The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-13

France could sweep the bulk of our commerce
from the ocean. The Secretary of the Navy
has discharged his duty like man of sense
and patriot; be has shown himself equal to
the wants and the exigencics Of his department.
His report is before Congress; the response
bilty OF practical action in the premises is
with the House of Representatives and the Sc
nate and. to the extent of their negligence or
hostile cupidity viii they be held responsible to
the country.
FREE SoILIsM or PRESIDENT PLERcE-We
have received no reply to our advertisement
calling for copy of the letter which General
Pierce is stated to have written to the Free
Soil Committee Of ls4s declining to run as free
soil candidate in lieu of Van Buren,, but warmly
sympathising with the opinions and policy Of
the committee. We therefore insert it again;
and we hope and trust that some of the free soil
leaders who are cognizant of the real facts will
let us know the truth of the matter. We are
likewise anxious to be furnished with copy of
free soil speeches said to have been delivered
by Gen. Pierce, and to which reference is also
made in the advertisement. A development
Of these matters would throw great deal of
light on the conduct Of General Pierce at the
recent elections in this state, and might posi-
bly, explain what to many people is yet an i'm
pervious mystery.
More than one shrewd observer has been
puzzled by the singular influence Of John Van
Buren,, as well with the President as with all
the inmates of the White House and the heads
Of the various executive departments. When
Prince John goes to Washington he is init
mate with the highest personages in the go
vernment, and seems to obtain just what he
wants of them. Yet he speaks Of the President
and Mr.. Marcy in terms which cannot be con-
sidered as either fattering or respectful
Prince John is remarkably shrewd and eau
tious. Marcy too, and General Pierce are
cautious men; they cannot surely have in
volved themselves in the recent difficulties in
this State, and stepped out of their way to
suffer defeat without some good cause. The
closer we examine the matter, the more pro-
bable does it eeem that that cause is the exist
now be in the possession Of John Van Buren,
This would at once explain both the extra
ordinary influence Of Prince John and the
very general support the cabinet is receiving
from the free solers The former still contrives
to play Mephistopheles to the Washington
Fausts. We have heard it rumored Of late that
it was the intention of the government to re-
call Mr.. Buchanan-the only good foreign mi
mister we have from London, and to replace
him by John Van Buren,. The supposition is
strengthened by the fact that the administra-
tion free soil organ in this city has, for some
time past, been devoting large portion Of its
space to the abuse of Mr.. Buchanan. This
course has obviously been taken by the editor
with the approval and consent Of John Van
Buren, and the other free soil leaders.
A complete Development ofthe true position
Of men and matters in 1913 might account for
all the strange proceedings Of the President
since his election, and Gnally place him squarely
and frankly on the free soil platform of the
North in the hands Of the free soil politicians.
COLONEL FoRNEY's DEFENCE.-John W. For
ney has published letter in the Richmond
Enquirer, in which he attempts to get rid OF
the load of odium which his letter to Roberts
has fastened on his shoulders. He says that it
was 'sthe result of an ardent attachment to
FRIEND Ardent, indeed. must have been the
attachment that would prompt proposal to
play stool pigeon for the purpose OF inJurlng
the character Of delenceless woman. Mr..
ForDey's friends have cost him dear; ana by
the following sentence we see that his inumlcy
is equally expensive to them:- wrote" ne
SAYS. las would write to my brother" Fortu-
natelv for his name. nature had denied him
that blessing. If she had been more generous
according to Mr.. Forney's own statement, the
world might have witnessed the shocking spec
tacle of one brother soliciting another to in
vegle an unsuspecting man to drink, IN order
to extort from him a boastful confession Of an
imaginary triumph over female virtue. Those
who have viewed his letter in the only light in
which it can possibly be regarded, he styles "a
combination Of personal foes" and attributes
heir honest indignation to "malignant ingc-
nuity" 1t was in words somewhat
simiar, that Bristol Bill denounced the efforts
Of the law to bring him to justice and the late
amented One-eyed Thompson never ceased to
complain of the malignant ingenuity" Of the
grand inries who would persist in indicting
him, and whose personal anmosity hurried
him to an untimely end. We bear no private
ill-will to Mr.. Forney. Malignity has had no
share in the structures we have passed upon his
character. On the contrary, we have taken every
opportunity to assert our belief that he was an
amiable man in society and was possessed Of
many very creditablc qualities. Now that nc
has iriumphed over the moral sense Of the