The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-06-24

unWavering supporter of Democratic measures
was ready though not frequent debater
and, during his four years continuance in that
! body, steadily advanced himself in the warm
! friendship of almost all with whom he came in
| contact, and rose rapidly in the general conf
] dence and good viii of the people of New Hamp-
shire. In 1887 he was elected, by the Legisla-
| ture, Senator from that State. In all these
! various and responsible stations, and during the
succeeding FIVE years on the floor of the Senate
good sense, caution, prudence, modesty, atten-
ton to business, and a certain chiyalrous and
lofty tone of manners, with kindness and good
temper, rather than frequent speech-making,
enabled Gen. Pierce to quit the Senate in 1912,
with an amount of popularity which few men
have ever possessed on leaving the Senate of
the United States. He had now been more
than ten years in public life, and having enter
ed it very young, felt the necessity of devoting
himself to his private affairs, which had suffer-
ed while he was absent. He resigned his seat
IN 1872, one year before his term expired, with
the frankly avowed purpose of devoting himself
to his profession, in order TO earn q competence
for his family; and with this view, removed his
Office to Concord the capital of the State. In
| the Senate, Gen. Pierce ranked amongst the
high-minded and honorable men of that body
In private life, seldom has political man been
more beloved, even by his opponents; and very
seldom, if ever, has a retired Senator been able
to look back with more satisfaction on his car
/ eer. Integrity, business habits, industry, and
magnanimity, were the great secrets of his sue
cess in all the various and high stations which
he had occupied His speeches were generally
short and to the point-he never rising unless
he had something to say, and leaving of when
he had done. When he resumed his practice at
the bar, 1t was with firm resolution to be with
drawn from public life, and the offices Of Cover
nor of the State and Senator, which were more
than once offered to him, he declined. Presi-
dent Polk urged upon him the acceptance OF the
Office Of Attorney General of the United States
and afterwards that Of Secretary of war, both
of which he declined, with declaration that
he had no desire for public Office, and would
not consent to leave his home again, unless, in
| case of war, his country should demand his SER
vices. If it be asked, what is he as q speak
er p! it must be replied, General Pierce is an or
! ator. Reasoning power and pathos gre the
| characteristics of his addresses to juries, in
| which he is known TO have had, during his prac-
| tice, such remarkable success. Those brilliant
flights of Imagination, for which Mr.. Choate
the great orator of the Massachusetts bar, is so
much distinguished, do not belong at all to Gen.
! Pierce. He goes at once to convince the reason
or to move the heart; and where the case admits
of combining the two, he Yields q mastery pow
! er. His clear, good common sense and knowl-
edge Of the human heart, must have struck eve
ry one who has had frequent opportunities to see
him in the management of trials before jury.
! These marked features in his forensic efforts
have made him sought after, and his profession
al services to be in demand, in all the counties
of the State of New Hampshire.
The breaking out of the Mexican war brought
about the contingency for which he made a res
ervation when he rejected the overtures Of Pres
ident Polk, so honorable TO him and so fatter-
ing to his professional pride; and he at once en-
rolled himself as volunteer, in the capacity of
a private soldier. As soon as the New Eng
land regiment was raised, ne was elected colon
el, and his military services from that time TIL
the American army entered the halls of the
Montezumas in triumph, have already been Civ
en- in detail in the columns of the New York
Herald His treatment of the brave and lam
ented Ransom was magnanimous in the extreme
Ransom was military man by profession. He
was educated at Norwich, Vt, under Capt. Al
den Partridge, who for many years kept mill
tary school there, for the education Of young
men. Ransom was one of his pupils and after
Capt. Partridge retired, continued to form clas
ses and give instruction in military tactics. He
was every inch a soldier. Brave, and knowing
himself competent, naturally desired position
in which he might show his military talents
Pierce felt this, and generously urged upon
President Polk the appointment of Ransom to
the command of the New England regiment
But President Polk, having been associated with
Pierce in Congress. knew his man, sent him a
commission, as colonel, accompanied by one fol
Ransom, as major of the same regiment. Ran
som was shot through the head while rushing
ON upon the enemy in one of the most bloody
F fights in the whole war. Poor, gallant Ransom
the very soul of honor and valor-even nov
we seem to see his erect and elegant, but slend
er form, driven on by spirit seemingly toe
, mighty for the flesh in which it was eneased
leading up, up the fatal hill, in the face of tha
deadly fire to which, in the very pride and ex
, ultation of his daring, he fell a victim. Gener
, al Pierce was made brigadier general by com
: mission dated March 8, IS47, and his brigad
consisted of the ninth regiment, New EnglaE