Daily American telegraph., 1852-07-23
The New Secretary OF the Navy.

..
We have the pleasure to announce that the
nomination of the Hon. JOHN ?. KENNEDY, OF
Maryland, to this Office, was last evening con-
frmed by the United States Senate.
"Look upon this Picture-and on This!'
No impartial man can read the record of the
Baltimore Democratic Convention without real-
izing the conviction that Gen. Pierce was there
nominated solely because he was comparatively
an obscure, unmeritorious, and insignicant man.
While the names of Cass, Marcy, Dickinson,
Houston, Buchanan, Douglas, Sc, were before
that Convention, he was unnamed, and perhaps
unthought of. The inability of the friends Of
these gentlemen to come together in the support
of any one Of them created a necessity for the
selection Of a candidate who could not provoke
their envy or wound their vanity; and in Gen
Pierce they all recognised that man. The quar-
rel among them did not terminate. 1t was sim
ply postponed for four years; and for that period
of time they were anxious to procure as their
President or defeated candidate, as the case might
be, an inferior man, who would only make their
party grieve that one of themselves had not been
chosen
The ittleness of Gen. Pierce, therefore, was
the basis of the compromise upon him. No
statesmanlike deeds had ever heralded his name
to his countrymen, and no deeds Of yalor in war
had ever illustrated his heroism 1t was simply
hoped or believed that in his narrow path of me-
diocrity he had never disgraced himself and that
therefore he could be kept in position while his
friends should hurl ytuperative SANDER and the
most disgusting abuse at the noble old hero to
whom they knew it would be folly to oppose any
living man on the grounds of his positive merits.
Gen. Pierce is the candidate of his party by
virtue of his obscurity and insigniGcance; and
that party hope to elect him because they believe
that in his littleness he is invulnerable
The candidate of the Whig party is known to
his country and to the world as warrior and o
statesman. His public history extends through
nearly half n century, and his deeds and his
influence have ever been potential. That he has
nobly served and benefited his country and the
cause of freedom in every cline is universally
known. That in his long career he has said and
done things either justly liable TO dsapproval or
susceptible of disadvantageous construction, is far
from improbable. Were it not SO, we would feel
constrained to regard him as more than human.
And on the assumption Of this single fact hang
the hopes of his enemies To hide in the shadow
of his own obscurity the man Of their choice, and
to discover blemishes in the reputation Of Win
field Scott, as spots are sought on the suns disc,
are the low and crafty expedients of our adver-
saries
In past times this plan was successful, and
~ ~ Z. -. l.,.
it is therefore we are sure il will now fail The
game is understood, and the people will not par
ticipate in it. They know the worth and the
deserts of Gen. Scott If he has faults or de-
merits, they know them ase; and they know
too how to forgive and forget them. They know
that the successful hero Of many well fought
battle cannot be tame and patient, and crafty
poitician-that he cannot suppress the emotions
of his SOUL and smile in seryile compliance upon
every demagogue who offers his political inhu.
euce in trade for present or promised rewards.
They know that he would repel hundreds and
thousands of such men ere he would compromise
one jot or title Ct his selfrespect anu iudc-
pendence And when such men assail him, they
know, too, the origin Of their hatred, and the
motives Of their opposition.
That General Scott is not and cannot appear
invulnerable to the shafts of jealous and malig-
nant opposition, cannot operate to his prejudice
in this contest. The very fact that such is the
case, proves his notoriety and fame, and commeuds
him to the regard Of his countrymen. Wonder
full, indeed, do we regard it that against any man
of services so extensive, so little can be said A
few basty expressions that he is alleged 10 have
uttered-a duel or two fought, land q wicked
thing we regard it, ia long and long for
given quarrel revived-a duel declined-the de.
nunciation of an alleged conspirator with Burr
these are the accusations upon which he is to b
condemned; and by virtue Of these, Genera
Pierce is to be preferred before him by tn
American people!
Shall we now turn to Gen. Pierce, and seek
not for his misdeeds, but for any marks by which
the public may know him. They are to be re
cognised only in faint and indistnct lines upor
the records Of the nation. In his legislative
career he is known only as o narrow. minded
bigot, whose opposition to every work of national
improvement is his chief monument upon the
records Of his country. As a general, he is known
only by the series Of opportunities he unfortu.
nately lost of proving his yalor and his proves.
As gentleman, it is far from our purpose tc
disparage him. On the contrary, we would com.
mend him as one of whom Gen. Winfield Scot
often speaks in terms Of very kind regard. Bu
yet who is he--what is he, that we should homo
himH How can our opponents do him the grea
wrong to place him before the world os thei
champion, in opposition to the hoary chieftai
and patriot, who moves among his countryme
the aekpoNledged hero Of his age. whose bloc