The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-10-01

in undue proportions But these mists are gone
now, and the object can be surveyed with accu-
cy. He could not have given stronger pledges;
the Union men desired no stronger ; and from
washington time to ours no President had ev-
or been favored by SO fair an opportunity to win
lasting fame.
But it soon became evident that Gen. Pierce
had adopted false, feeble, and fatal policy as
the guide OF his Internationally, to
unite all factions bestowing honors and eInolu-
ments upon their leaders This was his idea of
nationality and national Democracy. He COM
mitted that mistake which no public man ever
committed without ruin. He sold his friends
for the sake of buying his enemies. and thus lost
them both. He either abandoned or neglected
nearly all the great men of the country who
had saved the Confederation in the fearful agi-
tations Of 1850. and he bestowed nearly all the
great and profitable places in his gift upon those
factlOnlsts, north and south, who had been the
original fomentOrs of aboltionism on the one
side. and Of disunion and secession on the 9TH
err. No men who had distinguished themselves
as friends of the Union were taken into his
councils; and the Government. in nearly all its
departments, is now, with few exceptions, in
the hands Of those men who became notorious
only as the avowed enemies of the peace meas
ures of lS50,-measures which General Pierce
had often declared could alone save the Union
at that trying crisis-and men who Gen. Pierce
declared should receive no couutenance or ia
vor from him, and who should be looked upon
with dlstrust and suspicion by every true friend
Of the country
The policy is Enthusiastically manifest now !;
and it is fast working out its inevitable results
Every national Democrat in the Union has be-
come hostile to the administration, and it finds
that in leaning upon the factions on which it
has showcred all its favors it is leaning on a
broken reed. General Pierce has no party now
The Frccsollers of the free States have aband-
oned none of their ground or their principles
ihey suspended their agitations and intrigues
and active hostility against the law and cOnsti-
tuition only long enough to get place and DOW
er, and then grew more virulent and factious
than ever. The Disunionists of the South have
taken exactly the same course and among the
thousands OF both, General Pierce cannot point
to man of them in whom the country has con-
fidence, and he is, doubtless, now convinced
that by giving these tactionists his favors and
confidence be has made no new friends for him
self, and lost his old ones-that, instead of al
laying agitation. he has actually revived it when
it was dead-that instead of consolidating the
Democratic party, he has hopelessly dismem-
bered it.
The most Notifying weakness is TINS stamp
ed upon the misunderstanding often
more fatal to Government than the boldest in
EQUITY. Where wickedncss undermines one
Ministry, weakness prostrates score. The
broad contrast all this offers to the bold policy
OF General Jackson is matter of universal re-
mark, and its effects are working themselves
out quite fast enough.
Your readers must not fall into mistake
here. l attach none too much importance to
this unwlse and wrong distribution of Office and
power by our President. Office here means
Just what it does under monarchies-power.-
The political power of the United States is now
in the hands of the enemies of the Union. Just
as far as the holding of Office is by the constitu-
ton put in the hands of the President. Besides,
there is one rule established by our political ex-
perience which has no exception-the fate of
every one of our administrations has been de-
cided by the manner in which the official pat
ronage of the Government has been distribut-
ed. The opponents of a triumphant party new
er look for its favors 1t is expected that the
friends OF a new President will share his conf
dence and fayors. Therefore, when Disunion-
lists and Freesoilers have from the beginning
been receiving by far the larger share of office
and place General Pierce could bestow, they
have been quite as much surprised as have their
opponents. They did not expect favors-they
did not in most instances, ask for them-and
now they do not hesitate to avow with greater
boidness than ever, their obnoxious and danger
Gus principles