials and
experiences of his life and there was nothing
telgned in that passage of his beautiful letter,
accepting the nomination, in which he ex-
presses his reliance upon heavenly support -
The length of our extracts prevents our say
ing some other things which have occurred to
us, about this pleasant little volume, but we
cannot dismiss it without congratulating Gen.
Pierce upon the rare privilege of living to see
his fame embalmed by one of the purest and
most classical writers of the English language
in volume which we have no doubt. will he
as universally read as any biography ever
written in America