Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-06-26
General Franklin Pierce.

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III the investigations Of his political career
which we shall mike from time TO time n.
6eehsion may demand we shall endeavo,
10 treat him according TO his dszerts=-as
he stands upon the Sfecord-~and as his
claims upon the gratitude of his country.
men may seem 10 warrant
La The first place, 1t Is pretty evident
that The Democratic Convention grossly
miscaIeuated when they nominated Gen
PIERCE Oh The ground Of his comparative
ol'scutity, coupled with The expectation
that that very obscnrity would render him
iDvulnerable 10 attack. Obscure lie Ger.
tainly Is, IN all The essentials of states.
man. No civic aurels, OF any description.
cluster around his brow. As & Keptesoi.
iative aud Senator, he never ranked res.
pectable medioerty y@-uever took the lead
IN any matter of public tnoneDt--and
was known, principally, by his ipnsxible
partizhnship, narrow construction Of the
Constitution IN relation 10 river, hafbof
and other improvements. and his determine
ed opposition TO MI measures calculated 10
improve the navigation Of our rivers, and
the consequent development, of the re-.
sources Of the mighty valleys drained by
the same. Therefore, we think The Dem.
oera's will find out he s not obscure ofa0a,gh
TO answer their purposes, before HE termin.
alton Of the canvass. Tie relentless cue.
my Of internal improvement will he pro.
perly appreciated by tile intelligent citizens
OF the Valley Of the Mississippi, and OF
tie valleys Of It's tributary streams. Let
us briefly reespitulnie: General PiEneE
took his seat iu the House Of Represents.
tives III December, 1883. So for as we
know, the record Is silent as TO his perfor.
maliees during his first Two years Of ser
vice. Al least no exhnniafons have ye,
been made In June, 1886, he voted
against bill "makiDg additional appro.
priatioiis Tor the Delaware brakewater, and
for certain hnfbors, aud for removing oh.
s'rueiion= In ard at The mouths of certain
rivers, etc, which bill passed aud received
the signature Of Gen JACKSON. At the
same session he opposed the bill "making
appropriations for the improvement Of Ger.
tain liarIjors,' rs we'll as the bill 10 icon.
time the Cumberland road in the States oi
Ohio Indiana and Illinois. both Of wllicl,
were approved by President JACKSON. In
February, 1887, he took his seat in the
Senate. During the session Of 1873 3s,
he voted against a liarbor bin which was
supported by Mr.. BUCHANAN aud SnAs
WRIGHT. lie also voted against bill
for the benefit Of the Alabama, Florida
aud Georgia RaiIroad Company, whcl,
received The support of Messrs. CALHOUN
and GnuNpy. because Of his nnexcepiion-
able character. He voted against bill
for the benefit Of "tbe Mount Carmel and
New Albany Railroad Company in the
State of Indiana whicl, granted alter.
nate sections Of land along the road, the
Company agreeing TO carry the United
States mails for twenty years without
charge. Such men as WEBSTER, Clay,
cts, supported The bill.
But we have not time to follow GenI
PIERCE throughout bis Congressional ca
reer. We have shown enough, however,
to prove that his hostility is deadly to all
Improvements that he Is committed a.
gainst raaLroads, against rivcys, against
haybors, aud that, Judging from his past
history, should he be elected President, lie
would veto bills donating public lands 10
The Opelousas and Jackson roads, and all
other railways--'IIat he would veto bills
providing for the improvement OF the nav.
ieation Of the Mississippi, and for deep.
ening the bars at its mouth--that Red
River appropriations would be prevented
and that the Ohio, Missouri, and tile
Upper Mississippi, the uninterrupted nav.
igation of which is 80 important to New
Orleans and Louisiana, would be left to
take care Of themselves. should this bitter
foe of enterprise and deyelopement ever
occupy the Executive chair.
No friend Of tie Democratic candidate
for the Presidency will deny that these are
conclusions. We must look at
the past if we would Judge correctly of the
future. We must scan the antecedents of
a candidate, II we would form a safe opii:.
ion in regard to the course OF the officer.
BY 10 other process OF reasoning can
reliable calculation be arrived at. Judging
General PIERCE, then, by his antecedents,
The startling proof becomes apparent that,
i he is chosen President, an infexible en-
amy to the improvement Of rivers. to the
Of harbors, and TO the buil-
ling Of railroads, will fl the Office Of
Chief Magistrate, ready with his veto. al
I'll times, TO crush 10 the earth the hopes |
If the wei.wis,ers of public improve.
nent and national deveIopement.
We put the question to the people of the
West--to the citizens OF New Orleans |
md the State Of Louisiana: Have we not
suffered enough on account Of government
al neglect Of our dearest interests Shall
he navigation of the Mississippi, the
the Ohio and other rivers, III
which eleven States are interested, con-
aiming millions Of inhabitants. be ever
astinsIy passed over by the Federal au-
horities with neglect and contnineIy -
shall our resources coalnue undeveIoped,
emigration prevented, the settlement OF I
'ur vacant lands retarded. the progress Of
'ur cities in commerce checked, orr pros
,ects blighted, and the mildew of slagna-
ion and ietfargy overspread the country,
'ecanse constitutional anti-progressives
nd enveDomed opponents of all public
(snch as Gen. PIERcE's
otes show him TO be, control the desti-
lies of the nation?
These are practical questions-and they
re also questions Of vital importance
elect PIERCE President, and during the
our years Of his administration we may /
lead in vain for national aid for Western
ivers, or other Improvements. Thus
eads the record Of the past. and such is