Washington telegraph., 1852-06-30
From the Washington RepuMic.l
OyThe Very Man!c

albeit the Post has for months past carried
BUCHANAN at its masthead, as the embodi-
ment of all that is wise and pure in the
ranks of Democracy. Papers that have
battled with equal zeal for DOUGLAS, toss
aside their pet with as little ceremony, and
join in singing praises to PIERCE, and to
those who brought his great merits to the
light. Others, that have expended columns
in glowing eulogies of the patriotism and
craftsmanship of CAss suddenly find that
they reckoned without their host, and now
console themselves with the reflection that
PIERCE is CAss' choice
We mention the circumstance, not as a
stigma upon the party fealty Of the
presses in question, but as a timely illustra-
ton of their want of discernment, and their
inability to measure the current of Demo-
cratic feeling. The adoption of PIERCE is
Of course right enough, now that the con-
vention have endorsed his preterlsions; but
what are we to think of the discrimination
of recognised public Instructors who for half
a year vow that they have caught the prop
er candidate, and then, upon few mirl-
utes acquaintanceship with Mr.. PIERCE,
wheel round, forsake their old love with
out sigh, and do homage to the newly
founded candidate as ''the very man.
"The very man. for what? Not to full
fill the ideas of the craftsmanship cherished
by the party, for the party had concentra-
ted attention upon other men. Not to real
ize the notion that the Presidency should
be reserved for unknown greatness, for the
party had already declared that known great
ness was a necessary passport to the honor
in reserve. Not to protect the interests of
the country, for Democratic Legislators and
journalists have assured us that the party
had fixed its gaze ON men singled out from
the ranks on account of established qualifi-
cations
Why, we ask again, is Mr. PIERCE ''the
very man." Is he ADLER or more expert
enced than Mr.. CAss? More conservative
than General HoUsToN? More progressive
than Mr.. DOUGLAS? More honest than Mr..
Dickinson! More acceptable TO Freesoil-
ers than General BUTLER, or to Fire-eat-
ers than Mr. BUCHANAN? IF Mr.. PIERCE
possesses the combined excellencies of these
various candidates, how is it that no whis-
per of his name was ever heard out of his
native State! If he be not equal to them,
why is he carried above their heads to the
position for which they have lahored! Are
we to conclude that greatness has no place
amongst the Democracy and that ''ilrustri-
Gus obscurity'' is the strongest recommeu-
dation to their favor? Pray, gentlemen
journalists, eniighten us upon these points.
We are solicitous to know how it happens
that these figures, conveyed by telegraph,
have sufficed TO set aside the results of
months of mental toll, and to bring to view
tue only man-''the very man''-to meet
the party's wants.
If not apprehensive of being suspected
of inquisitiveness, we might further inquire
whether Mr. PIERCEs title to be called
''the very man" does not arise from the
fact that the Democratic party is just DOW
mass Of fragments, and the only chance
Of holding them together till November
next consists in the presentation of one
whose friends can make him call things to
all men!" But there is, In truth, little ne
cessity for an inquiry that has received an
anticipatory answer from writer in the
Ereming Post. Here is the reply referred
to:
'The nomination of Franklin Pierce and
VIM. r. King is looked upon as almost q
presidential s0}1ttiOn Of the di6icultics
achach beset the Democratic party, and
affords another striking illustration of the
great fundamental principle of representa-
tive government, that the people are always
much wiser than any one man among them.
Such nomination not only was not gener-
ally anticipated, but to ordinary observers
would not have appeared within the range
of probabilities. 1t resulted from n combi
nation of forces and influences which no one
person could have made, but of which, when
made, every person recognises the propriety
aud wisdom. General Pierce seems to be
almost the o7oiy man that Gould hare been
named acho StandS-geographica speak
ing-upon the political centre, equidistant
from all the several discordant interests in
the Democratic party"
"The very man. means, then, in Demo-
cratic phrase, a "blank sheet of paper"
ready to receive any impressions that the
varying sections of the party may desire to
make. The Post grows pious, and traces
the choice to more than human wisdom
The Pittsburgh Post, the Washington
Union, and others of more vulgar faith,
put their trust in ''luck," and bet on PIERCE
as the trump card, turned up by chance.
The New York Post is the first that we
know of to turn Mr. PIERcE's supposed
"blank" character to account. He is a
Hunker, it admits, but still there is a grain
or two of Frce-soil salt in his compositions
"Mr. Pierce voted, when in Congress, to
respect the right of petition as exercised by
the Abolitionists In 1887, when, after
having served his State in the House of
Representatives, he had taken his seat as a