Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-01-05
GEN. rierce's Cabinet.

The following excellent and well-timed article
is taken from the New Hampshire Patriot, pub.
lished at Gen. Pierce's place of residence. Itmay
be regarded as shadowing forth the sentiments
entertained by the President elect in relation to
Cabinet making:
It is not little amusing to read the speculations
Of the newspapers, in relation to the Cabinet of
General Pierce. Some of the opposition papers
are SO very obliging as not only to establish the
principles upon which the members of his Cabinet
are selected, but even to name the individuals who
are to compose it. Others are more modest, and
content themselves with the assurance that cer-
tain men are to have places in the Cabinet. and
certain others are sure not to be in it-that this
section the party is to have controlling influence,
and the other section is to be prescribed, &c.
The Democratic papers of different parts of the
country, and individuals are urging their favortes
for seats in the Cabinet claiming due to their
sections or the merits and services of the dis
tinguished persons named by them. All this is
highly amusing to those who know the history
and character of Gen. Pierce; and it does not re-
quire Uery intimate acquaintance with these to
show the absurdity of all such speculations.
Gen. Pierce knows and fully appreciates the
responsibilities of the high station to which he has
been called by the unsolicited suffrage of the
American people; and his whole history gives
evidence that he will meet those responsibilities
in manner creditable to himself and acceptable
to the country. He will be held, and justly So,
responsible to the country for the acts of his ad
ministration his Cabinet are responsible to him.
He is the representative of the whole country,
literally knowing t'no North, no South, no East,
no West,'' in the administration of the Govern
ment; and his Cabinet must be imbued with the
same national ideas and purposes, acting for the
country, and not for section. His Cabinet must
be unit-fully harmonizing in all their views,
cordially seconding the determinations of the
President, and vigorously laboring to carry out
every measure of public policy to which the ad-
ministration may be committed. Upon this de-
pends the success of the administration; without
this all the labors of the President for the public
welfare will be futile, and the most devoted and
selfsacrifcng efforts on his part, will end in hu-
initiation to himself and disgrace to the country.
Now, how must such Cabinet be selected
The President is responsible for their acts, and he
should select them, not take them at the bidding
of Others By this we do not mean that he should
disregard refuse to listen to such suggestions as
may be made to him; and those who know Gen.
Pierce know well that he will not act hastily or
unadvisedly in SO vastly an important natter
But we mean that, having diligently sought and
carefully considered all the information that is in
his power to obtain he shall then decide according
to the dictates of his own judgement; and those
who know him need no assurance that he will do
so conscientiously and fearlessy- Gen. Pierce
knows we'll the prominent and leading men of the
Union their history, their characters, their quail
ficatons and their positions at home and before
the country; and with such aid as he will avail
himself of, we have no fears that he will not
select for his Cabinet proper aaea--men OF broad
national views, sound judgement sterling ability
strict integrity and correct principles-men who
will not use their places for their own emolu-
ment, or as stepping stones to future promotion,
but who will devote their energies to the success
of the administration and the permanent welfare
of the country, seeking the honor of being faith
full servants as the reward of patriotic service.
In acting thus as our knowledge of General
Pierce induces us to believe he will, it is nearly
certain that many persons will be disappointed in
the composition of his Cabinet. Nearly every
State in the Union, out of New England, has one,
two, three or more candidates for seats in the
Cabinet; and no doubt most of them are well quail
flied for the positions in which their friends desire
to place them. But there are only Seusn Cabinet
officers to be appointed, while seven times that
number have been named for them; consequent
| y many must be disappointed. But such men and
their friends if they true friends of the Presi
dent, and anxious for the success Of his admins
tration, will cheerfully acquiesce in the result,
with the assurance that they are rejected not for
lack of qualifications, but because considera-
tions of superior and overruling importance re-
quire that others should fill the places in question
The supposed claims of individuals and of sections
must yield to the paramount considerations of the
unity of the Cabinet and the success of the ad-
ministration which is so dependent thereon.
And the idea that any section of the party is to
be prescribed, or its claims entirely disregarded
in the selection of Cabinet officers, is, in our
opinion, unfounded. All sections of the Demo-
cratic party cordially united in the late canvass to
restore the Government to the Democracy; and
during that canvass it was everywhere declared
by our papers and speakers, that all who stood
boldly upon the Baltimore platform and supported
our candidates, were to be regarded as Democrats.
All such are to be thus treated now; and it seems
to us that if is in every other respect the
proper man, in the opinion of the President, for
Cabinet officer, the fact that he formerly belonged
to this or that section into which the party may
have been divided in any State, should not prevent
his selection.
So, too, with the idea that the holding of official