The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-19
From ths Louisville Journal.
Counterfeit Enthusiasm.


The Democrats, il 10 natural enough to suppose,
will, as general rule, support the Democratic
ticket, but when they pretend to feel any thing
like enthusiasm for that ticket, they are guilty of
the most ridiculous hypocrisy. They may, from
selfish motives, even from better motives, sup
port the ticket industriously and earnestly, but
enthusiasm is out of the question. Any Democrat
who pretends to feel enthusiasm at the mention of
the name of General Frank Pierce is chargeable
with fraud. ~ .. .-
Let us look for a moment at the matter and the
man. General Pierce was once in Congress, but
until his nomination by the democratic National
Convention not one Democrat in thousand, or
even in five thousand, was aware Of that fact in
history. The few who had ever known of his be-
ing in Congress had forgotten it utterly. He did
nothing in that body to make himself remembered
even for day. After his recent nomination, the
fact that he once in Congress began to be cir
culated among our citizens, and II was news to all
Of them, Wings and Democrats. gentleman Of
distinguished talents, who was in Congress with
hun, says that he cannot remember any thing
about him-that he cannot even recall him to
mind. ... -=.-..
Well some time after the breaking out Of the
war, General Pierce joined General Scotps army
in Mexico. He was "a undistinguished in the
field as he had been in Congress. The annuncia-
ton after thet altimore nominations that he had
been in the Mexican war was just as much news
been in Congress. In the whole documentary bis :
tory of the war there is no report from him. Re-
ports may be found from Generals Scott, Worth,
Shields, Pillow, Wool, Lane, Twggs, Patterson,
Smith, Quitman, Harvey, and others, and from
nearly a score Of colonies and majoss but not one
from General Pierce. In none of the Democratic
papers published during the war was there any
mention whatever of General Pierce one of its
heroes. Those papers ignored his very existence.
In enumcrating the officers entitled by their
bravery to distinction, they often mentioned all
the other generals but not once did they write the
name Of Pierce. And now when they find ii ne
cessary to hunt up and tell what their nominee did
in Mexico, the sum total of all the show they are
able to make in his behalf is, that he tumbed from
his horse just he was getting into one hight, that
he tainted and fell in the opening of sccond that
he got sick and had to GO to bed on the eve of a
third, and that he came pretty near getting into
the fourth, missing it only by about an hour. II
these not all Of his achiev ements during the
war, let his organs give Us the rest.
Nobody thought Of this Gen. Pierce, the forgot
ten member of Congress and the forgotten war
rior, until the Baltimore Convention raised him up
for folks to gaze at. Nobody even in that con
vention thought of his nomination until 1t was
found impossible to nominate any man OF the least
prominence. On the last day of the convention
there was q very general disposition among the
members to break up and go home without any
nomination at all, leaving the Democrats through
out the Union 10 vote for whomsoever they pleased
The only choice was between taking this course
and nominating some specimen OF ob5curity. In
brought forward; and the convention, seeing that
the only alternative to break up without do
ing any thing, gave him the nomination. Ard
now the Democratic organs talk about the enthu
siasm of their party in favor OF the nomination
enthusiasm for nominee who did nothing in Con-
gress to himself to be remembered for week,
or to make himself known even for the time being;
who, as q general in Mexico, was incomparably
less known than any other officer of his grade
in the war, and whom the people never dreamed
Of as possible candidate for the Presidency until
Baltimore Convention took him up as the only
alternative to breaking up ina row. we say that
any pretended enthusiasm in favor of this nominee
ia fraud, cheat, and a humbug.
The TnvNpnRDoLr Tho report from New
Boston (says tho Richmond Whig) sproducng m
immense commotion in the public mind. The
papers in all directions taking it up. All fair
and honest people arc delighted at the exposure o.
the Systematic game of deception attempted to be
practsed upon the American people. They expe.
rience the same of satisfaction that persons dc
when an engineer is hoist with his own petard.
The Fredericksburg Herald calls it "Pairha'
Gun"-and it's effects will probably be more dis
astrous to the Democracy than the "Peacemaker'
was to the Princeton.
That paper Gays: sr...--. -7., ....,-
"a Paixhan Gun.-The astounding development
Of the private opinion Of General Pierce of the
Fugitive Slaw law will fail into the camp of the
Democracy Hko q heaVliy -Cudrgeu pomoshei
The New Boston meeting has been howitzer Of
ill.omen to the Democratic nominee, and no ex
PLANTATION on earth can erase the unhappy language
of General Pierce, that he LoATHEs THE FuaITIvE
SLAVE LAW. '.'
",fhe meeting was held in January last-the
spccch and the reports Of the speech were both
made when General Pierce was in PRIVATE LIFE
with not the slightest probability that he would
ever be q candidate for any national ofice-wheu
there was no occasion for misrepresentation pc.
Rod of all others, he could we'll afford to give his
honest convictions of the propriety OF the law: He
gave his opinion. The language used was taken
down at the time by two different persons-then
published at different points-and the reports agree
entirely, with the exception of one word; most
remarkable coincidence in reporting, which stamp
the reports as truthful and reliable. Efforts will
be made to dodge the revelation, in some shape
Its authenticity will be denied; but we cannot be.
1,esc that simple. unsuhstantial denial will be
taken at this time, when II before offer.
cd, though the speech was on record few days
after n had been delivered"
ANOTHER ANTr-RENr ourRAeE.-A correspon-
dent of tho New York Tribune furnishes the sub
joined information:
aOn the evening of Thursday, the Sth instant, q